Milos Kerkez and the misunderstood chaos of Newcastle 2-3 Liverpool

After Liverpool’s 3-2 win at St James’ Park, most headlines painted the picture of a side scraping through. I saw it differently. There’s no denying that the performance had serious flaws, especially in the first half, but to overlook the clear positives is to ignore some of the most telling metrics of the match.

In our latest Positional Play podcast, I discussed the game with Dave Davis, and I want to go deeper here into what stood out for me, particularly the performances of Milos Kerkez, Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai. Much of the noise around Kerkez has been reactionary, and in my view, largely unfair, let’s unpick why.

Kerkez, Van Dijk and Szoboszlai Deserve Credit

Watching it back, the game was riddled with inconsistencies. But three players genuinely stood out in how they handled those erratic rhythms.

Van Dijk was imperious in moments, holding the line and trying to marshal the chaos when it set in during the second half. Szoboszlai’s influence grew the more we got on the ball and then there's Milos Kerkez. I know a lot of the post-match talk has gone in his direction, but I don’t think it’s a game that warrants the criticism he’s received. Quite the opposite.

Kerkez did what he could in a game where structure frequently fell away. He carried the ball well, helped transition from deep and, as part of several longer possession chains, played a role in allowing us to build and settle. These weren’t glamorous actions, but they were essential. As the chart below shows many of the passing chains over 5 passes, involve the left side of our defence where Kerzez was playing.