Carragher repeats himself after what he said about Ollie Scarles in Liverpool v West Ham
West Ham find themselves 1-0 down against Liverpool at half-time at Anfield.
Luis Diaz opened the scoring in the 18th minute, firing home after receiving a lovely cross from Mohamed Salah.
It has been a difficult start to the game for Ollie Scarles, who is up against Salah and finding himself tormented constantly by the Reds’ starman, who has just signed a new contract.
Jamie Carragher makes Scarles admission
Scarles has become a regular part of the West Ham first team under the management of Graham Potter and the 19-year-old has been impressive, showing the ability to hold his own.
It’s been a tough start to life in East London for the boss, who had limited resources to use in the winter transfer window and consequently, found himself turning to those already in the camp.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 13 | 0 | 0 |
However, while Scarles has been impressive, putting the youngster up against Salah for the afternoon at Anfield may be too much, too soon.
It may be Scarles who is struggling to keep up with his man, but Jamie Carragher has suggested that his teammates should be doing more.
Speaking live on Sky Sports Premier League commentary (13 April, 2:25 pm), Carragher said: “He’s enjoying himself, isn’t he, Mo Salah? It’s the second time he’s had that lovely touch on the left foot from a cross-field pass.
“We’ve all been there, especially as a young defender and playing against some of the best players in the world in the Premier League. Like I said, it’s been a tough start for him, but it’s something he’ll definitely learn from, no doubt.
“But, as I keep repeating myself, really young player on the pitch, he needs help, he needs people around him. It feels like he’s getting isolated a lot. Kilman left-sided centre-back in a back three; he’s got to get over there. He’s got to get a touch.”
Potter crying out for the end of the season
Potter has been able to achieve what he was brought into the London Stadium to do, having dragged the Hammers well clear of the relegation zone.
Furthermore, a trip to Anfield is never an easy task, especially as Arne Slot’s men have received the boost of players staying put in the week.
However, Scarles does look out of his depth up against Salah, which isn’t too surprising given the difference in levels of experience and no doubt, confidence.
It may have been harsh for Potter to drop Scarles for this game, and his lack of options within the squad left him with little choice anyway.
That being said, as Carragher pointed out, you would expect his teammates to be doing more to support him in the knowledge that Salah is always going to be a handful to manage.
This will no doubt be a learning curve for Scarles who will continue to develop as a player in East London but the boss will be eager to bring in some new faces to West Ham over the summer transfer window to increase his squad depth.
This way, it will allow those in Claret and Blue to progress at the rates they should be rather than being thrown into the deep end too soon.