Milos Kerkez Faces Challenges as Liverpool Left-Back

Milos Kerkez felt it from both sides at St James’ Park – from the dugout and from his own captain.

On a raw, frantic afternoon in the North East, the new Liverpool left-back found out exactly how unforgiving life can be as Andy Robertson’s successor. A 2-2 draw with Newcastle might read respectable on paper. For Kerkez, it told a different story.

Exposed early, chased all afternoon

The tone was set inside five minutes.

Anthony Elanga burned past Kerkez down Liverpool’s left to set up Newcastle’s opener, the Hungarian beaten for pace and position in a move that sliced straight through his flank. From there, he never quite looked settled, rarely imposing himself in attack and too often on the back foot defensively.

Liverpool Echo reporter Ian Doyle highlighted how the 22-year-old laboured through the contest, and his struggles did not go unnoticed by those closest to him on the pitch.

Iraola loses patience on the touchline

One first-half episode summed up Andoni Iraola’s frustration.

As Newcastle worked the ball out to Elanga again, Kerkez hesitated, backing off and taking an age to close the winger down. The delay ended with a cheap corner conceded. On the touchline, Iraola’s reaction was instant and furious.

Doyle described the head coach as fighting to contain his emotions as he raged at his full-back, the Basque manager clearly exasperated by the passive defending. This wasn’t a quiet word or a subtle gesture. It was a very public reminder of the standards expected in that role.

Van Dijk steps in on the pitch

If that wasn’t enough, the message came again – this time from the man wearing the armband.

Later in the game, a Newcastle break developed down Kerkez’s side. Again he was slow to engage, allowing the attack to build. Virgil van Dijk, sensing the danger, exploded across from the centre to shut it down himself.

The clearance was followed by a sharp rebuke for Liverpool’s number 6. No theatrics, no hiding. Just a senior pro making it crystal clear that the tempo and aggression had to rise.

A mixed stat line on a difficult day

Kerkez did not disappear completely. His numbers carried a hint of encouragement amid the criticism.

He won six duels. He made seven notable defensive contributions and three tackles. He even registered a shot on target and a key pass, showing flashes of the energy that persuaded Liverpool to trust him with the shirt.

But the context matters. Those contributions came alongside “worrying defensive lapses”, as Doyle put it, and some wastefulness when he finally did get into advanced positions. For a player now viewed as the undisputed first-choice left-back after Robertson’s move to Tottenham Hotspur, the bar is higher than a few decent underlying metrics.

Kerkez will know that. Iraola and Van Dijk certainly do.

Response time against Forest

The Premier League is full of these moments – harsh words exchanged in the heat of battle, standards enforced in real time. What lingers is not the shouting, but the response.

Next up is Nottingham Forest at Anfield on Saturday. Another test down that same flank, another physical, direct opponent. Kerkez is likely to go head-to-head with Ola Aina in Oliver Glasner’s wing-back system, a duel that will demand sharp positioning and conviction in both directions.

It wasn’t the commanding start to the season the Hungary international would have wanted. But the shirt is his now. The question is simple: does he turn one bruising afternoon into a lesson – or the start of a problem Liverpool can’t afford?