I have to say, I really like what I’m seeing from Liverpool defensively at the moment.
For all the criticism that has been aimed at our attack this season, the defence is quietly becoming one of the biggest positives of Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool team.
Three consecutive Premier League clean sheets tells its own story.
And these haven’t all been comfortable games either.
Liverpool had to work extremely hard to keep Bournemouth out in that 1-0 victory at the Vitality Stadium, with Alisson making an important save and the defence dealing with plenty of pressure.
But while I’m becoming increasingly confident about Liverpool’s defence, there is one area that still worries me.
Left-back.
And specifically, Milos Kerkez.
The rest of the defence looks seriously strong
Look at the options Liverpool have now.
Alisson behind them.
Virgil van Dijk organising everything.
Jeremy Jacquet looking more impressive with every game.
Ronald Araújo looking extremely comfortable at right-back.
That is a very serious defensive unit.
Jacquet has arguably been one of Liverpool’s best players of the season so far.
The 21-year-old has looked composed, aggressive and incredibly mature for somebody still adapting to English football.
And having Van Dijk alongside him is enormous.
Then there is Araújo.
I absolutely love what he is giving Liverpool at right-back.
He’s not necessarily flying forward and producing spectacular attacking numbers, but that’s not why I’m enjoying watching him there.
He’s defending.
He looks strong in one-on-one situations, comfortable physically and very difficult to get past.
Against Bournemouth, BBC’s assessment was that Araújo looked comfortable defensively at right-back, while Van Dijk and Jacquet were both praised for their performances.
And then there’s Alisson.
When Liverpool needed him, he was there.
That’s what world-class goalkeepers do.
Iraola is seeing the same improvement
The really encouraging thing is that this isn’t just something I’m noticing from the outside.
Iraola has noticed it too.
After the Bournemouth win, he explained that the more time the defenders spend playing together, the more solid the defensive line becomes.
He specifically mentioned Jacquet, Van Dijk, Araújo and Kerkez developing their connections.
And that is important.
Because we’re still watching a relatively new Liverpool team under a new manager.
Defensive understanding doesn’t just appear overnight.
Players have to learn when to step out, when to drop, when to cover one another and how their teammates react to different situations.
Liverpool finally look like they’re developing that understanding.
But I keep coming back to Kerkez
This is where I have a slight concern.
I’m not saying Kerkez is a bad player.
Far from it.
Liverpool obviously saw something in him when they brought him to Anfield.
He has pace, energy and an attacking mentality, and there is plenty of time for him to develop.
But at the moment, left-back looks like the position opponents can target.
We saw glimpses of it against Bournemouth.
Kerkez struggled initially and Bournemouth repeatedly tried to exploit the space around him, including using crossfield balls over his head. He battled throughout and helped Liverpool keep the clean sheet, but it wasn’t his most convincing performance.
And that is something I think Iraola needs to keep an eye on.
Because the better Liverpool’s defence becomes, the more obvious it might become when there is a potential weakness.
Teams will look for it
That’s just football.
If you’re playing against Liverpool and you believe you can get joy down one side, you are going to keep going there.
Especially when Liverpool’s other defensive positions are becoming so difficult to attack.
You don’t want to constantly run at Van Dijk.
You don’t want to spend the afternoon trying to beat Jacquet.
You don’t want to go shoulder-to-shoulder with Araújo.
And if Alisson is behind them, you know even getting through the defensive line doesn’t guarantee a goal.
So opponents will look for the area they think they can exploit.
And right now, for me, that is Liverpool’s left side.
But there is another reason I’m not overly worried
Liverpool have options.
That’s something we didn’t always have last season.
If Kerkez needs a rest, there are alternatives.
Tsimikas is the obvious option.
Joe Gomez can cover defensively.
And there are other ways Iraola can change the shape of the team if he feels the left side is being exposed.
The manager also has time to work with Kerkez.
He’s still adapting to a new club, new teammates and a new tactical system.
I’m certainly not writing him off after a few difficult moments.
Quite the opposite.
I think there is a good player in there.
But Liverpool need to make sure those difficult moments don’t become a pattern.
Suddenly, I’m much happier about the defence
This is perhaps the biggest change in my thinking over the past few weeks.
At the start of the season, I was worried about Liverpool defensively.
Now?
Not nearly as much.
Three consecutive Premier League clean sheets is a significant achievement, and Liverpool have become much harder to break down. They are currently among the better defensive sides in the league by goals conceded.
Jacquet has been a revelation.
Araújo looks increasingly comfortable at right-back.
Van Dijk looks like Van Dijk again.
Alisson is still Alisson.
And the understanding between them is improving.
That’s a fantastic foundation for Iraola to build on.
But if I were an opposition manager preparing to play Liverpool right now, I’d be looking very closely at that left side.
That’s where I’d try to hurt them.
And that’s why I think the next stage of Kerkez’s development could be really important.
Because if he can tighten up defensively and become as reliable as the players around him, Liverpool could have something seriously impressive at the back.
The attack might still need time to click.
But the defence?
I’m starting to really like what I’m seeing.
And apart from that one question mark at left-back, Liverpool are beginning to look rock solid.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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