'It takes them too long to switch': Jamie Carragher berates Liverpool after Newcastle United draw and says Jurgen Klopp's side must be nastier

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Jamie Carragher believes that the root of Liverpool's defensive woes is his former team's inability to switch out of their composed passing mentality.

Jurgen Klopp's Reds failed to keep a clean sheet for seventh consecutive game on Sunday as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Newcastle.

After a long-range Philippe Coutinho strike have given them the lead, Liverpool were caught out by a straight ball over the top which led to Joselu equalising.

Liverpool failed to keep a clean sheet for a seventh straight game as they drew 1-1 at Newcastle

Ex-Reds centre back Jamie Carragher thinks the team's mentality is costing them defensively

Brazilian Philippe Coutinho gave Liverpool the lead at Newcastle with a fine long-range effort

Klopp's side had the lion's share of the ball at St James' Park - as they do in the majority of their games.

Carragher thinks that Liverpool become too relaxed during their lengthy spells of possession and that this hinders them when they have to defend.

'It's the switch', he said during Sky Sports' Super Sunday coverage. 'I played in a lot of teams, under (Rafa) Benitez and (Gerard) Houllier, who were a lot more defensive thinking.

'They weren't as good on the eye as this Liverpool team, so you'd go into the game with a mindset of "I'm defending… I'm coming away to Newcastle and I'm getting a clean sheet." And you'd always be switched on defending. Maybe that inhibited us going forward at times.

'But with this Liverpool team it becomes like a training session. You have so much of the ball and you're passing and it's slow. As a defender we all love to play in the game – getting on the ball, passing, coming short and getting involved – but when you're defending you have to be really aggressive.

'When you're on the ball you want to be a bit more composed. Liverpool can't switch from that composed way to that real nasty aggressiveness that you need as a defender. It takes them too long to switch.'

Liverpool's point at Newcastle leaves them seventh in the Premier League table.

The Merseyside outfit are seven points behind Manchester United who are their next opponents after the international break.

 But Jurgen Klopp's side were later caught out by a long ball which led to Joselu equalising

Liverpool had the majority of the possession at St James' Park, with almost 67 per cent

 Carragher reckons Liverpool relax too much when they have the ball, making it hard to 'switch'