John Arne Riise has admitted he remains concerned by Milos Kerkez's frantic style of play, warning the defender that everything happens at '100 miles per hour' ahead of his reunion with Andoni Iraola at Liverpool. Kerkez, who joined Liverpool from Bournemouth for £40 million last summer, spent two years working under Iraola at the south coast club.
Kerkez's first season at Anfield
Brought in as the long-term replacement for Andy Robertson, Kerkez endured a difficult start to the campaign. However, by the end of the season, he had grown into his role as Liverpool's first-choice left-back, with Robertson having departed for Tottenham Hotspur. Despite this progress, Riise, who made nearly 350 appearances for Liverpool at left-back, believes there is still room for improvement.
“Obviously, Kerkez is a player that I really want to do well,” the former Norway international said, via BestBettingSites.co.uk. “He had an up-and-down season. I think Andrew Robertson probably could have played even more games because I don't think Kerkez consistently played to his top level.”
Riise's concerns about playing style
Riise acknowledged that reuniting with Iraola could boost Kerkez's confidence but stressed his worries about the full-back's tendency to play at a frantic pace. “It's going to give him some more confidence, perhaps, to play under his former manager. But at the same time, I think Kerkez now understands how big a club Liverpool is and how you must perform in every single game,” Riise said.
“The one thing with Kerkez that slightly concerns me is that everything seems to happen at 100 miles per hour – the passing, the sprinting, the closing down. Everything just seems so frantic. I know it's his playing style, but I just hope he can find his best form again because we need our fullbacks to be great defensively while also supporting the attack going forward.”
Iraola's appointment and Slot's sacking
Iraola's appointment as Liverpool's new head coach was confirmed just six days after the sacking of Arne Slot last month. Slot was dismissed after a troubled Premier League title defence, which saw the Reds lose 19 times in all competitions. The club moved quickly to replace the Dutchman with the former Bournemouth head coach, identifying him as the ideal candidate for their preferred playing style.
Riise's demands for Iraola
Riise has warned Iraola that he must challenge for the title this season. “A club like Liverpool needs to challenge for the title, or at least be up there fighting for it and being much closer than last season, while also doing well in the Champions League. That's the minimum requirement for a manager at the club,” he said.
“Whether he can do it depends on which players come in. Some of the problems last season stemmed from our most loyal and experienced players not performing to the level they should have over the entire year. There were so many factors that weren't up to our standards, and those established players need to step up too. They need to be closer and challenge Arsenal and Manchester City for the title.”
Reflections on Slot's departure
On the decision to part ways with Slot, Riise added: “Was it the correct decision to sack Slot? It's a hard one. When it happened, and now in the weeks after, I've been trying to understand what happened at the club. Initially, I thought they should give Slot the preseason – another preseason with new signings and the players from last season – to try and turn it around.
“But I do think there's been too much going on behind the scenes. I have heard rumours that he lost the dressing room a little bit with the players. Nothing is confirmed, but obviously there has to be something behind it. You can't go from winning the Premier League to a season that is so up and down with so many questionable situations.
“I do think maybe he lost the dressing room a little bit, and as soon as a manager loses the dressing room at that level, it's almost impossible to turn things around. I don't think the club had any other option than to talk to him and see what he thought. I think they handled it mutually, where both parties could see there was no way forward other than to separate.
“Now that they've gone for Iraola, I'm happy with the appointment. He's done brilliant things before, and I think we needed something new.”
