Ibrahima Konate offers a blunt assessment of Liverpool’s defensive “disaster” at Old Trafford as Arne Slot’s side sees their frailties exposed again. With 71 goals now conceded this term, the Frenchman’s post-match comments lay bare the scale of the task facing the Reds ahead of Chelsea.
Liverpool would have been confident that they turned a corner in league action when travelling to Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon, having won three league games on the spin.
Unfortunately for Arne Slot‘s side, the defensive foundations that underpinned last season’s title charge crumbled within 14 minutes at Old Trafford, as familiar frailties left Slot’s men facing an immediate mountain to climb.
A spirited fightback saw Szoboszlai and Gakpo haul Liverpool level, but the hard work was undone in an instant. Despite dominating large spells of the second half, Slot’s men were undone by a moment of individual brilliance from Kobbie Mainoo that left their comeback in tatters.
Off the back of such a demoralising defeat, Liverpool has now conceded 17 goals from set-piece situations, alongside 70+ goals being given up in all competitions. Last season, on the way to the Premier League title being triumphantly hoisted aloft, the Merseyside giants only leaked 41 goals.
Ibrahima Konate, who was part of this leaky defence at Old Trafford, spoke to the media post-match, noting that the defeat was a “big disappointment” because the defensive display was far too error-strewn.
Liverpool Defensive Comparison: 2024/25 vs. 2025/26:
| Competition | 24/25 | 25/26 |
| Premier League | 41 | 47 |
| Champions League | 8 | 13 |
| FA Cup | 3 | 5 |
| EFL Cup | 5 | 6 |
| Total | 57 | 71 |
Konate’s post-match comments
It has been a season of scrutiny for Konate. Often the lightning rod for criticism during Liverpool’s most porous defensive runs under Arne Slot, the Frenchman found himself under the microscope once more as Manchester United breached the Reds’ backline three times.
Yet, against the backdrop of this defensive struggle, Liverpool remains determined to secure the 26-year-old’s long-term future. With his current deal ticking toward its expiry this summer, Konate didn’t hide from the harsh reality of the 3-2 defeat when fronting up to the media post-match.
He said, when speaking on his team’s slow start out of the traps: “For sure, it’s a big disappointment because I think we concede two goals that we must not concede when we start the game,” “[In] the second half we came back with a great mentality to [go] 2-2.
“And in other moments we can hurt them but we concede a goal and that’s why it’s very sad for us, because we didn’t start the game very well but the second half we started very well.
“I think it was a big opportunity to take three points and we didn’t get anything.”
He did praise his teammates though for their response, after giving up two goals within 14 minutes, with Liverpool coming back out for the second half at the Theatre of Dreams, reinvigorated to try and pick up a result.
Konate offered an insight into what inspired that turnaround by stating: “It was just about the mentality. In the first half we lost many challenges on the pitch. When it was 50-50, most of them Manchester [United] won them on the pitch.
“But in the second half we just had to change it and change the mentality. This is what we have done and that’s why we scored two good goals with our pressing, with our aggressiveness. But we needed a little bit more.”
“When you were 2-0 down and you come back to 2-2, for sure you have the energy, you have the desire to come back and to win this game.
“After, we concede the 3-2 and we have to work on it, we have to understand why we concede this goal as well and keep going until the end of the season to be in a good position for the Champions League.”
Konate didn’t spend too much sounding downbeat at the full-time whistle, however, even as his team couldn’t capitalise on their fighting spirit, with the Frenchman simply finishing with this: “It’s three big games, and we know all of them try to be qualified for Europe.
“We just have to be ready for the next game against Chelsea next Saturday.”
ReadLiverpoolFC Verdict
The fallout from Old Trafford leaves Slot with plenty to ponder. While the second-half resurgence showed that the spirit of last season’s champions still lingers, the defensive statistics are becoming impossible to ignore.
A tally of 71 goals conceded across all competitions is a staggering fall from grace for a side that made defensive solidity its calling card just twelve months ago.
For Konate, the coming weeks represent a pivotal crossroads. As Liverpool moves to secure his signature on a new long-term deal, the Frenchman must prove he can lead a backline that has looked increasingly brittle under pressure.
The Reds don’t have the luxury of licking their wounds for long. With Chelsea’s visit to Anfield looming on Saturday, Slot knows that any repeat of the defensive lapses seen in Manchester will effectively end any lingering hopes of a strong finish.
The time for honest admissions is over. Liverpool simply must find their steel again if they are to secure their Champions League status for next season.
