Jamie Carragher has delivered a brutal assessment of Milos Kerkez.
Speaking on The Overlap, the Liverpool legend questioned the Hungarian left-back’s understanding of the game and compared him to Darwin Núñez because of the way he plays at such incredible speed.
It’s certainly not the kind of criticism any young player wants to hear.
But interestingly, Carragher’s overall argument wasn’t that Liverpool should immediately give up on Kerkez.
In fact, he made a very important point.
Liverpool have to give him another season.
Carragher didn’t hold back
Carragher was extremely critical of Liverpool’s full-backs when discussing the Reds’ difficult start to the season.
He said their understanding of the game was “really, really poor” and questioned some of the decisions being made during matches.
And then came the Kerkez comparison.
Carragher described him as “the Darwin Nunez of full-backs”, arguing that almost everything he does happens at 100 miles an hour.
It’s a memorable phrase.
And there’s certainly an element of truth in what Carragher is saying.
Kerkez is incredibly energetic.
He wants to get forward.
He wants to attack.
He wants to make things happen.
But sometimes that aggression can become chaotic.
Kerkez has to learn when to slow down
This is probably the biggest challenge facing the 22-year-old.
Being fast isn’t a problem.
Being aggressive isn’t a problem.
Wanting to attack isn’t a problem.
The issue is knowing when to do it.
There are moments when a full-back has to recognise that the best option is to stay in position.
There are moments when you don’t need to sprint forward.
There are moments when you have to control the tempo rather than immediately trying to make something happen.
That’s where experience comes in.
And that’s something Kerkez doesn’t have an abundance of yet.
But Carragher made an important point
For all the criticism, Carragher also acknowledged the reality of the situation.
Liverpool spent around £40 million to bring Kerkez to Anfield.
He had one season at Liverpool.
It wasn’t an outstanding campaign.
But now Andoni Iraola has arrived.
And Iraola already knows Kerkez extremely well from their time together at Bournemouth.
Carragher’s argument is essentially this:
Give him another year.
Liverpool have already lost Andy Robertson.
They aren’t going to spend another £40 million on a replacement immediately after signing Kerkez.
So the logical solution is to allow the player another season to develop under a manager who knows exactly what he’s capable of.
And I completely agree with that.
Iraola could be the key
This is the part that makes Kerkez’s situation particularly interesting.
Iraola knows him.
He knows his strengths.
He knows his weaknesses.
He knows how Kerkez likes to play.
And, perhaps most importantly, he knows how to coach him.
Kerkez previously thrived under Iraola at Bournemouth.
Liverpool themselves highlighted how important his energy and attacking runs were during his time with the Cherries. He was heavily involved in overlapping and underlapping runs and was a major part of Bournemouth’s attacking approach.
So Liverpool aren’t asking a completely different manager to suddenly figure out how to use him.
They’re putting him back under the manager who knows his game best.
That could be huge.
We can’t take away what makes Kerkez dangerous
I think there’s a danger in trying to coach the chaos completely out of Kerkez.
Because some of that chaos is also what makes him dangerous.
He’s explosive.
He’s aggressive.
He can carry the ball forward.
He can overlap.
He can underlap.
He can get up and down the pitch repeatedly.
Premier League data from his Bournemouth season showed just how much ground he covers and how frequently he makes attacking runs.
You don’t want to turn that player into someone who is constantly thinking:
“Don’t make a mistake.”
You want him to become a smarter version of the player he already is.
That’s the challenge for Iraola.
Liverpool’s full-back problems aren’t just about Kerkez
This is also important.
Liverpool’s problems haven’t been exclusively down to Kerkez.
Jeremie Frimpong has struggled too.
The Reds have conceded four goals in their opening two Premier League matches, with both full-back positions coming under scrutiny.
That suggests Liverpool have a wider structural issue.
The full-backs are being asked to contribute heavily going forward.
When possession is lost, there can be huge spaces to defend.
And if the midfield doesn’t provide enough protection, the full-backs can suddenly look exposed.
That’s not something Kerkez can solve on his own.
I don’t want Liverpool to give up on him
For me, this is where Carragher’s comments actually make sense.
You can criticise Kerkez.
You can acknowledge that his performances haven’t been good enough.
You can question his decision-making.
But that doesn’t mean Liverpool should already be looking for another left-back.
Give him time.
He’s still only 22.
He’s adapting to a new club.
He’s adapting to a new system.
He’s playing under a new manager.
And he’s now being asked to perform at one of the biggest clubs in Europe.
That’s a lot.
Iraola has a job on his hands
The next stage of Kerkez’s development is going to be fascinating.
Iraola has to find the balance.
He has to keep the aggression.
Keep the energy.
Keep the attacking threat.
But add composure.
Add discipline.
Add better decision-making.
Add an understanding of when to attack and when to stay where he is.
If he can do that, Liverpool could have a very good left-back on their hands.
Because the raw ingredients are clearly there.
Carragher’s criticism could actually help
Sometimes criticism like this can be useful.
Kerkez doesn’t need people telling him that everything is perfect.
He needs to understand what he has to improve.
And Carragher has identified something very specific:
Game intelligence.
Not pace.
Not fitness.
Not effort.
Not ability.
Decision-making.
When to go.
When to stay.
When to pass.
When to carry.
When to slow down.
When to attack.
When to defend.
Those are things that can improve with coaching and experience.
Give Kerkez another year
Ultimately, I think Carragher has got this part right.
Liverpool have already invested heavily in Kerkez.
Robertson has moved on.
Iraola knows the player.
And Liverpool have other areas of the squad that require attention.
Spending another huge fee on a left-back after one season would make little sense.
Instead, Liverpool should give Kerkez the season Carragher says he deserves.
Let Iraola coach him.
Let him make mistakes.
Let him learn.
Let him become more tactically mature.
And most importantly, don’t take away the attacking qualities that made Liverpool want him in the first place.
The verdict
Jamie Carragher’s “Darwin Nunez of full-backs” comparison is brutal.
But perhaps there’s another way of looking at it.
Núñez’s unpredictability was frustrating at times, but his energy, movement and desire to make things happen were also part of what made him dangerous.
Kerkez has similar raw qualities.
Now he needs to learn how to control them.
Liverpool shouldn’t give up on Milos Kerkez.
They should give him another year.
They should give him Andoni Iraola.
And they should see whether the manager who knows him best can turn that chaotic energy into something far more controlled.
Because if Iraola can do that…
Liverpool could have one hell of a left-back.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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