Jamie Carragher spots a tactic he’s ‘never seen before’ while analysing Arne Slot’s new-look Liverpool… and it leaves co-pundit Gary Neville baffled over the Dutchman’s methods

Jamie Carragher left Gary Neville with questions on Monday Night Football after the former Liverpool defender spotted an interesting tactic that he said he had ‘never seen before’ during an analysis of Arne Slot’s new Liverpool team.

Liverpool started the Premier League season well with a 2-0 win over promoted club Ipswich on Saturday, with Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah both scoring.

There is a lot of interest in the type of football Slot will bring to his team this season. The Dutchman took over from Jürgen Klopp earlier this summer.

The former Feyenoord coach was previously described as an ‘attacking coach’. The manager impressed Feyenoord fans with his exciting and fast style of football.

On Monday Night Football, Carragher noticed that Liverpool’s defenders were playing much narrower and were constantly changing positions.

The position change also left Gary Neville scratching his head on Monday Night Football

At one point during their match at Portman Road, Andy Robertson appeared to leave the left flank and circle centre-back Virgil van Dijk, who was in possession of the ball.

Carragher scratched his head at the former Reds defender, saying he had never seen anything like this before.

‘I think it makes sense that here, as the ball moves around at the back, Ipswich play with four attackers to apply pressure, Andy Robertson comes here. [push wide]’, Carragher told Sky Sports of the left-back’s movements.

‘But what’s really interesting is where he goes to receive the ball and help Virgil van Dijk. [It’s] something I’ve never seen before. Going around him! Hopefully we’ll understand it at some point…

Neville, meanwhile, was confused as to why the Scottish full-back would make such a run, adding that Van Dijk should simply use his keeper, Alisson.

“Stop that…” said the former Man United defender. “I’m amazed by these players and how teams play from the back.

Carragher noted that Andy Robertson (right) had turned away to receive the ball behind Virgil van Dijk (in possession) rather than prolonging the play

Carragher stated he had ‘never seen this tactic before’, while Neville said Van Dijk should simply play the ball to Alisson in goal

Carragher noted that Liverpool’s new manager had instructed his defensive line to play narrower

“But I wonder what the advantage is that you’re trying to find there? What’s the advantage? You have Alisson there who can do exactly the same job.

‘Why would Arne Slot coach Robertson to run behind Van Dijk in the space where Alisson can do that job? What advantage does he see for his team?’

Carragher replied: ‘Listen, this is new for us. I’ll ask Arne Slot, hopefully, I’ll interview him before next week’s game against Brentford. But he absolutely loves using the centre of the pitch. He always has numbers centrally.

He added: ‘I’m sure we’ll get to the bottom of it. But Robertson did that, which I thought was very interesting.’

Carragher went on to describe another moment in the match, in which he highlighted how Liverpool’s back four were sitting very narrow even though they had possession of the ball.

Under Klopp, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Robertson were at times encouraged to extend the play wider, to either wing, and to provide extra support to their wingers.

The Sky Sports analyst also noted that Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold were not reaching out wide on either wing

‘I found it interesting what positions they take. Now Virgil van Dijk is making a move to create space for [a passing option to Robertson]but also to create an extra passing option for his keeper.

‘Again, you see these rotations in other areas of the pitch as well, but we’re seeing it in Liverpool’s bottom four now as well, so it might be something to keep an eye on.

“When I talk about the narrow defensive line, it’s not just about the build-up at the back,” Carragher noted, highlighting that Liverpool’s defenders also occupied a very narrow space on the halfway line as they mounted an attack on Ipswich.

But even Carragher wondered why Robertson and Alexander-Arnold didn’t let the play go longer and move out to the sides.

“Every coach I played with would have told me to come here,” he said, drawing an arrow from Robertson’s position on the field to the wing.

Diogo Jota (pictured) opened the scoring for Liverpool by tapping in a cross from Mohamed Salah

Salah would also score just five minutes later, having scored a record nine times in the Premier League’s opening weekend.

‘Stretch that Ipswich front four that are trying to hold you down. Open it up and you can get out and forward.

‘Arne Slot likes to play in the city center.’