Gary Neville has urged Liverpool manager Arne Slot to drop left-back Milos Kerkez following a run of poor form that has seen the Premier League champions lose four league games in succession.
The Reds’ latest setback came on Saturday evening, when they fell 3–2 to Brentford in a performance Slot later described as the worst of his tenure at Anfield.
Liverpool have not won a league fixture since the end of September, with defeats against Crystal Palace, Chelsea, and Manchester United compounding growing concerns about the team’s direction.
Neville, speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast, suggested that Slot may need to make bold changes to stabilise a defence that has looked increasingly fragile.
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“I think there’s quite a few of those games where I feel like they could have won if they had taken their chances,” Neville said.
“Earlier in the season, I felt as though their full backs weren’t right, and maybe Konate at times wasn’t right, but Van Dijk was holding them together and Alisson was in goal, and you’ve got two world-class performers there.
“But the virus is catching. It’s not just going into the left back, who I think now is becoming a worry.
“Kerkez scored but watching him, he has to be taken out, I think.”
Gary Neville has urged Liverpool manager Arne Slot to drop left-back Milos Kerkez following a run of poor form that has seen the Premier League champions lose four league games in succession
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The former Manchester United defender also raised concerns about Liverpool’s right side, pointing to the inexperience of Conor Bradley and the attacking instincts of Jeremie Frimpong.
“I’m also worried about the right back,” Neville said.
“Frimpong’s not a right back. Conor Bradley’s being given his head and I’m supportive of that because there’s a lot of talent there, but it’s difficult when your team is conceding goals and the pressure’s on.”
Neville compared Liverpool’s current defensive chaos to periods during Sir Alex Ferguson’s time at Manchester United, when even great sides occasionally lost their structure.
Liverpool have lost four Premier League matches on the bounce
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Milos Kerkez has struggled at Liverpool since joining the club back in the summer
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“We went through mad periods where we would concede goals, always looked like we were going to score but we were all over the place,” he said.
“He would put John O’Shea at left back and me or Wes Brown at right back and almost go to four centre halves, narrow the midfield, and make the team more solid.
“You just build a foundation from the back.”
Despite the team’s problems, Neville believes Liverpool still have enough attacking firepower to recover.
Brentford were impressive on Saturday as they beat Liverpool to continue their positive start to the season
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“You look at Salah, Ekitike, Wirtz, Gakpo, and Chiesa — they will always score goals,” he said.
“So it’s up to the seven behind them, plus the goalkeeper, to make sure they don’t concede.
“Sometimes you have to go back to basics when everything’s chaotic. Keep a narrow back four, win your duels, don’t give away easy goals, and be a little more direct.
“That front three will win you games.”
Liverpool boss Arne Slot is under pressure following his side's poor defeat away at Brentford
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Neville added that Slot might need to “simplify” his tactical approach.
“If he carries on playing Kerkez and Bradley and they keep getting exposed, you’ll keep getting the same results,” he warned.
“He doesn’t look like he’s panicking right now, but deep down he’s going to know he has to interfere with this.
“He can’t allow this to happen every week. It’s a pattern now of what they’ve become, and he’s going to have to do something different.”
Liverpool’s defeat leaves them seventh in the table, four points adrift of league leaders Arsenal.
Slot’s side have little time to regroup, with a Carabao Cup tie against Crystal Palace at Anfield on Wednesday offering an immediate chance to respond to their critics.