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15th Jul 2016

Jamie Carragher identifies areas he feels Liverpool need to strengthen

Let the gegenpressing continue

Darragh Murphy

Jamie Carragher went in two-footed on Alberto Moreno after the Europa League final and he’s sticking to his guns.

While Carragher deleted the impulsively-posted tweet below after Moreno’s game to forget in May, the legendary Liverpool defender remains adamant that his former club needs to be in the market for a new left back this summer.

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Carragher also believes Jurgen Klopp could do with bringing some fresh legs into midfield during the transfer window but, as was the case for Brendan Rodgers, he believes the lack of European football will act as an advantage for the team.

“I am still hoping they (Liverpool) will bring a couple of players in, maybe at left-back, maybe one in midfield,” Carragher said at the launch of the Jamie Carragher Sports and Learning Academy, as transcribed by the Liverpool Echo.

“But I think the fact that Liverpool haven’t got European football this season will be a massive help to Jurgen Klopp and the players and it gives them a great chance of getting into the top four.”

Liverpool v Manchester United - Premier League

“With Jurgen Klopp,” he added, “you can see the way he wants his teams to play, the way they train, training is a big part of that and getting the sort of stamina levels and fitness levels, ready to go and play at a weekend.

“That was the problem for them last season, they couldn’t train properly because they had so many games. You are either recovering or building up to a game so you can’t put the training in that you want.”

Aston Villa v Liverpool

Carragher is impressed by the work already done by Klopp to maintain the levels of fitness required by the German’s famed gegenpressing tactics. He continued:

“He has brought a fitness coach in from Bayern Munich, it is pretty obvious that the team will be firing on all cylinders physically, whether they have got the quality on the pitch remains to be seen with whoever he buys or if some of the players they have got there surpass the levels they have done in the past few seasons.”

“But I think they will be a difficult nut to crack next year, they will be a nightmare to play against if they are really ready and firing and doing that pressing and closing down that Jurgen Klopp likes.”