Murphy warns Liverpool’s full‑back duo will not improve under Iraola

Former Liverpool star Danny Murphy told ’s Kick Off that the Reds’ full‑backs Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez “are not good enough” and “are not going to get better”, a stark assessment as Liverpool search for replacements for Trent Alexander‑Arnold and Andy Robertson.

Replacing the departed full‑backs

Comments Sport Samuel Meade Sports Brand Writer 10:52, 08 Sep 2026 reported that Trent Alexander‑Arnold and Andy Robertson had been pillars of Liverpool’s recent success, providing assists, quality crossing and defensive stability. Their departure left a clear gap on the flanks, prompting manager Andoni Iraola to seek new options. The club’s strategy shifted towards younger, pace‑driven full‑backs.

Record summer recruitment under scrutiny

During a record transfer spree last summer, Liverpool secured Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen and Kerkez from Bournemouth, directly targeting the vacant full‑back roles. The Reds also added Bradley Barcola as a third £100million‑plus signing, following arrivals such as Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz. The spending spree aimed to restore the attacking edge once supplied by the former duo. Murphy elaborated, saying: “The bigger problem is that the full‑backs aren’t good enough at Liverpool. Their level of crossing and choice of final pass is really poor.” He added that while they work hard, they lack the 100mph quality of Robertson and Alexander‑Arnold. Former defender Jamie Carragher warned that the summer window could set Liverpool back a year or two. Their level of crossing and choice of final pass is really poor.” He added that while they work hard, they lack the 100mph quality of Robertson and Alexander‑Arnold.

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Former defender Jamie Carragher warned on that the summer window could set Liverpool back a year or two. “We’re talking 12 months of underperformance from all of these players except Ekitike,” he said, adding that if improvement does not arrive in the next two or three months under Iraola, the recruitment could be labelled the worst in Premier League history.

Kerkez now finds himself under Andoni Iraola again, the manager who previously got the best out of him at Bournemouth. Despite this familiarity, Murphy insists neither Kerkez nor Frimpong have huge scope for improvement and will remain an issue for the Reds.

With the full‑back positions under intense scrutiny, Liverpool must find a way to raise the defensive standards quickly. The coming weeks will test whether the massive investment can translate into the consistency the club’s supporters expect. Get our comprehensive football coverage for further analysis and updates.