**Norway manager Ståle Solbakken, who is a Liverpool fan, says Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong are “a walking nightmare defensively.”**
Unfortunately, this is exactly what most Liverpool fans are thinking right now after the Reds’ opening two Premier League games of the season perfectly summed up the issues facing new manager Andoni Iraola.
Two consecutive 2-2 draws with Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest place Liverpool 13th in the table, with too much expectation placed on new signing Bradley Barcola to paper over the cracks.
Liverpool neglected key areas of the squad, with reports from reliable reporters claiming that FSG believe that Iraola will extract the best from the available players.
Solbakken, however, is not hopeful, telling reporters that the Reds should have signed a new midfielder in addition to Barcola, Victor Munoz, Jeremy Jacquet and Ronald Araujo.
He said: _“The full-backs are a walking nightmare defensively. Kerkez doesn’t seem to be able to get it right, even with his old manager. Frimpong is, for me, positionally weak and better going forward than going back._
_“Is Van Dijk singing the last verse? I’m not sure about that. He certainly doesn’t have the same pace anymore. I don’t think I’m in favour of them lifting the trophy at the end of the season._
_“It’s a bit thin and untested. I think they should have brought in a central midfielder who could have gone straight into the team. I’m not sure about the wings…”_
> Norway manager, Ståle Solbakken, who is a Liverpool fan:
>
> “The full-backs are a walking nightmare defensively. Kerkez doesn’t seem to be able to get it right, even with his old manager. Frimpong is, for me, positionally weak and better going forward than going back.
>
> “Is Van… [pic.twitter.com/NQHlgEHIYO](https://t.co/NQHlgEHIYO)
>
> — Anfield Sector (@AnfieldSector) [September 3, 2026](https://x.com/AnfieldSector/status/2095553620338942096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
Liverpool face Ipswich Town tonight in the Premier League and will hopefully win their first game of the season before they host Atletico Madrid at Anfield in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.
The starting XI is not terrible even if it’s limited and imbalanced, but it seems as though all chances of success this season rest on how well Liverpool can attack.
Left-back is acceptable, with Kerkez not as bad as many make him out to be, but Frimpong leaves a lot to be desired. The former Bayer Leverkusen star just isn’t suited to right-back, and doesn’t seem to learn from his mistakes.
Iraola is a good coach, but I think too much is expected of him if FSG think he can completely transform Frimpong, while Kerkez is young and can learn. Even then, the Hungarian is rash and reactionary.
It’s going to be an entertaining season, if not overly successful in terms of trophies.