Ian Wright shares what he has noticed about Milos Kerkez that never happened before Liverpool
Milos Kerkez has not enjoyed a great start to his Liverpool career.
Liverpool signed Kerkez from Bournemouth in a £40million move earlier this summer as he was one of the most promising left-backs in the Premier League.
He was expected to compete for a starting berth with Liverpool veteran Andy Robertson, but it seems like the Hungary star has got the nod from Arne Slot.
He has started the Reds’ opening two league matches and Liverpool’s Community Shield loss to Crystal Palace.
Milos Kerkez start at Liverpool leaves Ian Wright shocked
Liverpool star Kerkez was blasted by Alan Shearer after the win over Bournemouth, and he was not any better in the 3-2 victory at Newcastle.
The 21-year-old was not even looking at the ball as Bruno Guimaraes headed home to get Eddie Howe’s side back in the game.
That did not impress Ian Wright, who was surprised by how the former Cherries star has struggled to adapt to life at Anfield so far.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast on 28 August, he said: “In two games, seeing the kind of mistakes, and the nervousness of him, I never saw that at all.
“So, this is again, when players move to a club of stature, this is something that they have got to get over that quickly and realise, this is another level, I’ve got to go to a new level.”
Liverpool need Milos Kerkez to step up
At the moment, Kerkez seems rash and naive, and willing to bomb forward too easily.
He needs to adapt to the champions quickly, or he will lose his place to Robertson, whose brilliance is slowly waning.
The 23-cap international is supposed to be the Scotsman’s successor on the left side of defence, but Arne Slot may reconsider the hierarchy if his poor form continues.
- Kerkez looks great statistically, winning 59.1 per cent of his ground duels and 60 per cent of aerial duels
- He has also made 5.4 recoveries per 90 minutes so far this season
- However, those stats do not reflect how many times he has been caught out defensively
When Kerkez is at his best, he is a lethal asset, but he needs to adapt to how to play for a top side, and if Liverpool wants to retain their title, he has to do it sooner rather than later.
They did not spend such a high sum on a backup; he looked ready to take the step up to the top level; now, he must show that he is and justify his price tag.
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