Jamie Redknapp has suggested that Liverpool did the right thing by not signing a full-back during the summer transfer window, contrary to the opinion of many Reds supporters.
Although Andoni Iraola has two players for both full-back positions in his squad, one of those (Conor Bradley) faces another few months out with a serious knee injury that he suffered at the start of this year.
Jeremie Frimpong has duly been starting at right-back in the 23-year-old’s absence, but the Dutchman has come under fire for his performances in the opening weeks of the season. On the other flank, Milos Kerkez is first choice ahead of Kostas Tsimikas, who’s returned from his loan spell at Roma last term.
Redknapp: Liverpool were right not to sign a full-back
Speaking to Sky Sports, Redknapp believes that Liverpool were ‘sensible’ not to spend money on a new right-back when they have Bradley to return from injury, while he’s also backed Iraola to get the best out of the Hungary international on the opposite flank.
The former Reds midfielder said: “You have to be mindful of the players they have out injured. Conor Bradley is hopefully going to be fit soon. You bring a full-back in and then you stop his development. You have to be sensible about these things.
“Frimpong, for me, isn’t a right-back. He signed as a wing-back and he doesn’t look comfortable in his position. Kerkez hasn’t been the signing that people would’ve hoped. You’d like to think with Andoni Iraola going there that he can get the best out of him.”
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Have Liverpool taken a big risk by not signing a full-back?
We can see the point that Redknapp is making – signing another right-back this summer would run the risk of having too many mouths to feed once Bradley is fit again – but that isn’t going to alleviate the concerns of Liverpool fans over that position.
Iraola needs Frimpong to be much more secure defensively over the next few months than he has been in recent games, with the Reds heavily reliant on the 25-year-old to perform consistently while his positional colleague is sidelined.
On the opposite flank, Kerkez hasn’t had the smoothest of starts to the campaign either, but if anyone is capable of coaxing the best out of the Hungarian, it’s our current head coach, as we saw when the two of them were at Bournemouth.
By not signing a right-back in the summer, Liverpool fans might have a few more sightings of midfielders being deployed in that position, as Dominik Szoboszlai had been towards the latter stages of the 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest last weekend.
That in itself is an indictment of the Reds’ transfer strategy, and we just hope that the decision not to sign a full-back doesn’t come back to haunt the Merseyside club over the coming months.
The defensive question isn’t so much about signing a right full back, it’s about signing a defensive midfielder, that’s where our main defensive weakness comes from. We have options for Right full back but not for a competent Defensive midfielder!
Only two games played and I would advise anyone to look at these games again and just look at frimpong and Kirkez.
Some of the defending is an absolute joke, out of position, lightweight in the tackle, they offer nothing going forward, the final ball, and delivery into the box is terrible.
Frimpong and Kirkez are bad signings , a massive step down to what we had with Alexander Arnold and Robertson. Tsimikas has returned from laon and he wasn’t good enough. Bradley won’t be back until November, and he’s not top quality.
All the big decisions were bottled this summer.
It started with the replacement of slot, another head coach with no say whatsoever on transfers.
A good manager would have had a clear out of the players who are simply not good enough or haven’t delivered. Starting with the full backs.
Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester city have done that.
It’s how you improve. Get rid of the players who aren’t good enough.
There’s nothing sensible sticking with inferior players.
Jamie Redknapp, you’ve got to laugh.
On frimpong, frimpong for me isnt a right back?
He’s a wing back, he doesn’t look comfortable in his position.
Kirkez hasn’t been the signing people would have hoped.
So in conclusion, frimpong is a wing back and Kirkez is terrible. So we shouldn’t replace them.
Jamie Redknapp was the only pundit who thought we shouldn’t have sacked slot. When we did he thought Iraola was the perfect replacement.
He hasn’t got a clue.
Keep playing frimpong and Kirkez and count the mistakes and goals we concede.
Can’t think of many worse full backs, wing backs in 50 year’s as a Liverpool fan.
I wouldn’t have bought frimpong or Kirkez. Too lightweight 70 million down the toilet.
If you don’t replace bad signings you don’t improve.
Yeah I agree Frimprong and Kerkez are not up to it. My point wes: why are people pointing the conversation towards the weakness we have at full back, when our midfield gaping hole is where the opposition are finding joy? That goal That most are attributing to Kerkez had its origins in midfield. A good defensive midfielder would have swept up there. We could. equally point the finger at VVD who should have come across to support Kerkez when he could see he was in trouble, but didn’t. If we had the world’s best fullbacks right & left that gaping hole in midfield would still cost us. And it will.