Liverpool star Jamie Carragher thinks is really bad has quietly improved without anyone realising - opinion

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Nobody in this Liverpool team is playing close to their best right now, but one player hasn’t been as bad in the last two games.Liverpool beat West Ham United on Sunday, keeping a rare clean sheet and securing a much-needed three points.The Reds then clashed with Sunderland at Anfield on December 3, dropping points at home for the seventh time in nine matches across all competitions.Join our newsletter for news & smart analysis. Who was your Man of the Match against Sunderland?

Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say Arne Slot’s tactics have been slammed, while Virgil van Dijk is being questioned post-match.But one player, while still not great, has been slightly less woeful in the last week.Ibrahima Konate might be playing for his futureOn the back of a 4-1 defeat to PSV in the Champions League, Jamie Carragher slammed Ibrahima Konate, saying he has been so bad that criticising him may be too harsh.He said: “I mean Konate. I never thought he was top class, but he’s going through a nightmare.”On the back of that display, it emerged that Real Madrid are not interested in Konate ahead of him becoming a free agent at the end of June.Has that decision had an impact on the Frenchman’s form?

It’s hard to say, but in the two games following Madrid’s moving their attention elsewhere, he hasn’t been anywhere near as bad.Photo by Rene Nijhuis/MB Media/Getty ImagesIbrahima Konate stats against Sunderland are solidLiverpool did not keep a clean sheet against Regis Le Bris’ men, but the goal was partly down to Van Dijk.Konate, meanwhile, was by no means amazing, but we have certainly seen an uptick in form compared to previous meetings against the likes of PSV and Nottingham Forest.Sofascore gave him a 7.1 rating against the Black Cats, and his overall stats were good.Tackles (won): 3 (2)Clearances: 7Interceptions: 1Recoveries: 3Ground duels (won): 5 (4)Aerial duels (won): 7 (4)Dribbled past: 0It comes at a good time for Liverpool, given they have no other senior centre-backs at their disposal right now.But unfortunately, results are likely to remain poor unless a change is made at a managerial level. Join Our NewsletterReceive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox