2 weeks ago
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Peter Crouch warned that it would be a "travesty" for Liverpool to lose a fourth game in a row, against Manchester United this weekend.
The Reds suffered three successive defeats prior to the international break, going down against Crystal Palace, Galatasaray, and Chelsea. All three of those games came away from home, and Liverpool returns to Anfield on Sunday for the first time in almost a month, with United the visitor.
Liverpool is the favorite to win, despite those three losses, with United still struggling to show any kind of good form under head coach Ruben Amorim. United is yet to win back-to-back league games under the Portuguese, who was installed as Erik ten Hag's replacement almost a year ago.
Both teams are under pressure for different reasons, and Crouch thinks the pressure on Liverpool will ramp up even further if United records a first win at Anfield in almost a decade on Sunday.
"I don't think we should be putting Slot under the same pressure as Amorim, but he needs to win," Crouch told Paddy Power. "Does he need the win in this game as much? Probably, yes.
"Amorim is under more pressure for his job, but with regards to losing three in a row, if they [Liverpool] lose again, certainly to Manchester United, who are coming in for so much criticism at the moment, then yes the pressure ramps up [for Slot]. For Liverpool to lose four [in a row] feels like a travesty."
Asked if he was surprised that Slot has come in for criticism for Liverpool's performances at the start of the season, considering he is coming off the back of a title-winning campaign, Crouch responded:"I think you're entitled to criticism.
" I think there's been mistakes, obviously the Palace game. It's been pretty evident they look like they'll concede quite often. They've had games where they've scored last minute to kind of paper over the cracks.
"But losing to Chelsea, Galatasaray - could've been more [goals conceded]. Palace in the first half could have certainly scored more. They're losing games where they aren't battering teams and probably deserve to lose, which is the frustration."
Liverpool will be without Alisson and Giovanni Leoni for the game, while there are concerns over the fitness of Ryan Gravenberch, Ibrahima Konate and Wataru Endo.
Gravenberch was withdrawn at half-time of the Netherands' win over Finland as a precaution after feeling some hamstring tightness, while Konate and Endo hurt themselves in the loss to Chelsea before the break.
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