Liverpool lose to Man United: Jamie Carragher on Arne Slot "worry" as Xabi Alonso question emerges after Old Trafford loss

Jamie Carragher revealed that he worries that Arne Slot's failure to create an strong identity will lead to serious questions about his future.

The Reds travelled to Old Trafford on Sunday, but they were deservedly beaten 3-2 by their hosts, with the result leaving them fourth in the Premier League.

Liverpool were vulnerable defensively, and that has been a consistent theme throughout the campaign despite the club spending in the region of £450m in the summer.

Boss Arne Slot has struggled to get fans back onside, and many have called for a replacement to be appointed in his place, with Xabi Alonso a popular choice.

Former player and current pundit Carragher insisted that Slot's failure to create an resilient identity in the team after Jurgen Klopp will lead to speculation about his job, telling Sky Sports: "Am I worried about where Liverpool are going? Yeah, I am.

"Xabi Alonso is the one that's making Liverpool fans think: 'We don't want to miss out on him'. We can't be a club who continue for the next five or 10 years saying, 'Oh, we want Jurgen Klopp football'.

"[Klopp] was a genius. He does football better than anybody. The worry is not that there's no identity [now], the worry is that this is the identity. So it's on the manager's shoulders."

Alonso is currently without a club following his dismissal from Real Madrid in January, and the fact Slot will have just a year left on his contract in the summer has fuelled speculation a managerial change could be made in the summer.

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Arne Slot future: Are Liverpool fans being harsh on manager?

Suggesting that all of Liverpool's shortcomings are the fault of Slot would be harsh, but after the club suffered their 18th competitive loss of the season on Sunday, it would be wrong to absolve the Dutchman of any guilt.

Liverpool were famed for their intensity under former manager Klopp, and while Slot's reportedly lax approach to training sessions initially delivered positive results, the team have struggled to maintain their competitive edge the longer he has been in charge.

The Merseysiders have routinely been exposed defensively, and the fact that their issues without the ball have not yet been addressed is alarming.

Signings would likely help alleviate some of the problems that Slot is facing, but few supporters would trust the Dutchman to oversee another crucial transfer window.

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Xabi Alonso: Is he right man for Anfield job after Real Madrid sack?

Alonso is the only manager to have successfully beaten Bayern Munich to a Bundesliga title in 14 seasons, but while he experienced highs at Bayer Leverkusen, he was sacked mere month into his stint at Real Madrid.

However, blaming him for the issues at the Bernabeu would be unfair if reports of a toxic dressing room culture are to be believed.

At a glance, Alonso's focus on intensity and tactical discipline would make him a strong fit at Anfield, especially as the Reds' dressing room is likely to be more welcoming to the former Liverpool player.

The World Cup in the summer could limit the amount of time that Alonso would have on the training pitch before the start of the season in August, but keeping things as they are with Slot may be untenable.