Rodgers must end his obsession with 4-3-3, says Carragher

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has hit out at Brendan Rodgers' tactics after the 3-1 Premier League defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Goals from Daley Blind, Ander Herrera and debutant Anthony Martial condemned the visitors to a second consecutive league loss, despite Christian Benteke's brilliant overhead kick.

Carragher, who retired in 2013 after 17 seasons at Anfield, has insisted Rodgers must ditch his "obsession" with lining the team up in a 4-3-3 formation if they are to improve their results.

"I don't understand this obsession with playing 4-3-3," he told Sky Sports. "There is not enough support for Benteke. 

"Brendan Rodgers has come to the club playing 4-3-3 and it didn't work. The great season they had was with two strikers and how they got them into the team. It is down to the manager. 

"They have got a lot of strikers, no wide players, and he continues to play 4-3-3. They have no wide players – they have only got Jordon Ibe. 

"For me [Philippe] Coutinho is not a wide player and I don't understand what the point was in playing Danny Ings in that position. He didn't give the support to Benteke. 

"Think about how many strikers Liverpool have on the books - [Danny] Sturridge is another one who is still to come back."

After finishing sixth in last season's Premier League, Liverpool have made a poor start to this campaign, winning twice and scoring just three goals in their first five matches.