'Taken to the cleaners' - Jamie Carragher tears into Liverpool & their 'weak players' after Aston Villa capitulation

Liverpool's late-season slump reached a new low on Friday night as they were humbled by Unai Emery's side. The 4-2 scoreline barely told the full story of a match where the visitors were consistently second-best, leading Carragher to issue a brutal assessment of the character within the dressing room.

"Liverpool have far too many weak players - physically and mentally - and it has to be fixed," Carragher said while on co-commentary duty for Sky Sports. "It looks like Arne Slot is going to be the man who has to fix it next season. But this result does nothing in terms of the feelings of the supporters around his position right now. Liverpool don't excel at anything. They look like a really, really average team. They have been taken to the cleaners."

The statistics behind Liverpool's decline are staggering, with them now having conceded 52 goals in the Premier League this term. This represents the most they have ever managed in a 38-game season, highlighting a total collapse of the defensive solidity that previously defined the club.

Carragher believes the decline of key individuals has exposed the lack of quality in the supporting cast, notably mentioning the captain's form. "It's the first season where I've seen Virgil van Dijk look human - and it's had an affect on others. When you look at his partners, people tell me how good they are. But when Van Dijk is not at his best, sometimes you need them to step up and help him a little bit. It doesn't happen," Carragher added.

One of the most damning aspects of Slot's side this season has been the club's inability to perform on the road against the league's elite. The Reds have failed to win a single away game against a team currently in the top nine, a record that Carragher believes highlights a significant lack of character within the dressing room.

"When you look at those results away from home, I always think it tells you about your personality and character," said Carragher. "I can't actually believe that Liverpool are fifth in the league. You think about the numbers of the goals they've conceded, they never look threatening going forward, and that away record - and Liverpool are fifth in the Premier League? Wow."

The Dutch tactician himself was equally critical of his players following the final whistle, admitting that the team has a tendency to fall apart under pressure. Slot watched on as his side surrendered control in the second half, despite a brief moment of hope when they levelled the scoring through a Van Dijk header, saying: "We were fully in the game, fully able maybe to get a result but I agree that after it went 2-1 we crumbled." He later added: "After 2-1 it went away from us. Before that I think we started well in the first 10 minutes of the second half then we had control of the game without creating chances - but that is not the first time this season."