Liverpool: Carragher ‘agrees’ with Forest fan over Anfield atmosphere ‘myth’ claim
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher agrees that the atmosphere at Anfield “hasn’t been great” so far this season under Arne Slot.
A lot is made of the famous Anfield atmosphere by Reds supporters, while fans of opposition teams are equally obsessed with claiming that it’s actually one of the quieter places to play football.
The truth is possibly somewhere in the middle with Anfield electric for most big European nights while a Premier League match against a lower Premier League side doesn’t get the pulses racing as much.
A Nottingham Forest fan on The Overlap put to Carragher that the Anfield atmosphere was a “myth” and the Liverpool legend agreed that it’s not necessarily noisy for Premier League matches.
Carragher said: “You know what, it’s been a real topic this season, the atmosphere. You think, you’ve got a new manager, is it the thing of like ‘Klopp’s gone, maybe the football’s slightly different’, because we’re all sort of thinking that the atmosphere hasn’t been great at Anfield this season.
“If I’m being totally honest, the thing of the Anfield atmospheres was always built on European games. I think normal Saturday 3 o’clock games, like most fans you sit there and wait for something to lift you rather than you lift the team, but I agree.”
Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson thinks the Reds should prioritise a new contract for Virgil van Dijk over Mohamed Salah or Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Lawrenson told Sports Casting: “I think the most important player of the three that Liverpool need to sign on is Virgil van Dijk. It’s not just about his playing ability but what he gives the team in the dressing room and his leadership qualities on the pitch. He really runs that team and would be a massive miss.
MORE ON LIVERPOOL FROM F365
👉 Liverpool ‘aroused’ by Real Madrid star with Slot ‘willing to bet heavily’ on £66m signing
👉 Man Utd ‘husk’ surely signals the end of a Big Six; it’s a Big Three
👉 Liverpool to ‘break the bank’ for Salah contract extension as Slot gets ‘desperate’
“We’ve seen Liverpool struggle to cover that centre-back spot when one of them gets injured in the past, so it’ll benefit them in the long term if he stays at the club longer.
“I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that any one of him, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah leaving would cost Liverpool hundreds of millions in terms of replacing them.
“These three guys have earned the right to do whatever they want though, so you can’t really look at them and say, ‘why are they leaving?’ It’s a tough one for the owners, but that’s the way that it is.”
Lawrenson also expects Federico Chiesa to force his way into Slot’s starting XI before the end of the season, he added: “I think once Federico Chiesa gets into the starting XI, he’ll be difficult to leave out. He looked sharp when he came on against Bournemouth last weekend and it’s looking like a really good deal for Liverpool at the moment on paper.
“The main problem of course is his injury record, but Liverpool can cope with that because they’ve got many different players in those forward positions. I think he appreciates where he is and I reckon he’ll be really good for the club.”
