Joe Cole slams three 'awful' Liverpool stars in defeat to Brentford

Joe Cole has called out the Liverpool trio as the Premier League champions lost again (Picture: Getty)

Joe Cole has called out three ‘awful’ Liverpool stars as the Premier League champions were beaten 3-2 at Brentford on Saturday.

Goals from Dango Ouattara and Kevin Schade gave the Bees a two-goal cushion before Milos Kerkez got on the scoresheet before half-time.

Igor Thiago slotted home a penalty after the break with Mohamed Salah ’s late goal not enough as Brentford secured three points against the Reds.

Cole, speaking in his half-time analysis for TNT Sports , blasted three Liverpool players – Virgil van Dijk , Ibrahima Konate and Kerkez.

Rewatching Schade’s goal for Brentford, Cole said: ‘The defending is awful from Van Dijk and Konate.

‘But it is a beautiful pass and an unbelievable finish. Kerkez had an awful 45 minutes [in the first half].’

Fellow pundit Steve McManaman opined: ‘Liverpool have been very, very chaotic and all over the place at times.

Milos Kerkez was one of three players called out by Joe Cole (Picture: Getty)

‘They are very fortune they got a late goal [before half time] to get back in the game. I thought Kerkez was poor, I thought [Florian] Wirtz was weak.’

After the match, Cole added: ‘We had drama, quality and passion. [Brentford boss] Keith Andrews has just taken the baton off Thomas Frank and he is just pushing this football club up the table.

‘This is Brentford’s moment. A wonderful performance from the team.’

Igor Thiago scored for Brentford in the win over Liverpool (Picture: Getty)

Speaking after the defeat, meanwhile, Liverpool boss Arne Slot told the BBC: ‘What I have to do is look at what we do wrong and what we do right.

‘I have a clear idea of where we have to improve but that hasn’t been the case in other games. We didn’t do the basics right today.

‘Disappointing result and a disappointing performance as well today.

‘Conceding three goals is far too much if you want to win a game of football.

‘First one was a set-piece. Second is a counter-attack which is one of the things [Brentford] are really good at.