Liverpool criticized as 'terrible champions' after draw with Tottenham

Former stars Jamie Carragher and Roy Keane criticized Liverpool's performance following their 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur in the latest Premier League match.

At the Anfield match, Liverpool seemed poised for victory after taking an early lead thanks to a beautiful free kick by Dominik Szoboszlai in the 18th minute. However, the home team dropped three points when Richarlison scored an equalizer for Tottenham during stoppage time in the second half.

This is Liverpool's eighth conceded goal after the 90th minute in the Premier League this season, a statistic highlighting the instability of the Merseyside team's defense.

Before the match, many believed Liverpool would easily win because Tottenham was in a form crisis with a streak of 11 matches without a win and struggling in the relegation battle. However, the reality on the field was completely opposite as the visiting team left Anfield with a valuable point.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Jamie Carragher expressed particular disappointment with his former team's performance. "It was a terrible performance. No disrespect to Tottenham, but they might be the worst-performing team in the Premier League in recent months," the former Liverpool defender commented.

According to Carragher, Liverpool had all favorable conditions to win, playing at home and with added motivation from the results of competing rivals. However, the team under coach Arne Slot continued to disappoint, something that has happened many times this season.

Carragher believes part of the reason stems from transfer decisions last summer, when Liverpool recruited players who tend to be technically inclined but lack aggression and tackling ability. "There are too many players who only want to play when the ball is at their feet. They are not willing to fight hard and make opponents uncomfortable. That's why Liverpool becomes vulnerable," he added.

Carragher's viewpoint also received agreement from Roy Keane. The former Manchester United captain even made a harsh comment, calling Liverpool "terrible champions."

According to Keane, Liverpool currently trailing the top team Arsenal by 21 points, despite still having one match left, is an unacceptable decline for a team that just won the title last season. "Liverpool are terrible champions. They were like that a few years ago and now they are repeating it. A gap of over 20 points from the leader is too bad," Keane stated bluntly.

The former Irish midfielder also believes Liverpool is facing major internal team issues, as the players seem no longer sharing common goals and lack necessary cohesion.

According to Keane, defending a title is always a difficult challenge, but big teams must maintain stability. He cited the case of Manchester City, which, despite declining compared to previous standards, still competes in the top group.

Keane also recalled how Liverpool celebrated their championship last season as a sign that the team might have become complacent too early.

"I once said Liverpool celebrated too much when last season still had a few weeks left. You are Liverpool, winning the championship is expected. Enjoy it, but then you must prove it in the next season," he commented.

Additionally, Keane criticized Liverpool's defensive ability, stating that the conceded goal against Tottenham was a mistake at a "basic" level.

"You are leading 1-0 and just need to protect that result. But their defending was truly poor. Something is missing at Liverpool. I don't like what I see from this team," Keane said.

The draw with Tottenham leaves Liverpool currently fifth in the Premier League standings. They trail Aston Villa, the fourth-placed team, by 3 points and must also be wary of the pursuit from Brentford, which is seventh but has one match left.

As the season enters its decisive phase, Liverpool must quickly improve their form if they do not want to lose their goal of securing a Champions League spot next season.