Liverpool boss Arne Slot launches defence of under-fire Milos Kerkez amid left-back's underwhelming start to life at Anfield

Kerkez was supposed to slot perfectly into the attacking system adopted by Liverpool following Slot’s appointment as the Reds’ boss at the start of last season. The 21-year-old was a menace up and down the left-flank for the Cherries and was one of the most sought-after full-backs in the world in the summer.

Liverpool won the chase to bring him to Anfield where, following the drop off in form of Robertson in recent years, he should have made the position his own. However, the pressure of playing for the Reds appears to be taking its toll on the youngster.

Former Premier League striker Clinton Morrison was scathing in his assessment of Kerkez’s performance in Liverpool’s defeat to Manchester United last weekend. Speaking on Match of the Day, he said: “It was probably one of the only Liverpool games that I've watched and thought Van Dijk looked rattled, especially in the first half. It's because he is having to cover Milos Kerkez, who I think right now has to come out of the team. He is struggling and does not look like he can carry that Liverpool shirt at the moment.”

Despite Morrison’s criticism of Kerkez and the defender’s lack of form, Slot insisted he is happy with his new signing and is likely to keep selecting him in his starting line-up.

Questioned on Kerkez’s position in the team and whether Robertson could seize the starting berth, Slot was diplomatic. “I don’t think that’s a place for me to say this here, because then I have to say something about Robbo as well,” he said in his press conference ahead of Liverpool's meeting with Brentford. “The reason why we brought him in, that I can tell you, is that he is bringing a lot of energy to the game, keeps going up and down.”

Slot added that Kerkez is doing “very well in defending the one-v-one situations against his wingers”. He described the full-back as “defensively solid” and explained that he also brings “a lot of energy making the overlaps”.

Kerkez is not the only new signing providing headaches for Slot. Florian Wirtz is the standout disappointment of the major summer transfer moves, not just at Liverpool, but the whole Premier League. The German has been unable to show the magic he once dazzled the Bundesliga with and, given his mammoth transfer fee, will need to turn his performances around pretty quickly.

Alexander Isak has also failed to hit the ground running in a Liverpool shirt. The saga of the summer transfer window saw the Swede move to Anfield following a public falling out with Newcastle, and the striker was meant to fire Liverpool to yet another comfortable Premier League crown.

Yet, the performances of Hugo Ekitike up front have made it difficult to fit in the two forwards, both preferring to play down the middle of the frontline. The Frenchman has been electric since joining the club, but has been sidelined in favour of Isak even when form suggested he should not have been.

Liverpool ended their four-game winless run with an emphatic 5-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday. The Reds had lost to Crystal Palace, Galatasaray, Chelsea and Manchester United previously and will hope that their win over the German side can also put an end to three defeats on the bounce in the Premier League. They take on Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday night and will be coming up against a familiar face in goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, who they sold to the Bees in the summer.