Agbonlahor lambasts Fabio Carvalho and Liverpool teammate after journalist’s reveal
Gabby Agbonlahor has suggested Curtis Jones and Fabio Carvalho are not good enough to be starting games for Liverpool.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Aston Villa and England forward insisted the pair cannot hide behind their age as an excuse for their poor performances.
Jones, Carvalho and Harvey Elliott started the 1-0 defeat away to Nottingham Forest on Saturday (22 October).
The Athletic’s James Pearce reported that it is the first time Liverpool have named three players under the age of 21 in a Premier League starting XI for the first time in four years.
Carvalho and Elliott have been regular in Jurgen Klopp’s starting XI this season while Jones was making his first start of the season after recovering from injury.
Asked whether the inexperience of the trio was partly to blame for the defeat at the City Ground, Agbonlahor told Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley: “Not really, I don’t think so.
“When I look back at myself, I made my debut at 19 and played every game week in, week out from 20 onwards. There were other young players, under 21, playing.
“Look at Jude Bellingham, he’s playing every game at 19 scoring goals and captaining the team.
“19, 20 is not young anymore. 17, 18 is young. When you’re 19, 20 or 21 you’re not a youngster anymore, you are expected to be able to cope with first-team football.
“Maybe these players aren’t good enough. Carvalho looks very lightweight and Curtis Jones looks like he likes to do tricks and not influence the game.
“Harvey Elliott looks like a good player, I like him. Curtis Jones and Carvalho need to step it up because you can’t use that excuse and hide behind being young.”
In other news, Liverpool are plotting a move to sign a striker sensation who has wowed Klopp.