‘There’s an obsession’: Jamie Carragher lashes out at Liverpool over concerning issue that cost Reds against Chelsea

Jamie Carragher lashed out at Liverpool over the "obsession" that he feels cost the Reds the game after Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah gave them a two-goal lead.

The Reds' African stars - who are now on international duty for a month for AFCON - scored two fantastic goals to put the away side two-nil up with Mane pouncing on a mistake and Salah dancing past Marcos Alonso to finish past Mendy.

After a few days of criticism from the media for his miss against Leicester City, you could see visibly see the tension leave Mane's body as the ball struck the back of the net.

Salah, who missed a penalty and the follow-up in the same game, was given a pass by the press due to his excellent form this season and he got his name back on the scoresheet with a trademark goal.

He darted in behind Chelsea and after being spotted by Trent Alexander-Arnold, the Egyptian paused for a fraction of a second to force Marcos Alonso to lose some of his momentum before he burst past the Spaniard and dinked Mendy at the front post.

However, much to my anger and the anger of many Liverpool fans watching around the world, Liverpool were once again unable to hold onto the ball and the lead for even 25 minutes as they went into halftime with the score level at 2-2.

Where was the leadership? Where was the organisation and coordinated pressing?

The Liverpool players in defence and midfield played as if they had never played together before and Chelsea capitalised on the chaos.

Mateo Kovacic equalised with a long-range volley and Christian Pulisic was allowed to waltz through on goal after N'Golo Kante chipped the ball over the defence and infuriatingly, Virgil van Dijk made no attempt to come across.

In fact, if you go back and rewatch the buildup to the goal, he's walking on the far side of the pitch and doesn't predict the danger that is coming which leaves Ibrahima Konate exposed as there is no cover.

When he does spot the danger, he's so lethargic and uninterested in getting across it's astonishing.

Jordan Henderson should have tracked Christian Pulisic's run from midfield better which has been a frustrating theme over the last few weeks but van Dijk could have done a lot more to be in that position which led Jamie Carragher and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink slamming the Dutchman.

Hasselbaink asked: "It’s lazy, isn’t it?”

Carragher replied: “They’ve got an obsession, Liverpool’s centre-backs, you see this a lot where they always stay in line with each other.

“They never cover each other - there’s an obsession with playing offside. We noticed that right throughout the game, the space between the two centre-backs is too big.

“Initially, his starting position, Van Dijk, because he’s not intense enough to get over, he doesn’t want to cover his other centre-back.

“He stays in the same line, and that’s why he’s too far to get across.”