"I don't think..." - Carragher voices concerns over Liverpool star after disastrous Brentford performance

Jamie Carragher was vocal in his concerns for Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk after a shaky performance against Brentford saw them suffer a shock 3-1 defeat.

The defender was withdrawn at half-time following a problem with his hamstring. However, his side had already shipped two goals before the break.

It is no secret that Liverpool have looked out of sorts in the Premier League this season, and currently sit 15 points behind leaders Arsenal.

And their defence appears to be a serious problem, with Jurgen Klopp's men keeping just four clean sheets in 16 league games.

Carragher voices Van Dijk concerns

Former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher was quick to acknowledge Van Dijk's poor performance against the London side, stating:

"We talk about Van Dijk as one of the best centre backs in the world, and this season we’re saying he’s not at his best - he wasn’t at his best today."

However, the Sky Sports pundit mentioned that it wasn't all his fault, maintaining that Liverpool's midfielders needed to chip in defensively. Referring to Van Dijk, he said: "I don’t think he’s a completely different player, no matter how good you are as a defender, if you haven’t got protection in front of you, it’s very difficult.

"I go back to the best centre-back I think I’ve ever seen in my life - Franco Baresi - but he had an unbelievable midfield in front of him in terms of Ancelotti, Rijkaard, those people doing jobs in front.

"No matter how good you are as a centre-back, you need protection, if you don’t have that you’ve got no chance."

Carragher also discussed England superstar Jude Bellingham. The 19-year-old has caught the eye of several top clubs across Europe following a stellar performance at the World Cup in Qatar.

And one of those he's been linked with is 6-time Champions League winners Liverpool. Despite this, Carragher conceded that failing to qualify for the Champions League would severely damage their chances of signing the youngster.

"People keep talking about Jude Bellingham and rightly so, he's going to be one of the best young players in world football, but if Liverpool don't get top four that'll be a problem," said Carragher.

Although the 44-year-old believes a different type of player may be equally important to Liverpool.

"But for me, as important as a Bellingham-type, would be a Wijnaldum-type. Someone who, alongside a Fabinho, can actually protect the back four and stop players running through to the defence," he added.