Widely considered one of Liverpool’s best recent performers, Milos Kerkez hasn’t done enough to impress Michael Owen.
Arne Slot was seemingly in the same boat earlier in the season, rotating Kerkez and Andy Robertson far more than in recent weeks.
The 22-year-old was always going to need time to settle in, but Slot is delighted with the progress from Kerkez.
Not Owen, though. He still thinks there is too much of an erratic nature to the Hungarian’s game and the fact that he is replacing one of the best Liverpool left-backs of all time doesn’t help.
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Luis Suarez of Liverpool poses with the match ball after scoring a hat trick at the end of the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and West Bromwich Albion at Anfield. Fernando Torres of Liverpool puts his arms up in frustration during the Barclays Premier League match between Wigan Athletic and Liverpool.
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Michael Owen explains why he hasn’t warmed to Milos Kerkez
Liverpool fans have praised Kerkez for finding his feet at a new club. It hasn’t been perfect all the time, but his standards are once again approaching the levels he showed at Bournemouth last season.
For the former Liverpool striker, he’s not doing enough to fill the boots of the bench-warming Scotsman he replaced.
He told Premier League Productions after the Wolves: “I’m just not convinced about one or two of the players. I mean, full-backs, you’ve gone from Trent and Robertson, possibly the best combination of full-backs that the Premier League seen for a long, long time.
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You had Salah ahead of him, who has just been a freak over the last few years. Of course Diaz, who played the majority of the time, was exceptional as well. Loads of energy. Those four players have basically been changed now.
“I can’t warm to Kerkez, I’m afraid. I just can’t. He looks like a bag of nerves. He looks like he doesn’t want the ball. He looks like he’s an emotional defender. He’s playing like this all the time. It’s like, calm down.”
Milos Kerkez during Arsenal v Liverpool - Premier League
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There’s no denying he’s a bit of a livewire, but he brings a passion and energy that Liverpool need during these testing times.
Whoever was going to come in during this change in generation was going to find it hard to replicate the success of their predecessors, but the stats suggest Kerkez is doing an alright job of it.
Milos Kerkez stats vs Andy Robertson last season
When you compare the numbers of the two left-backs, it provides a good argument against Owen’s disregard for Kerkez.
In the Premier League this season, he has been more effective in a much worse side. We are looking at per 90 stats to account for less games played (via FotMob).
Milos Kerkez 25/26 PL stats (per90) Andy Robertson 24/25
1.10 Chances created 1.44
0.51 Successful dribbles 0.25
4.78 Duels won 2.20
1.84 Tackles 1.41
0.41 Dribbled past 0.72
Across the board, Kerkez is doing the same or better than Robertson was on the way to a title. He’s so young and will only get better for Liverpool, so this take from Owen really feels like a case of jumping the gun.
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