Paul Merson pins blame on Liverpool contract rebel for Champions League collapse, despite playing under 30 minutes

Liverpool midfielder Emre Can has been slammed by former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson following his performance on Tuesday night.

The Reds looked set to record a comfortable win over Sevilla in the UEFA Champions League when they went into the break 3-0 up.

However, Sevilla went on to mount a come-back and finished the game 3-3.

Can came on mid-way though the second half but was still singled out by Merson for criticism. The SkySports pundit pinned the blame on Can’s mis-placed pass for the dropped points.

“It doesn’t surprise me,” Paul Merson told Sky Sports.

“You just know that Liverpool are so poor. It’s happened too many times at set plays, especially at corners, and I question whether they are working on corners.

“Concentration levels are poor. Jordan Henderson has captained England in recent months but he gambles at the corner which leads to Sevilla’s equaliser.

“Liverpool simply do not take enough responsibility at set pieces to ensure that their man doesn’t score.

“And when it was 3-2, five players went forward in attack instead of just sitting back.

“Having said that, if Emre Can plays a better pass to Sadio Mane at the end they would have won the game 4-2, but results like that happen when you’re poor at the back.”

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Emre Can’s long-term future at Liverpool is still cast in doubt. The 23-year-old has under seven months left on his contract with the Reds and could end up leaving the club for free next summer.

Liverpool remain at the top of Group E despite Tuesday’s draw. Jurgen Klopp’s side take on their title rivals Chelsea in the Premier League this weekend as they look to return to winning ways.