Liverpool team-mates 'look like they've had a row' as Milos Kerkez ripped apart

Former Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has criticised Liverpool's defensive issues, suggesting that two of their players 'look like they've had a row'. The Reds suffered a 3-2 defeat at Brentford on Saturday, marking their fifth loss in six games under Arne Slot.

Liverpool's recent form has seen them lose four consecutive Premier League matches, causing the reigning champions to slip to seventh place in the table. They now find themselves seven points behind league leaders Arsenal, who recently triumphed over Crystal Palace.

The Reds' defence has been particularly porous this season, having let in a staggering 21 goals in just 14 games. Their loss to Brentford was the eighth time they've conceded two or more goals in a match.

Late goals have also been a problem for Liverpool, with the team conceding after the 75th minute in eight of their matches. These late strikes have been decisive in losses against Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Manchester United during their current losing streak.

Adding to their woes, Liverpool have conceded within the first 15 minutes in each of their last four Premier League defeats. The last time they led in an English top-flight match was during their Merseyside derby victory over Everton.

These struggles aren't confined to this season either. Since their Champions League exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain last March, Liverpool have lost 11 of their last 25 matches, winning only 12 and managing to keep just four clean sheets.

They have leaked 31 goals during this period, conceding two or more on 13 separate occasions.

Their vulnerability at crucial moments remains glaring, falling behind within the opening 15 minutes on four further occasions, whilst shipping late goals in the final quarter-hour across three additional matches.

Clearly, this represents a persistent problem that Slot must address.

The situation hasn't been helped by constant alterations to his defensive line-up due to injuries, alongside a summer overhaul at full-back and between the sticks behind Alisson Becker.

Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Conor Bradley and Giorgi Mamardashvili have all faced scrutiny at various points during Liverpool's recent difficulties, with Trent Alexander-Arnold regularly enduring similar criticism throughout his own Reds career before his Anfield departure.

Whilst Pardew acknowledges that Kerkez has found life tough since his £40million move from Bournemouth, he has instead targeted Konate and Van Dijk for Liverpool's persistent defensive frailties.

"Konate in the middle of the [back four] and Van Dijk - they genuinely look like they've had a row over something," Pardew said on .

"I don't know, perhaps he's nicking Van Dijk's meal at the training ground!

"There seems to be a lack of kind of looking after [each other]. The one thing about centre-backs is they look after their full-back, and they look after each other - that is the key to a back four.

"So, the left-side centre-half looks after the left-back, but he also looks after his fellow centre-half.

"You have to protect [them] - that's your area. And neither of them are doing that job. So, therefore, that is a massive problem for Liverpool.

"Obviously the 'keeper's injured, and they've got this young keeper in - I wouldn't say he's been poor, but it's just a different character. Bradley has always been in and out of the Liverpool team, and they're not regular.

"You've got Kerkez, who really is struggling in that Liverpool shirt. I don't care how you dress it up - he's come from Bournemouth where he had an outstanding season, mainly through his attacking play, I have to say.

"He's been found out a little bit defensively, and I thought he struggled again the other night.

"There's a lot of weaknesses defensively when you actually analyse it. And I think Arne really is searching, particularly at the back and in that central area of stability... This is their problem - it's like an unfamiliarity."