Jamie Carragher brands calls for Jurgen Klopp’s sacking ‘RIDICULOUS’ despite Liverpool’s slow start

Jamie Carragher has branded calls for Jurgen Klopp to leave Liverpool ‘ridiculous’ despite the Reds’ poor start to the season.

Liverpool have picked up just two wins from their opening six games of the Premier League campaign and lost 4-1 to Napoli in the Champions League last week, prompting calls for a change of leadership from some supporters.

But Carragher, writing in The Telegraph, insisted he was amazed at ‘how quickly some people forget’ that the Reds were chasing an unprecedented quadruple just months ago.

Klopp has been in charge of Liverpool for nearly seven years and has enjoyed a lot of success

He also insisted ‘there is no coach more qualified to reverse Liverpool’s poor form.’ 

‘A rebuild may be upon Klopp sooner than anticipated,’ said Carragher, who made 737 appearances for Liverpool as a player. ‘[But] Nothing in his demeanour suggests he lacks the appetite for the challenge.

‘While Klopp is in charge, Liverpool will never be like Chelsea or other clubs who see no prospect of a coach reversing a slide.

‘Liverpool’s owners oversaw an unsuccessful period before Klopp. There are still some Liverpool players who joined the club before Klopp. They too owe their success to him.

‘The same applies to all the players he has brought to Anfield. Thiago Alcantara aside, none of those considered club legends today – Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Alisson Becker – had won anything before Klopp signed them.

‘The club’s restoration to being one of Europe’s elite is down to him.’

Liverpool were embarrassed 4-1 away to Napoli in the Champions League last week 

Several Reds stars have been off the pace so far this season, including defender Virgil van Dijk

There have been worries that the six-time European champions may be coming to the end of a cycle under the German, who decided he would leave former club Borussia Dortmund when they were bottom of the Bundesliga after seven years in charge.

Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke said at the time however he wished he changed the whole team rather than the manager.

Carragher has told his former club not to make the same mistake, backing the 55-year-old to turn his old side’s fortunes around.

‘Energy has been sorely missing as Liverpool have become easy to play this season,’ he said. 

‘Every Liverpool opponent has outrun them in their seven games so far. That is more worrying than the results.

Klopp left previous club Borussia Dortmund at a similar time to where he is in his Reds stint

‘When Klopp and his think tank convene at the AXA training centre, the injection of energy must be top of the agenda. 

‘That will prompt difficult decisions, analysing the performances of players who have given Klopp sterling service but are no longer capable of consistently executing his vision.

‘If this is the beginning of the end of an era at Liverpool, everything changes except the manager.’

Liverpool are due to play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this weekend, but the game is in doubt following the death of Her Majesty the Queen.