Liverpool left-back Milos Kerkez continues to come in for criticism from the Reds' former vice-captain Jamie Carragher, who likes to compare him to Darwin Nunez
Jamie Carragher speaking
Jamie Carragher has critiqued Milos Kerkez for 'doing everything 100 miles an hour;(Image: Stick to Football)
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Jamie Carragher has again dubbed Milos Kerkez as 'the Darwin Nunez of full-backs' because he does 'everything 100 miles an hour'. The former Liverpool vice-captain acknowledged that it was perhaps harsh to do so during his first season at the club, but he has now doubled down.
Kerkez, 22, has started both of the Reds' first two matches this Premier League season. The Hungary international came in for criticism after the 2-2 draw with Newcastle United for how Anthony Elanga ran past him before opening the scoring inside five minutes.
Then, in their second game, Andoni Iraola substituted him for Kostas Tsimikas. That came as part of a triple change after Nottingham Forest scored their second goal at Anfield.
Speaking about Liverpool on episode 147 of Stick to Football, Gary Neville brought up the subject of their full-backs, Jeremie Frimpong and Kerkez. He said: "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."
He went on to speak about them not signing any full-backs since they. The only addition to last season's squad in that area is Tsimikas, who has been reintegrated after spending last season on loan at Roma.
Neville continued: "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?"
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Roy Keane added: "I look at the two full-backs for Liverpool, I'm on about the basics of the game, I'm on about heading the football, or they're trying to win balls that you can't win; kicking the ball. They don't even have a feel for the ball where you can just dink it in behind, or play one-twos.
"Listen, looking back, we used to give Trent [Alexander-Arnold] a lot of stick defensively. But passing, pinging, switching play..."
Carragher then continued: "Their understanding of the game is really, really poor. You're watching the game and thinking, 'Why has he done that?'
"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.
"You know, when you're on a football pitch, you're very rarely running as fast as you can. When you're getting chased, that's running as fast as you can, but you're not running as fast on the pitch because you know you're going to have to stop, change direction, you're going to have to swap the ball... but he does everything 100 miles an hour - every time he closes someone down, he passes it - bang!
"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.'"