Danny Murphy says Kerkez “lacks composure” and the Liverpool pressure is “a bit much for him”

Danny Murphy says Milos Kerkez “lacks composure and quality in the final third” and that the pressure of playing at Liverpool looks “a bit much for him”. The former Liverpool midfielder wants the club to look for a more established left-back in January, and names Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde as one option.

Murphy’s verdict on Kerkez

Kerkez joined Liverpool from Bournemouth for £40m 18 months ago with the job of eventually succeeding Andy Robertson. Murphy, speaking to Betarades, was sympathetic about his attitude but blunt about his output. “He just lacks composure and quality in the final third when he gets there. Too often his final pass or his cross isn’t good enough,” he said, as reported by Metro.

He put that down partly to the Hungary international’s speed. “He’s very much 100 miles an hour,” Murphy said, adding that he was surprised Liverpool were not working with him more to calm his decision-making in those moments. Nor did he see the attacking issues as offset by defensive solidity. In his view, Kerkez’s positional play is sometimes off, and he is too erratic, diving in or getting beaten.

The comparison with Robertson is part of the problem, and Murphy acknowledged it. “He doesn’t have the composure of an Andy Robertson, and to be fair to him, you are filling the boots of arguably one of the best left-backs Liverpool’s ever had,” he said.

The pressure argument

Murphy’s most interesting point was not technical. He said he had rated Kerkez highly at Bournemouth, and argued that the step up to Anfield is something only players who have made it can appreciate. “Every game, every minute, every mistake is analysed by the fans, by the press, by the worldwide audience, and I think that expectation, and that pressure is a bit much for him,” he said.

He was equally keen to credit the player’s commitment. “I know he’s trying really hard and you can see it in his energy that he cares, and that’s a great start,” he said. “He cares for the shirt and he’s working really hard to try and make it happen.”

Why Murphy wants ready-made players

That diagnosis shapes his transfer advice. Murphy argued that Liverpool’s best signings of the past decade were often “diamonds in the rough” developed into stars, citing Philippe Coutinho, Robertson, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, while some big-money moves for established names have not worked as well. But he believes defence is different, particularly when a team is struggling.

“I think the most important thing is trying to bring somebody in who doesn’t make you guess whether he can deal with the pressure of a big club,” he said. Hence Balde. “I think Balde could be great for Liverpool because he’s a super talent and he’s also got that experience of being at a huge football club with that expectation.”

Liverpool spent heavily in the summer to give Andoni Iraola, Arne Slot’s successor, the best possible start, but have dropped points in five of their first ten Premier League matches. January is already being framed as a chance to fix the weak spots.

Is Murphy being fair?

There is a tension in his argument. If the issue is partly pressure and adjustment, as Murphy himself suggests, then patience is the natural remedy. Kerkez’s energy and commitment are not in doubt, and full-backs often take more than a season to settle at a club with Liverpool’s demands.

Balde is not a risk-free alternative either. By Metro’s count he has made only three substitute appearances in La Liga this season, so he would arrive short of rhythm. His big-club experience is real, but so is the question of why he has fallen out of favour at Barcelona.

Still, Murphy’s core point stands: a side dropping points this often cannot afford a left-back who is a liability at both ends. Whether Liverpool agree will be clear by the end of January.

For more on Liverpool’s recruitment, read Carragher’s verdict on the summer spending, and Warnock on a defence that can concede at any moment.