Milos Kerkez Shines in Liverpool's Pre-Season Victory
Milos Kerkez walked off Anfield with a clean sheet, 90 minutes in his legs and a familiar voice back in his ear.
Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Como to close out pre-season was routine on the scoreboard, but for the Hungarian left-back it felt like something else entirely – a return to the football that first set him alight under Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth.
Kerkez unleashed again
Kerkez’s first year at Liverpool under Arne Slot never quite caught fire. A £40m move from Bournemouth brought expectation, but also restraint. Now Iraola has followed him to Anfield, the shackles are off.
“It's a big difference, obviously,” Kerkez said, and you didn’t need the quotes to see it. He spent the afternoon tearing up and down the left, constantly available, constantly aggressive.
“We play really aggressive. We need to run a lot more. It is good. It is tough, but if you want to compete at the top, you need to do that in the Champions League, the Premier League.
“You can see I have more freedom to fly up and down. I'm really running more, with more freedom, putting more balls into boxes.”
This is the Iraola blueprint he already knows: front-foot, high-tempo, unforgiving. At Bournemouth it turned him into one of the league’s most exciting young full-backs. At Liverpool, with better players around him and more of the ball, it could be devastating.
“The manager gave me confidence when I was in Bournemouth. We all have to do what he tells us to do. Play aggressive, front-foot, so we need to continue.”
Building towards Newcastle
The Como game was the final tune-up. The real test comes on Sunday: Newcastle away, one of the most hostile openings Liverpool could have drawn.
Kerkez went the distance for the first time this summer and felt every minute of it.
“Today is the first time playing 90 minutes. I felt a bit in the legs at, I would say 70, 70-something, but it's good to get the whole 90 minutes today.
“We needed to get the win today, to get that positive mentality going into the next week. So, we did good, clean sheet - good for the defenders - and, yeah, we're happy.”
The scoreline helped, the shutout helped more. But Iraola’s demands are clear, and Kerkez knows the defensive work is far from finished.
“We have still some work to do to be more defensively set up. More help from the wingers, but it's going to come next week.
“A lot of guys needed 90 today. Need to be ready for Premier League intensity next week. You know how it is, especially Newcastle away, so it was good that a lot of guys got 90 minutes, definitely.”
He has lived this fixture from both sides. That contrast still sticks with him.
“I can remember last season how it was. Big difference for me when you play like Bournemouth at Newcastle and Liverpool at Newcastle, so I can't wait, really. I think my team-mates also can't wait.
“Fantastic atmosphere there, so we need to go and first game, need to get the three points, definitely.”
No hedging. No talk of settling for a point. Under Iraola, the message is blunt: go there and win.
New faces, same standard
Pre-season also offered a first glimpse of Liverpool’s new blood, and Kerkez didn’t hold back with his praise after Jeremy Jacquet scored on his unofficial debut and Ronald Araujo impressed off the bench.
“He was brilliant, really,” Kerkez said of Jacquet. “Defensively, calm on the ball. Confidence is what we need. Plays hard, plays aggressive - Liverpool style of play, definitely. Really, really good.
“Araujo when he came in second half was aggressive, made a few tackles. So was good. JJ good. We were solid.”
Behind them, Alisson did what Alisson does.
“Ali, great, great to keep balls out of the net, so feels good when you have a clean sheet. We have to keep going next week.”
Kerkez has his old coach back, his old freedom back and his first full 90 of the summer in the bank. The running will only get harder from here. That’s exactly how he wants it, and Newcastle away is about to reveal just how ready this new-look Liverpool really is.
