'Really poor': Jamie Carragher says £40m Liverpool player was nowhere near good enough vs Newcastle
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Liverpool just about got the win but the performance was far from convincing yet again.
For the second week in a row, the Reds were in need of a last-minute winner to claim all three points, with this one coming from 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha.
Yet again, Liverpool blew a two-goal lead in the game, with this one made worse by the fact Newcastle played the whole of the second half with 10 men.
They were very lucky at the death as the result was very much a smash and grab, but the overall performance will be one that surely worried Arne Slot.
One player in particular struggled for the second week running, with Jamie Carragher blaming him for conceding the first goal.
Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
Liverpool have recruited smartly this summer and improved areas that were in desperate need, with one of these being at left-back.
Andy Robertson had something of a down season by his standards, meaning Milos Kerkez was signed as his replacement.
It certainly looked to be a shrewd signing, but the Hungarian has struggled in both games so far and could be considered at fault for Newcastle’s first goal.
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The 21-year-old turned his back on the ball and lost a header to Bruno Guimaraes, with this something Carragher believes is simply not good enough.
“Kerkez has made a really poor start to his Liverpool career,” Carragher said on live on Sky Sports.
READ MORE: Thierry Henry delivers verdict on whether Rio Ngumoha should be playing more for Liverpool after Newcastle winner
“He found it really difficult against Bournemouth in the first game, he was a little bit nervous.
That is really, really poor.
He’s not the biggest but you’ve got to jump, you’ve got to challenge in that situation.”
Of course, new signings need time to settle in and judging them after just two games is really harsh, but if to play for the Premier League champions, you need to be the best of the best.
And, with a huge match with Arsenal next weekend, Slot needs to decide who he goes with at left-back, as he might opt for the experience of Robertson.
With Bukayo Saka missing due to injury, Noni Madueke will likely start on the right, with the Englishman pacy and full of tricks.
Defensive awareness will be needed and this is something Robertson probably has more than Kerkez, suggesting the Scotsman might get the nod instead.
This could be a battle where the game is lost or won, indicating how Slot needs to get it right if he wants to go into the International break with a flawless start to the season.