Liverpool’s defensive issues continue to cause problems, and Virgil van Dijk may not be helping.
Arne Slot’s side conceded in the first minute of the game when Manchester United’s Bryan Mbeumo went in behind the Dutchman to strike it past Giorgi Mamardashvili.
When it was 1-1, thanks to Cody Gakpo finally hitting the back of the net, it was all undone minutes later when Harry Maguire’s leap saw him net what went on to be the winner for this United side.
The woes of this backline continue with each game, and Milos Kerkez has again had a performance that has been a disappointment, given his form for Bournemouth last season.
Kerkez does not look comfortable in the role he has been asked to fulfil, which is both an issue with the Dutch manager’s tactics and the Hungarian struggling with life at Liverpool.
ESPN pundit says Virgil van Dijk blaming Milos Kerkez is not helping performances
However, there also need to be questions about how van Dijk is currently leading this backline, with the captain struggling to keep the opposition players away from the Reds’ penalty area.
What was picked up on multiple times during the game was how the Dutchman kept berating Kerkez any time he made a mistake.
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This issue seemingly knocked the confidence of the player even more than it already has, and ESPN pundit Craig Burley believes this kind of leadership is to blame for the poor performances of the left-back.
Speaking on the broadcast, Burley explained how, even in a situation where the Dutch player kicked the ball at Kerkez’s face, it showed that the way he treated him was unfair.
He said: “Virgil van Dijk to me is not leading at the moment. He’s blaming. Kerkez is having a bad time, there’s no doubt about it. He’s getting swallowed up by the pressure of going in with these big players in this huge football club with these big expectations. But I don’t think it helps when your captain’s looking at him every two minutes and blaming him or digging him out.
“Even at the end, the clearance that comes off Kerkez’s face. What’s he supposed to do? He’s tucking in behind Van Dijk. Van Dijk’s turning around, he’s gesturing to him. The crowd see it and I just don’t think that helps the situation.
“Now Andy Robertson’s big boots to fill because he’s been a great left back for a few years, but he can’t really do it anymore. So Stevie and I have talked about this about maybe taking him out of the pressure cooker, but Robertson’s been struggling for club and country.”
Liverpool’s left-back situation is no easy fix
As the Scotsman explained there, Andy Robertson coming back in still does not solve the issues of this position, given the fact that he has also struggled so far this season.
It will help take the pressure off if Kerkez is dropped, but the catch with that is it gives his confidence a further knock.
How to solve it is very difficult; there have been some calls to recall Kostas Tsimikas. However, even the ‘Greek Scouser’ is not an easy fix, with him not starting every game for AS Roma and his previous form for Liverpool.
The position is part of a glaring issue in the backline for Slot to sort out, but it is difficult to see exactly how he can turn it around quickly.
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