Gary Neville has questioned Liverpool’s transfer business this summer — and on this particular point, I completely agree with him.
Neville said:
“I’m amazed that Liverpool haven’t added two full-backs because they need two full-backs.”
And honestly, it’s difficult to argue with him.
Liverpool have spent huge money on rebuilding their squad this summer, but one of the areas that looks most vulnerable is still sitting there in plain sight.
The full-back positions.
Who replaces Trent and Robertson?
Liverpool have lost two hugely experienced players in Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson.
Whatever you think about their defensive abilities, both players were capable of influencing games at the other end of the pitch as well.
Trent could create chances and dictate games from deep.
Robertson provided energy, intensity and an enormous amount of experience.
Liverpool have replaced them with Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez.
But replacing two established Liverpool players doesn’t simply mean buying two players who play the same position.
They need to be able to perform at the level Liverpool expect.
And so far, I’m not convinced.
Frimpong remains a concern
Frimpong is an incredibly talented footballer.
Going forward, he can be devastating.
But defensively, there are still question marks.
We’ve already seen moments where his positioning has caused problems, particularly when Liverpool lose possession.
And that becomes even more concerning if Liverpool are going to play with a conventional back four.
You can’t afford to have both full-backs constantly thinking like attackers.
There has to be balance.
Kerkez hasn’t convinced me either
The same applies to Kerkez.
I really like his potential, but he hasn’t looked completely comfortable defensively either.
There have been sloppy moments in possession and situations where Liverpool have looked vulnerable down his side.
That doesn’t mean he’s a bad signing.
It means he’s a young player adapting to a huge club.
But Liverpool shouldn’t be relying on potential alone when they’re trying to compete for the Premier League and Champions League.
This is why Neville’s point makes sense
Neville knows the position better than most.
He spent his entire career as a full-back and understands the importance of having defenders who instinctively know when to attack and when to stay.
His argument isn’t simply that Liverpool need more players.
It’s that Liverpool need more defensive security.
And I think that’s exactly right.
Recent reports have quoted Neville saying Liverpool could be leaving Andoni Iraola “well short” if they continue with Frimpong and Kerkez as their first-choice full-backs while also failing to add a holding midfielder.
The midfield problem makes it worse
This is where the two issues become connected.
If Liverpool don’t have a specialist defensive midfielder protecting the defence, then the full-backs have even more responsibility.
When Frimpong pushes forward, somebody has to cover him.
When Kerkez attacks, somebody has to cover him.
When Liverpool lose possession, there needs to be somebody capable of stopping the counter-attack.
Otherwise, Liverpool can quickly find themselves exposed.
That’s why I agree with Neville that the full-back problem can’t really be looked at in isolation.
The midfield and full-back issues are connected.
Liverpool have spent huge money
And this is what makes it frustrating.
Liverpool have spent enormous amounts this summer.
Bradley Barcola has arrived in a deal worth up to £123m.
Liverpool clearly aren’t afraid to spend money when they believe the right player is available.
So if the club genuinely believes the full-back positions need strengthening, why haven’t they done it?
That’s the question I would be asking.
Do Liverpool need two more?
Personally, yes.
I’m not saying Liverpool need to go out and spend £100m on two full-backs just for the sake of it.
But I would have liked to see two more genuine options brought into the squad.
One left-back.
One right-back.
Players who can defend first and attack second.
That would give Iraola much more flexibility.
It would also mean Frimpong and Kerkez wouldn’t have to play virtually every important game.
You can’t win everything with a thin squad
This is the bigger picture.
Liverpool are competing in the Premier League.
The Champions League.
The FA Cup.
The Carabao Cup.
That’s potentially an enormous number of matches.
Injuries will happen.
Suspensions will happen.
Players will lose form.
That’s football.
A squad capable of competing for major trophies needs quality alternatives.
And right now, I don’t think Liverpool have enough at full-back.
My verdict
So, do I agree with Gary Neville?
Absolutely.
Liverpool should have signed two full-backs this summer.
I’m not saying Frimpong and Kerkez can’t become excellent Liverpool players.
They might.
But at the moment, there are enough defensive concerns to make me uncomfortable.
And with the transfer window closing, this is exactly the sort of area where Liverpool should have been proactive.
Iraola needs protection.
He needs options.
He needs players he can trust when Liverpool are defending a lead against a top side.
And he needs a squad deep enough to survive a season of Premier League and Champions League football.
Liverpool have spent huge amounts of money this summer.
Now they need to make sure they’ve spent it in the right areas.
Because Neville might have put it perfectly:
Liverpool don’t just need a full-back.
They need two.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
Leave a Reply