Jamie Carragher has questioned Ibrahima Konaté’s leadership qualities following Liverpool’s 3-2 loss to Brighton on Monday night.
The Reds, already crowned Premier League champions, were without Virgil van Dijk at the back, and it showed. Arne Slot’s side looked uncharacteristically shaky in defence, conceding twice in the second half after leading 2-1 at the break.
Konaté, the senior figure in a rotated back line, was expected to step up in Van Dijk’s absence. But Carragher believes the Frenchman fell short, especially when Liverpool needed composure and structure at the back.
“I was a bit disappointed with Konate tonight,” Carragher said on Sky Sports. “Even for the second goal, Konate was flying out of position, the ball went over his head.
“I’ve always had this feeling that all the centre-backs that have played alongside Virgil van Dijk, I’ve always wanted to see them on their own. I haven’t because I want van Dijk to play every week, but I’ve almost thought playing alongside one of the best centre-backs we have ever seen in the Premier League, I’d love to see them on their own, and I want a little bit more from them.
“We always make mistakes, but that leadership. I used to say it about Joe Gomez, I said it about Matip and now Konate. It’d be really interesting to see without Virgil van Dijk for 10-15 games to be the leader of the back four, organise people around them and make people around them do better — and that was lacking in the second half.”
With Van Dijk turning 34 this summer and questions over Konaté’s long-term role, the pressure is mounting on the French international to show he can be a reliable pillar in Liverpool’s defence moving forward.
As attention shifts to Sunday’s title party at Anfield, Slot will be keen to see his side tighten up defensively even in celebration, with bigger challenges ahead next season.
