Gabby Agbonlahor has slammed two of Liverpool’s youngsters after their defeat to Nottingham Forest at the weekend.
Liverpool suffered yet another defeat at the weekend against struggling Nottingham Forest. The Reds fielded youngsters Fabio Carvalho and Curtis Jones due to a lengthy injury list, and pundit Agbonlahor didn’t hold back in his judgement of the two midfielders.
“Maybe these players aren’t good enough. Carvalho looks very lightweight and Curtis Jones looks like he likes to do tricks and not influence the game. Harvey Elliott looks like a good player, I like him. Curtis Jones and Carvalho need to step it up because you can’t use that excuse and hide behind being young,” said Agbonlahor, speaking to Football Insider.
Relying on young players is always a risk, but Jurgen Klopp has little choice due to his current injury troubles. Jones and Carvalho were chosen for Liverpool with Thiago once again unavailable, and maybe the inexperience proved costly.
A midfielder has to be a priority for Liverpool in the upcoming transfer window, with new signing Arthur Melo ruled out for an extended period.
Thiago, Naby Keita, and Jordan Henderson have all struggled with injuries this season, so a new signing as soon as January could be necessary.
There’s no doubt the likes of Carvalho and Jones have the talent, but it’s maybe too soon for them to be relied upon regularly at the elite level.