Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has told Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius to "shut up and just do your job" after another disappointing display in Sunday's 2-2 draw with West Ham United.
Liverpool legend Carragher and Sky colleague Gary Neville had been heavily critical of Karius after last weekend's 4-3 loss at Bournemouth, prompting the 23-year-old to hit back at the former Manchester United man in the Daily Mail.
After failing to keep out a Dimitri Payet free kick and Michail Antonio goal in the first half of Sunday's game at Anfield, Carragher said Karius -- a summer signing from Mainz -- had cost Liverpool five or six points this season.
Speaking in his postmatch analysis on Sky, Carragher said: "The keeper got criticism last week and has come out and had a pop at Gary Neville and mentioned me and my advice would be: 'Shut up and just do your job.' And doing your job and answering your critics would be saving that [Payet's free kick].
"That is not difficult. I think the positioning is fine, he gets across and reads it well and he is there. And his wrists, again like the first goal at Bournemouth, are not strong enough. It is not even in the corner and Payet has not even hit it that hard.
WATCH: @Carra23 believes that Jurgen Klopp has a huge goalkeeping decision on his hands- Mignolet or Karius. https://t.co/s2pYvhZ2wx
- Sky Football ⚽️ (@SkyFootball) December 11, 2016
"I have bigger problems with goals like that than mistakes, because mistakes happen -- a keeper will drop one or do something stupid, every keeper does that. That to me, you look at goals like that and think: 'It should not go in. Is the keeper good enough?'"
He said it may be time to restore Simon Mignolet to the team, saying dropping Karius may "kill the lad's confidence but at the moment he's killing the team on the pitch."
Neville's brother, Phil, said in his role as a pundit for "Match of the Day" that Karius had been wrong to speak publicly.
"He's just sticking up for his brother!"
Phil Neville says Karius needs to shut up and get on with his job#MOTD2 https://t.co/jUKEuyB4om
- Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) December 11, 2016
The former Manchester United and Everton player, who also worked with Gary Neville as a coach at Valencia, said: "I think my criticism of him is not actually the mistakes he's making in the game -- it's maybe the article he did in midweek.
"When you're a young player and you're making mistakes and breaking into the team, you do your training, you do your practice, you work as hard as you possibly can, you play on a Saturday and you say nothing to no one until you've got a couple of seasons under your belt.
"Then you can start shouting your mouth off or having a go at pundits, and that's where I think he's made the biggest mistake. Keep your mouth shut, do your job, go home, have your tea and play football."
On Monday morning, Ian Ladyman, the journalist who conducted the interview with Karius, wrote on Twitter that the goalkeeper had not attacked Gary Neville, saying: "I asked him question and he said criticism didn't worry him. Fair enough."
Dis he not say this then? @Ian_Ladyman_DM
I'm not overly critical of players at all. Im pretty fair. pic.twitter.com/OgMIJDIWpr
- Gary Neville (@GNev2) December 12, 2016
Gary Neville responded, tweeting: "He was having a dig Ian and being clever! Don't defend him he's a big boy!
"And actually I'm happy he did have a dig. He obviously has some confidence . Maybe timing was wrong.
"However if he's going to do it his press advisor should have told him to stay clear of this situation !"
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp defended Karius after the West Ham draw, saying: "The [West Ham] goals -- one is a wonderful free kick and one we were very unlucky -- they were a big surprise for everybody."