Milos Kerkez Faces Questions Over Performance in Liverpool’s Atlético Madrid Win
Milos Kerkez is coming under increased scrutiny following Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over Atlético Madrid in the Champions League, with attention focused on his defensive positioning and overall performance.
The Hungary international has started the Reds' opening four matches of the season under new head coach Andoni Iraola, but his displays have attracted criticism in the early weeks of the campaign.
Kerkez endured a difficult opening to Wednesday night’s Champions League encounter at Anfield. Atlético Madrid took the lead through Marcos Llorente in the 17th minute, with the move highlighting an issue with the Reds’ defensive positioning.
According to analysis of the match, Kerkez had played Julián Álvarez onside in the build-up to Llorente’s goal. The left-back’s positioning became one of the talking points from an otherwise positive night for Liverpool, who recovered from the early setback to secure all three points.
Speaking on talkSPORT Breakfast show, former Liverpool midfielder Charlie Adam said of Kerkez: "I thought there were moments [against Atletico] where I just worry, at times Liverpool are so open, when they go and they try and go full press they're getting caught at the moment.
"A lot of the goals last year were similar to that in transition, there were big spaces for Atletico to attack and that's where the goal comes from into Alvarez and he slides it in.
"I think the back line, Kerkez needs to drop because van Dijk actually pushes up and he doesn't see what's behind him, Kerkez needs to go with the runner."
Scottish football legend, Ally McCoist said: "He's struggling, isn't he? You can see it, and it's not through lack of effort, he's definitely trying to get forward, but he gets caught for the goal.
"I don't know what he's thinking about the goal, he's got to look at the ball and see that he's not going to get out in time.
"He's deeper than his two centre-backs, Llorente has timed his run well and finishes it really, really well."
The criticism, however, should be considered alongside Hungarian's contribution to Liverpool’s response.
The 22-year-old played an important role in the move that produced Liverpool’s equaliser. Kerkez won possession with a strong challenge on Lee Kang-in before finding Bradley Barcola. The attack eventually resulted in Dominik Szoboszlai scoring to bring Liverpool level before half-time.
The Reds ultimately improved after the interval and completed the comeback through Alexis Mac Allister, who scored in the 50th minute. They then managed the remainder of the match well enough to secure a winning start to their Champions League campaign.
Kerkez Substituted Because of Cramp
There was also a fitness update concerning Kerkez after the match.
The defender was replaced late in the game after experiencing cramp and fatigue. The issue was not reported as a serious injury, with Iraola's decision understood to have been related to the physical demands of the match rather than dissatisfaction with Kerkez's performance.
That clarification is significant as Liverpool prepare for another demanding fixture.
Kerkez has already been heavily involved at the beginning of Iraola's tenure, and managing his workload will be important given the number of matches Liverpool face across domestic and European competitions.
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