Gary Neville Calls for Changes at Liverpool Following Fourth Consecutive League Defeat
Gary Neville has urged Liverpool manager Arne Slot to drop left-back Milos Kerkez following a run of poor form that has seen the Premier League champions lose four league games in succession, reports BritPanorama.
The Reds’ latest setback came on Saturday evening, when they fell 3–2 to Brentford in a performance Slot later described as the worst of his tenure at Anfield. The defeat leaves Liverpool without a league win since the end of September, with previous losses against Crystal Palace, Chelsea, and Manchester United raising serious concerns about the team’s direction.
Neville, speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast, suggested that Slot may need to make bold changes to stabilize a defence that has increasingly shown vulnerabilities. He noted, “I think there’s quite a few of those games where I feel like they could have won if they had taken their chances. Earlier in the season, I felt as though their full backs weren’t right.” He acknowledged key players like Virgil van Dijk and Alisson as having previously held the team together, but warned, “the virus is catching… Kerkez scored but watching him, he has to be taken out, I think.”
Further concerns arose regarding Liverpool’s right flank, where Neville expressed unease about the inexperience of Conor Bradley and the defensive capabilities of Jeremie Frimpong. “I’m also worried about the right back,” he stated. “Frimpong’s not a right back. Conor Bradley’s being given his head… but it’s difficult when your team is conceding goals and the pressure’s on.”
Neville compared Liverpool’s current defensive struggles to periods during Sir Alex Ferguson’s era at Manchester United, suggesting that even formidable teams can face structural issues. He reminisced about tactical adjustments made during those tumultuous times to build a more solid foundation. “You just build a foundation from the back,” Neville remarked, indicating that a similar approach might be necessary for Liverpool.
Despite the team’s difficulties, Neville remains optimistic about their attacking potential. He asserted, “You look at Salah, Ekitike, Wirtz, Gakpo, and Chiesa — they will always score goals. So it’s up to the seven behind them, plus the goalkeeper, to make sure they don’t concede.”
Looking ahead, he suggested that Slot must simplify his tactical approach. “If he carries on playing Kerkez and Bradley and they keep getting exposed, you’ll keep getting the same results,” Neville warned. He concluded that Slot must take decisive action if Liverpool is to reverse their current trend of poor performance.
Liverpool’s defeat leaves them seventh in the table, four points adrift of league leaders Arsenal. Slot’s side have little time to regroup, with a Carabao Cup tie against Crystal Palace at Anfield on Wednesday offering an immediate chance to respond to their critics. In a season marked by unprecedented shifts, the pressure to find a quick solution has never been greater.
