Keane blasts four Liverpool stars with Iraola’s side ‘all over the shop’ in first two matches | OneFootball

Manchester United legend Roy Keane insists that Liverpool have been “all over the shop” in their first two Premier League matches of the season.

The Reds have drawn both their opening two Premier League matches of the season 2-2 against Newcastle United and Nottigham Forest.

Liverpool didn’t find too much of an issue creating chances but they did look defensively vulnerable in both matches with full-backs Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez taking a lot of the blame.

Despite acknowledging that Kerkez and Frimpong are part of the problem, Keane highlighted goalkeeper Alisson and midfielders Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch for not providing a “helping hand” to the full-backs.

Keane said on the latest episode of The Overlap: “I wouldn’t know where to start or finish with Liverpool.

“I look at the two full-backs for Liverpool…I’m on about the basics of the game. I’m on about heading the football, or they’re trying to win balls they can’t win.

“They don’t even have a feel for the ball, just dinking it in behind or playing one-twos. We used to give Trent a lot of stick, but at least he could pass it, ping it, and switch play.

“We’re praising Arsenal, we spoke about their attack…you look at Arsenal when they lose that ball. It’s little details – everyone tucks in for each other. You attack as a team, you defend as a team. Liverpool certainly aren’t doing that. Four goals in two games, they’re not good signs.

“Is that all because of the full-backs? To be fair, probably not. But the whole team is all over the shop.

“You do need a bit of a helping hand [defensively]. They’re not getting a helping hand from their midfielders or anyone in front of them, or behind them, or their goalkeeper.”

Gakpo will always give Liverpool ‘a goal threat’

Manchester City-linked Cody Gakpo, who has been one of Liverpool’s better players in pre-season and the first couple of Premier League matches, was forced to remain at Anfield after the Reds failed to find a replacement before the transfer deadline.

When asked about Gakpo staying, Danny Murphy told talkSPORT: “Well, a lot of fans would not have minded it. He got hammered last year, and I thought a little bit harshly so because there was obviously the breakthrough of Ngumoha, and everybody wanted to see him.

“And Gakpo was having a bit of a poor season. One thing with Gakpo, you always get, he is a goal threat. It’s all right having wide players who look good and beat people, but how many goals are you going to score?

“Gakpo scores goals, even when he is playing badly. And he can play off the right, he can play centre-forward, and he is a super athlete.

“Now, Barcola is an upgrade for sure, he is an upgrade, so he is going to start and play on the left, but will we see Gakpo scoring goals off the right? I think so.

“He made a great goal from the right-hand side at the weekend. As I say, he can play down the middle because Isak might not play all the games, Ekitike is injured.

“So, yeah, it does make sense, and also, you know, he is somebody who even when he is playing badly, very rarely, (you) don’t get a shift out of him defensively, and he is one that can press.”