Steve McManaman Criticizes Liverpool Defensive Trio as ‘Vulnerable’ Following Frustrating Champions League Defeat

Steve McManaman slams Liverpool's "vulnerable" defense in their 1-0 loss to Galatasaray, calling out Konate, Kerkez, and Ekitike for failing to do enough.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 11, 2026, 8:31 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Football365

Defensive Lapses Prove Costly in Istanbul Away Leg

The reliability of Liverpool’s backline came under intense scrutiny from former winger Steve McManaman after the side failed to contain Galatasaray’s aerial threat during their Champions League round of 16 opener. McManaman noted a surprising level of vulnerability in the penalty area, suggesting that the team appeared likely to concede whenever the ball was delivered into the box. This defensive instability allowed Mario Lemina to secure an early lead for the Turkish hosts, a deficit that Liverpool proved unable to overturn despite creating several clear-cut scoring opportunities.

Konate’s Struggles Highlighted Amid Disputed Goal Call

Ibrahima Konate was identified as a primary concern during the broadcast, with McManaman describing the French international as being "at sixes and sevens" throughout the evening. The defender’s night was further complicated by a disallowed goal 20 minutes from time, which would have leveled the score. While the strike was ruled out for an alleged handball, McManaman argued that the contact was accidental and that the goal should have stood, given the ball took multiple deflections off the goalkeeper and Virgil van Dijk before crossing the line.

Failure to Neutralize Key Attacking Threats

In his analysis of the winning goal, McManaman pointed to a collective failure to track Victor Osimhen, who was allowed to head the ball back into a dangerous area with minimal resistance. He observed that Konate was left isolated in a zone rather than marking the most significant threat on the pitch. According to McManaman, this lack of situational awareness was compounded by the inactivity of Milos Kerkez and Hugo Ekitike, whom he claimed did not do enough to influence or obstruct Lemina as he moved to finish the sequence.