3 hours ago
25
Arne Slot has been advised to bench Milos Kerkez and reinstate Andy Robertson following the Hungarian's underwhelming start to life at Liverpool.
The left-back, who arrived from AFC Bournemouth for $54 million (£40M) during the summer transfer window, has faced criticism after failing to reproduce his impressive displays for the Cherries in the Premier League last campaign.
The 21-year-old featured in Liverpool's 2-1 away loss to Chelsea on Saturday but was withdrawn after 55 minutes following another challenging performance. Kerkez received harsh criticism from Manchester United legend Gary Neville, who suggested he "looked like a baby" and resembled a "youth team player".
Another former United star has now echoed Neville's sentiments and urged Slot to remove Kerkez from the spotlight for at least a month.
Former goalkeeper Ben Foster, who also represented England and Wrexham throughout his career, made his remarks whilst supporting Robertson's potential return to top form if restored to the first XI.
"He [Neville] absolutely battered him [Kerkez] and called him a youth team player," he stated on the Fozcast podcast. "There's times where he does look a little bit like that. He looks so overawed by it all, and it's such a rush of blood to the head.
"I think they're going to have to go back to that [starting Andy Robertson]. He's 31 years old and I think there's so much up in the air about him at the minute because somebody's come in and taken his place. He doesn't really know whether to come or go at the minute.
"He nearly got a move in the summer to Atletico Madrid. I think he's a bit all over the shop. If they said, 'Andy, you're going to be the one that's going to be starting for the next month,' I think you'll see the best version of Andy Robertson back again."
Slot recognized that Kerkez is still adjusting to the increased demands at Liverpool when discussing the defeat to Chelsea.
Outlining his reasoning for substituting the defender just 10 minutes into the second half, he explained: "Milos was more and more tired. He played 90 minutes in two games and now for the third game in a week, which he's not used to when he played at Bournemouth.
"You could feel and see it got more and more difficult to keep going and their wingers are a threat so we decided to make a change over there."
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Scotland skipper Robertson is confronting his most significant challenge yet to retain his spot in the Liverpool starting eleven following Kerkez's arrival.
The club is believed to regard Kerkez as the future replacement for the 31-year-old, who has entered the final year of his Anfield deal.
Nevertheless, certain Liverpool supporters believe it's the right moment to reinstate Robertson to the first team.
The player has recently voiced his eagerness to feature more regularly on the pitch. "I'm sure there will be a bit more rotation," Robertson stated.
"Whether it happens in my position is yet to be seen, none of us can look into the future. But I believe I've done everything I can to be in the manager's thoughts and that's all I can do."
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Liverpool ECHO by clicking here.
English (US) ·