The Anfield legend and Sky pundit tells FFT why he thinks the Reds may not be ready to challenge for top spot this term
(Image credit: Sky Sports)
Jamie Carragher believes that Liverpool are unlikely to be title challengers this season – after overperforming last term in Jurgen Klopp’s last campaign at the club.
Klopp brought an end to nine years at the helm this summer after guiding Liverpool to third in the Premier League in 2023-24, when the Reds were in a three-way battle for the title with Manchester City and Arsenal for much of the campaign.
Arne Slot has replaced Klopp in the Anfield hotseat, but Carragher says there is not a huge expectation on the Dutchman to win the league in his first season.
“I was really surprised Liverpool came so close last season, if I’m being honest,” the legendary former Liverpool defender and Sky Sports pundit told FFT.
“With the new manager coming in, finding his feet in the Premier League, most Liverpool fans would expect top four this season. I don’t think anyone will be expecting a title.
“If you could have a title challenge like last season, and maybe a new manager comes in and adds something to what Jurgen Klopp had, but having a new manager in the Premier League is not easy and I think Liverpool slightly overperformed last season in terms of being in the title race for so long. Another season like Liverpopol had last season would be a great start for Arne Slot.”
(Image credit: Sky Sports)
The new manager’s first Premier League game is at Ipswich on August 17 and Carragher has been encouraged by what he’s seen of Slot’s team during pre-season.
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“I’ve really enjoyed it,” he said. “On the training pitch you can see he’s really hands on, and you can see from the early games that there’s a slight twist on how Liverpool play.
“There’s a lot of talk about him being similar to Klopp, which he is, but every manager has his own twist on it and I think he’s maybe looking to play in the central areas a bit more, maybe making the extra pass, than being a bit more direct as we know Jurgen Klopp’s teams were – they used the flanks so well and games were end to end.
“I think the Jurgen Klopp style of play might just be moving slightly towards more of a Pep Guardiola style, with more passes and more possession through the centre of the pitch.”
Carragher was speaking on behalf of Sky Sports as part of its start of season football campaign, bringing together 92 passionate football fans from each team across the Premier League and the EFL to share their hopes for the new season.
The EFL kicks off this weekend and Sky have a new extended deal this term, screening a huge 328 games from the Championship, plus 248 from League One and League Two.
“With the new deal with the EFL clubs, we want everyone to feel a part of Sky Sports,” said Carragher, who’ll appear alongside the likes of Gary Neville, Roy Keane and Micah Richards again this term.
92 expressions of hope, from 92 fans, for 92 clubs | Hope Unites Us All - YouTube
“Most people have grown up with Sky being synonymous with the Premier League, and some EFL games as well – there’s going to be a lot more EFL on Sky, so it’s nice to make the 72 feel part of it, too.
“When people say ‘football without fans is nothing’, that’s not a cliche. They make a massive difference.
“I think we all saw that unfortunately in COVID times. When you look at Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and their record under Klopp at Anfield with a crowd, it’s off the scale. I think Virgil van Dijk has only lost two league games at home with a crowd.
“There was a spell when the crowd wasn’t there that Liverpool lost six league games in a row at Anfield. That would never happen again for the next 200 years. It will not happen. “That happened in COVID times, with a great team and a great manager so it shows you how important supporters are.
“Every supporter is getting that buzz now, especially the ones in the EFL because they start a week earlier. We all get that excitement that it could be our season, there’s always that hope and no matter how bad the last four or five seasons have gone, we all get that excitement at the start of a season. Because the great thing about football is you never know."
With the launch of Sky Sports+, fans can enjoy more football on Sky including all EFL teams at least 20 times a season. See fan stories from all 92 clubs in the Premier League & EFL by keeping an eye on Sky Sports social media channels ahead of the new season
Chris joined FourFourTwo in 2015 and has reported from 20 countries, in places as varied as Jerusalem and the Arctic Circle. He's interviewed Pele, Zlatan and Santa Claus (it's a long story), as well as covering the World Cup, Euro 2020 and the Clasico. He previously spent 10 years as a newspaper journalist, and completed the 92 in 2017.
