Milos Kerkez Sets Liverpool Challenge for LASK Clash as Andoni Iraola Demands More
Liverpool head to Austria with a point to prove and Milos Kerkez has made the mood in the camp plain enough. The bruises from the defeat by Manchester City have not vanished, the frustration has not been disguised, and yet the message before the Champions League trip to LASK is firm and simple. “Tomorrow is a new opportunity and we have to give everything.”
That line cuts to the heart of where Liverpool are. There is disappointment after the weekend, there is fatigue in the legs because the fixtures come hard and fast, and there are injuries stretching the squad, but there is no room for self-pity. At this level, regret has a very short shelf life. A game can sting on Sunday and another demands full commitment by Wednesday.
Kerkez did not pretend the City defeat was anything other than painful. “Obviously we were disappointed after the game. I think we competed really well for 60 minutes. After that what happened, happened. It was frustrating but we know that we have this game tomorrow [against LASK] so the next day we focused on recovery and today also we do the best things [to make sure] we are 100 per cent tomorrow.”
There was honesty in that, and a sense of perspective too. Liverpool saw enough in spells of the performance to believe they were not miles away, even if the result still carried the greatest weight. Kerkez admitted as much when he said: “Yes, I think a lot of people also had that feeling and we [did] as the players. Of course, at the end of the day the results matter always. It was not ideal, but we move on.”
Photo: IMAGO
Kerkez backs Iraola style at Liverpool
What stands out in Kerkez’s words is the shape of this Liverpool side under Andoni Iraola. The full-back knows the head coach well from their time together at Bournemouth and, in his telling, the demands are crystal clear. Liverpool are being asked to run harder, press higher and play with greater aggression. There is a deliberate attempt to force the game rather than drift through it.
“I think it’s just the style we’re playing right now. We’re running a lot and playing more aggressive and more front-footed. All the players are buying into his philosophy. Of course, there is still a way to go and a way to improve. But like I said before, I think we are on the right track.”
That is the sort of assessment supporters will cling to ahead of a difficult away night. Iraola has only recently taken charge and Liverpool remain a work in progress, but there is conviction in the dressing room that the methods are right. Kerkez, for one, sounds more settled because of the familiarity with the man leading the rebuild.
“Yes, of course. It’s my second year. I think I was adapting more last season after a new year… it’s good. It’s all development. Obviously the gaffer is here now that I knew for a long time at Bournemouth. I feel a lot more easy.”
There is no one-size-fits-all brief either. Kerkez explained that Iraola’s instructions change according to the opponent, the winger on his flank and the demands of the night. “It depends on the game and it depends on who we are playing against and who the opposition is or who the winger is. It’s always on the game. He tells me game by game what he wants from me and that’s what I want to do.”
LASK test comes amid Liverpool injury strain
If Liverpool need intensity, they also need resilience. The schedule has become relentless and injuries have left little margin for comfort. Kerkez did not dress that up. “Obviously it’s a bit tough. The games are coming quick but we are professionals. We have to take recovery very seriously and we have a squad and we have quality. The young players are also helping us a lot.”
That line matters. In modern European campaigns, depth can decide everything. Training time shrinks, analysis gets condensed, and matches become the classroom. “I think it’s all in the recovery. You don’t have much time to train really and to prepare for the next game. But like I say, it’s important with the recovery to take it seriously and try to go for the next game 100 per cent ready.”
For a trip to LASK, that mentality may be as important as any tactical board. Away games in Europe have a way of punishing the half-ready. Liverpool will need sharp minds, strong lungs and enough calm to turn possession into pressure.
Bradley Barcola connection offers Liverpool promise
One subplot worth watching in Linz is the developing relationship between Kerkez and Bradley Barcola down Liverpool’s left side. It remains new, still finding its rhythm, but Kerkez’s verdict on the French attacker was glowing. “He obviously arrived and has played a few games. He needs a bit more time – everyone needs it when they arrive at a club like this. He’s a real talent and has shown it at PSG. He has great skills. He can help us a lot with scoring goals and going forward.”
There is a practical side to that partnership, and a human one. Kerkez spoke about the importance of building understanding on and off the pitch. “It’s just the thing to talk more and build that connection more. He’s going to help us get better combinations down the left. I think we are in a good way and obviously I hope it will get better.”
Then he expanded on what that communication really means. “Yes, definitely. You have to help a new player also outside of the pitch and adjust in general. It’s to get to know him better and talk outside the pitch and then on the pitch we have to communicate a lot.”
Szoboszlai wait adds to pre-Brentford intrigue
There was less clarity on Dominik Szoboszlai, whose fitness remains a talking point before Saturday’s trip to Brentford. Kerkez could only offer hope rather than certainty. “I don’t know! You will have to ask the gaffer that. He is recovering but we hope. I know Dom and how he is, he doesn’t like to be out long and he wants to play every game and knowing him he would like to play on Saturday.”
Before Brentford, though, comes LASK, and a chance for Liverpool to respond in the most meaningful way possible. The demand from Kerkez is not subtle. Give everything, and see where the night takes them.