Carragher: “There Are Problems with That Squad”

Over the summer, Liverpool went out and strengthened their options at striker and in attacking midfield. Then, they sent winger Lazar Markovic out on loan, leaving the club with an abundance of central options but only one senior winger in largely untested 19-year-old Jordon Ibe.

It raised a few eyebrows amongst fans at the time, and in the early days of Jürgen Klopp's tenure as Liverpool manager, it looks a potential problem. Or at the very least it's something ex-Red and current Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher believes is a problem that's holding back this Liverpool side.

"There are no wide players in the squad," Carragher said. "I don't know how the transfer committee thought they would fit in so many tens, but that's Jürgen Klopp's problem now. Maybe he can address it in January, but there are four centre forwards and four number tens and no wide players."

The transfer committee may have pushed for the signing of Roberto Firmino from Hoffenheim, but with the subsequent loaning out of Markovic at Brendan Rodgers' behest, it's impossible not to infer that the former Liverpool manager had a major role in last summer's no-winger transfer strategy.

And it does seem a touch churlish to complain the club have too many strikers when it's a position they clearly struggled at last season and when even now injuries at the position have left the club looking toothless in attack. Still, the lack of natural wide options, no matter who's to blame, is a problem.

Also a problem is that, at least as Carragher sees it, this is a Liverpool side that continues to look lifeless and depressed despite Klopp's arrival, and while many fans have thought the play has looked livelier over the past week, it's clear there's still room for improvement on that front.

"Klopp wants heavy metal football, but so far Liverpool have been like a church choir," said Carragher. "So boring, nothing happening, no aggression. There isn't enough being created; the football has not been quick and fast. It's been slow and predictable and they aren't creating chances."

After starting a largely unchanged eleven for his first three games, a mid-week cup tie with Bournemouth is likely to see changes, and it could be Ibe's chance to show his worth—and prove that Carragher is right when he sees a need for better wide play if Liverpool are to turn things around.