Carragher Slams Slot's Tactical Gamble as Van Dijk Left Floundering in PSG Mauling

Jamie Carragher has torn into Arne Slot's tactical approach following Liverpool's 2-0 hammering at Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, declaring the manager got his setup "all wrong" and suggesting the Reds' captain has rarely looked more out of sorts.

The match saw PSG race into an early lead through Désiré Doué's deflected strike in the 11th minute, with the shot looping past Georgio Mamardashvili. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia added the second after ghosting past Ryan Gravenberch to finish clinically, though Slot himself conceded Liverpool were fortunate the scoreline didn't balloon further.

Liverpool's decision to deploy a five-man defence marked their first such setup in a Champions League or Premier League fixture since December 2017, and Carragher believes the tactical experiment proved disastrous. The system, he argues, actually left the Reds more exposed rather than more secure.

"He went about it with the back five all wrong," Carragher told CBS Sports. "They were actually more open with a back five than they would be with a back four. Because they went man-to-man all over the pitch and your three centre-backs had to cover the width of the pitch."

Van Dijk, operating as the central defender in that three-man line, found himself constantly dragged out of position to plug gaps as PSG's attacking players exploited the spaces left behind. At 34, the Liverpool skipper was forced into a constant game of catch-up, running laterally across the pitch in a manner that appeared to drain rather than liberate him.

"Normally when you get to a certain age you feel in the middle of a back three is perfect," Carragher continued. "Everyone's in position, getting a bit of protection. This was different. Defenders were jumping into midfield, there was no one to mark and Virgil van Dijk at 34 years of age was having to run in there and he was having to run across. He couldn't do it."

Carragher reserved particular criticism for Ibrahima Konate, van Dijk's defensive partner, suggesting the centre-back's inconsistency made life considerably tougher for the captain. "The fella next to him has been awful all season and poor again tonight, Konate, makes a mistake every game," the pundit observed.

Despite recent criticism aimed at van Dijk, Carragher maintains the 34-year-old remains among Liverpool's standout performers this season. "I think it's been harsh," he said. "I still think he's been one of Liverpool's better players. But tonight in that back three I have never seen him so uncomfortable in a Liverpool shirt in my life."

The former Reds defender suggested van Dijk will be pressing Slot never to repeat the experiment, having found the tactical setup so challenging to operate within.

On a more positive note for Liverpool, Carragher lavished praise on PSG's performance, drawing a striking comparison: "PSG were absolutely out of this world. The biggest compliment I can give them was it was like watching Pep Guardiola's Barcelona."

Addressing questions about van Dijk's captaincy, Carragher defended his leadership credentials both on and off the pitch, noting that such scrutiny inevitably intensifies when results disappoint. "He's always been a true leader on the pitch and he is a true leader, for me, off the pitch," Carragher said. "He's been a fantastic captain and a fantastic player for Liverpool and he always comes out and speaks and I respect that because not everyone does right now."