Carragher Slams Liverpool's Milos Kerkez as 'Darwin Nunez of Full-Backs'
Jamie Carragher has torn into Liverpool left-back Milos Kerkez, branding him the “Darwin Nunez of full-backs” and questioning whether the club have made a costly mistake in a key position.
The Hungarian defender has started Liverpool’s first two Premier League games of the season under Andoni Iraola, both ending in chaotic 2-2 draws against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest. Two points from six, four goals conceded, and the spotlight has swung straight onto the full-backs.
Carragher’s brutal verdict on Kerkez
Carragher, speaking on The Overlap, did not sugar-coat his assessment of the £40 million signing.
“Their understanding of the game is really, really poor. You’re watching the game and thinking, ‘Why has he done that?’” he said, lumping Kerkez in with the wider defensive issues on Liverpool’s flanks.
He then reached for a comparison that will sting on Merseyside.
“I described Kerkez last season – and it was his first season, maybe it was a bit harsh at the time – he's the Darwin Nunez of full-backs. It's just like ‘head down and run’, everything Kerkez does is 100 miles an hour.”
For Carragher, the problem is not effort. It’s control. He believes Kerkez leans too heavily on raw speed and energy, without the positional intelligence and composure required at the top end of the Premier League.
A gamble Liverpool chose to live with
Liverpool’s decision to stick rather than twist at left-back is now under fierce scrutiny. Andy Robertson has moved on, another left-back departed after a loan, and yet the club opted not to reinvest in that area.
“They've brought in Kerkez for £40million. He’s had his first season, it wasn't amazing, but right, you go: ‘OK, Iraola’s come in from Bournemouth, he knows him, he's still our left-back. Andy Robertson moved on, we had another left-back on loan, so we're probably not going to spend another £40million on another. He's our left-back, let him have another year’,” Carragher said, laying out the logic he believes Liverpool followed.
That logic now looks risky. Kerkez has kept his place, but his performances – and those of Jeremie Frimpong on the opposite flank – have triggered a wave of criticism. Both have been exposed defensively in the opening fixtures, just as they were at times last season.
Big money spent, big holes left
The frustration stems from where Liverpool did choose to spend. The club poured huge money into other areas of the squad in the summer, landing Bradley Barcola for £106m and Jeremy Jacquet for £55m, along with four other signings. The full-back positions, though, were left untouched.
Gary Neville admitted he cannot understand that approach.
“The two full-backs, it was quite clear at the start of last season when you watched them for five or six matches, that defensively they weren’t going to be quite at the level to do it,” Neville said.
“I’m stunned. We talk about ‘will Arsenal regret not bringing in a forward’ – will Liverpool regret not bringing in a couple of full-backs?”
It’s an uncomfortable question for Liverpool after just two games. But with Kerkez and Frimpong already under the microscope and points already dropped, it’s one that will only grow louder if the defensive chaos continues.
