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B. Dortmund
Jamie Carragher thinks Liverpool players had forgotten how good N’Golo Kante was during their 0-0 draw against Chelsea on Tuesday night.
The return of the France international was one of the biggest positives for the Blues as in their first match since Graham Potter was sacked.
Kante has been out for much of the season through injury but he offered the Stamford Bridge faithful a reminder of his qualities against Jurgen Klopp’s men.
And Carragher reckons Liverpool – who, like Chelsea, are having a nightmare season – struggled to deal with him with the Reds players making the mistake of taking Kante on in a physical battle.
“It was almost as if some of the Liverpool players forgot who N’Golo Kante was and how good he is,” Carragher told Sky Sports.
“You don’t try and take him on or better him physically. You just need to stay away from him really. Two or three times Liverpool players tried to take him on.
“He’s been out for so long that some of the Liverpool players seemed to forget what N’Golo Kante is all about.”
The draw against Chelsea did Liverpool no favours in their attempts to get towards the top four with the Reds seven points adrift of fourth-placed Tottenham.
And Carragher reckons Klopp needs to be more flexible with his “ideas and principles” with his current squad not good enough to execute what he expects of them.
Carragher added: “The thing watching Liverpool they still play the same way, the same idea is there but they can’t do it.
“When you look at the Man City game they played it like the Liverpool from three or four years ago, man to man all over the pitch, be brave and play high but they are just not that Liverpool.
“As a manager do you stick to your ideas and principles or do you adapt them with how your players are.”
Carragher continued: “Klopp is a great manager of course but even tonight they still play like Liverpool from three years ago and got a 0-0 out of it and you are scratching your head thinking how, the big thing is how easy other teams get chances.
“Chelsea tonight and throughout the season Liverpool are still trying to play the same way with the players who can’t do it right now.
“Whether it is the same players who have been doing it for four or five years and need new players, I don’t think there is anything more to look at it other than they need to attack the transfer market and get back to having that energy in the team to implement Klopp’s idea.”
