2 days ago
33
Former Liverpool player and coach Sammy Lee has criticized Arne Slot’s side, claiming it lacks a “basic principle of football”.
The Premier League champions have been heavily scrutinized following Saturday’s 3-2 loss at Brentford, which continued Liverpool’s sequence of Premier League defeats. That’s four losses in a row for the Reds, equalling the number it sustained in the whole of the 2024/25 campaign.
Much has changed since Slot’s team was routinely swotting Premier League teams aside last season, and despite a summer of heavy expenditure, Liverpool has taken a backward step in the early months of the new term. Performances have simply not been good enough.
Liverpool was outfought by Brentford and lost the physical battle at the Gtech CommunIty Stadium on Saturday. That, in Lee's eyes, is unforgivable.
“Apart from [Dominik] Szoboszlai, we lost almost every second ball,” the 66-year-old said during LFCTV’s post-match coverage.
“We’re on the attack, they clear the ball, and then they win it and counter against us. Long balls and second balls we very rarely won, and it is a basic principle of football.”
He is not the only ex-Red in recent days to express their concern about Saturday’s performance.
“Losing four games in a row for Brentford would be a disaster,” said Jamie Carragher.
“To see the champions do it with the expenditure in the summer means we're in crisis time for Liverpool right now.
“Liverpool have to look at the physicality and height within their team because, right now, I don't think they have enough.”
The stats don’t make for good reading, and Liverpool has kept just two clean sheets in its last 19 matches stretching back to last season. The Reds have also conceded in the opening 15 minutes in each of the last four Premier League matches.
Another former Liverpool star, John Aldridge, has called for Slot to change his approach in the wake of the Brentford loss.
“That's so disappointing and concerning in many many way not just tonight but this season defensively shocking,” wrote the ex-striker on social media.
“No cohesion desire taking responsibilities etc!! Arne has to step up big-time.”
Liverpool is next in action against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup fourth round on Wednesday, before a tricky Premier League game against Aston Villa awaits on Saturday.
English (US) ·