'Calm down, man!' - Michael Owen tears apart Liverpool star who 'looks like a bag of nerves' after dismal loss at Wolves

Liverpool suffered a 2-1 defeat against a struggling Wolves side in the West Midlands. Despite dominating large spells of possession, the Reds lacked their usual clinical edge and looked vulnerable on the counter-attack. Rodrigo Gomes handed the hosts a surprise lead, and while Mohamed Salah managed to haul Liverpool level with just seven minutes of regulation time remaining, the drama was far from over. In a frantic period of stoppage time, Wolves snatched all three points courtesy of a deflected strike from Andre, marking only their third league win of the campaign. The result has serious ramifications for the Premier League table; Liverpool now sit in fifth place and risk falling off the pace in the Champions League qualification race if Chelsea secure a victory over Aston Villa on Wednesday. The manner of the defeat has sparked a wider debate regarding the quality of the recent squad overhaul, particularly at the full-back position occupied by Kerkez.

Speaking as a pundit for Premier League Productions, Owen did not hold back in his evaluation of Kerkez’s performance. The former England international expressed deep concerns over the Hungarian's ability to cope with the scrutiny that comes with playing for one of the world's biggest clubs.

"I can’t warm to Kerkez, I’m afraid," Owen remarked during the post-match analysis. "He looks like a bag of nerves, he looks like he doesn’t want the ball, he looks like he’s an emotional defender. He’s playing like this [shaking] all the time, it’s like, ‘calm down, man’, you’re in possession of the ball a lot of the time, just relax, it’s like he’s in a trance constantly. I liked Kerkez at Bournemouth, but Liverpool is a different kettle of fish. You’ve got to be able to manage pressure, all the eyes are on you, and it just looks like the club is a bit too big for him at the moment."

Owen's critique extended beyond just one individual, as he compared the current iteration of Liverpool to the side that featured Trent Alexander-Arnold and Robertson at their peak. He argued that the current squad is "much weaker" in four key areas than it was just twelve months ago. Specifically, Owen highlighted the drop-off in form from established stars like Cody Gakpo and Salah, while also noting that the replacements for Alexander-Arnold - Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong - have struggled to stay fit.

"Straight away in four places Liverpool are weaker, much weaker, than last season," Owen explained. "Is that transition or is Salah getting older? Is Gakpo not quite the same this season? The full-backs are not as good as the previous full-backs so they’re definitely going to weaken the team. I think they pensioned off Andy Robertson a little bit too soon; I think he should still be playing now. He [Kerkez] might settle down, he might get better, but at the moment I’m sticking Andy Robertson straight back in."

The spotlight now shifts to Slot and his selection for the upcoming FA Cup rematch against Wolves this Friday. With the domestic cup competition representing a vital opportunity for silverware, the manager faces a dilemma over whether to persist with Kerkez to build his confidence or heed Owen’s advice and recall the experienced Robertson. The Scotland international's veteran leadership could be crucial in steadying a backline that appears increasingly fragile during high-stakes moments.

Liverpool’s form since the turn of the year has been patchy, and they are about to enter a gruelling run of fixtures where any further slip-ups could see them drift out of the European qualification conversation entirely, which would put Slot under huge pressure. Beyond the pitch, the club is also navigating a period of transition as they look toward the summer transfer window to potentially address the depth issues Owen identified. For Kerkez, the next few weeks will be a definitive test of character; he must prove he can overcome the "nerves" and adapt to the relentless demands of the Anfield faithful before he becomes a permanent scapegoat for the team's defensive lapses.