Gary Neville has identified a Liverpool player who is currently playing “like a 10-year-old” following the Premier League champions’ 2-1 loss to Manchester United on Sunday. Bryan Mbeumo opened the scoring just two minutes in, taking advantage of Alexis Mac Allister’s head injury.
Despite dominating possession and creating chances, Liverpool didn’t equalize until Cody Gakpo scored in the 78th minute. However, Harry Maguire quickly responded with a goal in the 84th minute, securing United’s first away victory in seven months.
Liverpool’s start to the season has drawn significant attention, especially with several new players aiming to assert themselves on a squad that appeared ready to compete for major titles. On ‘The Gary Neville Podcast’, the former defender highlighted one specific signing, Milos Kerkez, who he believes is not meeting expectations.
Kerkez received the lowest rating from Sofascore after a 90-minute performance where he seemed lacking in confidence on both offense and defense. While his stats indicated a somewhat better performance—winning his only tackle, creating one big chance, and winning four out of six duels—Neville was critical of the former Bournemouth player. He previously remarked that Kerkez “looked like a youth team player” during Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea, where he struggled against Pedro Neto. After a strong season at Bournemouth, Kerkez now appears out of his depth as Andrew Robertson’s potential successor.
Arne Slot faces crucial decisions in the coming days, with the Reds set to face Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday and Brentford next weekend. It seems Slot is trying to overhaul the team following last season’s league title, despite only needing minor adjustments.
It remains to be seen whether fan favorite Robertson can reclaim a regular starting spot, but currently, there is uncertainty among pundits about how Liverpool can remain competitive in the title race, as they sit four points behind leaders Arsenal.
