Milos Kerkez has not always shown his full potential at Liverpool, but head coach Andoni Iraola is confident that the Reds can get more from him in the coming months
Andoni Iraola during a Liverpool training session.
Andoni Iraola during a Liverpool training session.(Image: Nikki Dyer/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Andoni Iraola says there is still much more to come from Milos Kerkez at Liverpool following his $54 million (£40 million) transfer move from Bournemouth a year ago.
So far, Kerkez has performed relatively well for Liverpool without setting the world alight. He remains only 22 years old, but Iraola is confident that he can get more out of the player, with whom he worked for two seasons on the south coast.
"I think Milos played really well the other day, last Friday," Iraola told reporters ahead of Liverpool hosting Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. "I think I know him very well, and I know what he can achieve.
"He has still a big potential being very young, also a good amount of experience in the Premier League, also with his national team and he's a player that I trust, definitely.
"He needs to improve a lot of things like all the others, like I have to improve a lot things. But I think I'm ready to try to help him first to become a better player and I think he's in a good line. I think the other day he played really well for us."
Kerkez has been criticized in some quarters for failing to recreate his Bournemouth form at Anfield. However, he was new to a struggling team last term, which made things harder.
Milos Kerkez of Liverpool is challenged by Abdul Fatawu of Ipswich.
Milos Kerkez of Liverpool is challenged by Abdul Fatawu of Ipswich.(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
"The bigger problem for Liverpool is that at times at Anfield, they are going to dominate the ball so much that the press isn’t going to be that important," Danny Murphy told talkSPORT this week.
"The bigger problem is that the full-backs aren’t good enough at Liverpool. They are not good enough. They are not going to get better; it is not in them.
"They are 100mph. They are working hard but their level of crossing and choice of final pass is really poor.
"It looks worse for the Liverpool fans when you have been so used to seeing two of the best we’ve ever seen in Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, in terms of assists, quality and picking the final pass.
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"They have brought in two full-backs, who aren’t as good. I think they are okay defensively, not brilliant, but they are OK.
"And going forward, the best teams have really good full-backs on the ball because teams clog up the middle of the pitch, so the space is wide.
"Your full-backs get so much of the ball, and Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong just don’t have that quality that you need to open up teams."
Liverpool.com says: Kerkez has been an unfortunate scapegoat at times. He did quite well at Ipswich and that kind of more solid showing was exactly what was required. He didn't do much going forward, but Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo had that covered.