Liverpool after Carragher, better?

Liverpool are the best attacking side in the English Premier League this season. They have scored more goals than any other team. The strike partnership of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge has helped produce a staggering 82 goals already this season with 8 games to go. You may ask how Liverpool are not top of the league already with the goals coming so freely for them? The simple answer is defensive failures. Last season, when Liverpool finished 7th in the league they conceded 43 goals. Liverpool have already conceded 38 goals this season with 8 games left to play. Liverpool average goals conceded per game last year, when they finished 7th, was 1.13 goals per game. This season the average goals conceded per game is 1.26 goals per game. The only real changes to Liverpool's defense are the Simon Mignolet becoming first choice goalkeeper ahead of Pepe Reina and the loss of Jamie Carragher to retirement. Simon Mignolet established himself as a top quality goalkeeper during his time at Sunderland last season. Pepe Reina has been losing his edge gradually over the years as he has not had a real challenger for the top spot. He has been head and shoulders above the rest of his competition for too long. Simon Mignolet has been improving constantly and has been more than an adequate replacement for Reina. That only leaves the loss of Jamie Carragher to explain the increase in goals conceded. It is only an increase of 3.9 goals so far this season. That isn't too bad, right? If we use that as 3 goals that didn't need to be conceded that could be 6 more points that Liverpool would have. The 3 goals could have stopped Swansea from drawing 2-2 with Liverpool on September 16th, Newcastle from drawing 2-2 on October 19th, and Everton from drawing 3-3 on November 23rd. It would also prevent at least 1 more goal over the course of the whole season at this rate, which could have earned another 2 points against Aston Villa on January 18. That would put Liverpool 8 points better off. That would put Liverpool in 1st in the Premier League at 73 points, 4 ahead of nearest challenger Chelsea. This is just looking at the statistics. It does not account for the mentality that Carragher has always brought to the team. If you look at the big games Carragher has been involved with it becomes obvious that he inspires the team to greater heights with his passion and desire to win. Jamie Carragher is one player you could never accuse of hiding or of not wearing his heart on his sleeve when it comes to Liverpool. Liverpool may be in the best position they have been in quite a while, but they still need to find a replacement for Jamie Carragher. The only key that Brendan Rodgers seems to be missing in his current team is that defender that puts his point across with no room for false interpretation. If Liverpool build on what they have, and manage to find another Jamie Carragher, they could build a dynasty to match Bob Paisley and Bill Shankly and make Anfield the greatest place in the world to be, especially on a European night.