Anfield legend Jamie Carragher has slammed Liverpool’s new signings ahead of the Merseyside derby, reports the Daily Mail.
The Reds have endured a tough start to the season, losing three of their opening five Premier League matches.
And Carragher says some of Brendan Rodgers signings have not delivered yet this season, with the former defender turned pundit particularly critical of £16million striker Mario Balotelli.
“Suarez set the tone, harrying and hassling,” Carragher said. “He defended from the front and is the best in the world at creating that relentless energy that swamped teams.
“If intensity is the word you associate with Rodgers’ Liverpool, you would not use it to describe Mario Balotelli, Suarez’s replacement.
“When he played for Manchester City, I wasn’t a fan and what I’ve seen so far hasn’t persuaded me to change my mind. He has a tendency to walk around, which I don’t like to see. He has to bust a gut more often to get in the box.”
Carragher looked to draw comparisons with successful Liverpool signings of the past, to illustrate just how much some of the new arrivals brought in by Brendan Rodgers over the past couple of transfer windows have struggled.
“Think about it: Sami Hyypia and Didi Hamann on to Alonso, Fernando Torres, Javier Mascherano, Suarez and even Daniel Sturridge — they were all doing the business almost as soon as they walked through the door,” he continued.
“Those who struggled in their first season very rarely turned it around in their second year.
“I know it’s early days but, when you have spent £38m on defenders like Dejan Lovren and Mamadou Sakho, you don’t want to be hearing about settling in. You want instant results but Liverpool are shipping goals.
“Lovren was brought in to add leadership at the back but Liverpool actually look worse defensively than they did last season. Sakho doesn’t fill you with confidence when you watch him and nor does the goalkeeper, Simon Mignolet. They need to step it up urgently.
“Rodgers had the good fortune last season of injuries not making much impact on his team but, with a bigger fixture list, he had to invest to bring in numbers and quality. Of those who have come in only Alberto Moreno, the young Spanish left back, has impressed me so far.
