Jamie Carragher gives verdict on why Ibrahima Konate is not as good as Liverpool fans think
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Ibrahima Konate has had a very up-and-down Liverpool career so far.The Reds have struggled a lot more than many would have expected this season, with their defence one of the reasons for this.Liverpool have conceded far too many goals, with a lot of fans putting the onus on Konate for the amount of mistakes he has made.Join our newsletter for news & smart analysis. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say However, a lot of supporters largely think that he is one of the best defenders in the league, with this just a downturn in form, especially as he has started to pick up again in recent weeks.Jamie Carragher, though, has a different view, and he has revealed why he has never been the biggest fan of the Frenchman’s.Jamie Carragher does not believe Ibrahima Konate is a leaderCarragher knows a thing or two about what makes a top centre-back, with the scouser one of the better ones in Liverpool’s history.
He does not often hold back with his criticism either and has been very vocal about Konate even at his best, with his view still remaining the same.Although he still thinks he is a good defender, he said there is one reason why he does not rate him as highly as some of the fans, with this being his leadership issues.“I’ve never been as sold on Konate as some Liverpool supporters, I must say that,” he said in an interview with Rory Jennings.“When they talk about him being one of the best centre-backs in the league or even Europe, I think a lot of Liverpool’s centre-backs look better because they are playing alongside one of the best the league has ever seen.“I still think Virgil van Dijk has still been one of Liverpool’s best players this season. Who has been Liverpool’s best player in 2025?
I don’t want to think what would happen to Liverpool if Van Dijk wasn’t there for six weeks.“It’s not so much the ability of Konate, but it’s can he lead? Can he look after a young kid next to him and talk him through the game?“I don’t think Konate can do that at all.”Marc Guehi is the perfect candidate for LiverpoolIf leadership is one of the traits Carragher looks out for in a defender, then Liverpool should look no further than Marc Guehi.The Crystal Palace captain is a true leader and has proven that time and time again, making him the perfect partner alongside van Dijk.Having him as competition for Konate too would also be a good thing if he sticks around, with this also pushing the Frenchman to work on his leadership skills to ensure he is still first choice.Liverpool will likely bring in a defender in January, or at least they really need to, so Guehi seems like the logical choice.