Liverpool need more than Virgil van Dijk to fix their defensive flaws, insists Jamie Carragher as he and Jamie Redknapp slam the Reds' 'shambolic' backline

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Simply signing Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk will not be enough to solve Liverpool's serious defensive frailties, former Reds defender Jamie Carragher has insisted.

Jurgen Klopp's side drew 3-3 at Watford in their opening Premier League game of the season, with poor marking leading to Stefano Okaka's first, an inability to track runners contributing to Abdoulaye Doucoure's second and shambolic defending at a corner causing Miguel Britos's late equaliser.

Liverpool have heavy interest in Southampton centre-back Van Dijk, who has handed in a transfer request, but Carragher believes his former club have fundamental flaws in their defensive set-up, which signing £60million-rated Van Dijk alone will not fix. 

Jamie Carragher criticised the continued bad defending of former club Liverpool

Liverpool conceded in stoppage time as they were held 3-3 by Watford on the opening day

Signing Virgil van Dijk alone will not fix those issues, Carragher has insisted

'There are two ways of marking at a set piece and Liverpool are awful at zonal marking,' Carragher said on Sky Sports, while critiquing Liverpool's defending for the Watford opener.

'Why Firmino is the central man I will never know, he should be blocking him (Okaka) but no one does in the most dangerous position in the six-yard box. You've got a centre forward there at 5ft 10in against Okaka, the biggest unit you have ever seen. You just have to knock him out the way.

'Nothing changes, again. That first half was like Liverpool at their worst last season so then you've had a pre-season and nothing's changing. What have they been working on?'

Carragher was in the Sky Sports studio alongside Jamie Redknapp and Simon Thomas

Stefano Okaka of Watford celebrates opening the scoring against Liverpool on Saturday

Carragher's colleague, Jamie Redknapp, then suggested Van Dijk could demand more money if he were to move to Liverpool following their defensive showing, to which Carragher replied: 'You talk about Van Dijk and yeah, he's a good player, but it comes from the sides of the pitch and the way Liverpool set up. 

'They play so high and wide that they have a centre-back exposed there all the time. One player's not going to change that.' 

He added at full-time: 'Liverpool lose the ball and their centre backs are exposed, even if you have Franco Baresi there you are going to get exposed.

'It's almost impossible. What defenders can do that?' Van Dijk will improve it, yeah, but one man can't change it all.'

'If you want to challenge for the Premier League then you need to concede 30 or 35 goals, so they need to take 15 goals away. The manager has been there 18 months now but there has been no change.

'It's not rocket science how Liverpool concede goals, set-pieces and counter attacks. It's not just players making one mistake, the whole system looks wrong and set-pieces are a mess. They have been for a long time.'

Redknapp also had his say on the Liverpool defending. He said:  'There is a reason why they concede so many goals, because they are disorganised there and have no leaders at the back.

'I think those two (Lovren and Matip) are not good enough. I see Virgil van Dijk making a difference to the back four because he is a leader.'  

Abdoulaye Doucoure added the second to give Watford the lead again

The former Reds midfielder did, though, have some positive words for Sadio Mane, who made it 1-1 with as superb finish and threatened regularly, as he likened the Senegalese to former Arsenal star Thierry Henry.

'Sadio Mane has been one of Liverpool's best players, who almost took the game by the scruff of the net. He shakes off Doucoure, good one-two with Moreno and a lovely over Can and it's reminiscent of Thierry Henry in the way he opens his body and bends his shot with his right foot to give the keeper no chance.

'There's a bit of energy and spark when he gets the ball and it's a wonderful goal.'