Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola needs to have an awkward conversation with his vice-captain Dominik Szoboszlai and move him to right-back permanently.
Szoboszlai, 25, was rewarded with a new £350,000-a-week contract this summer after being named Liverpool’s Player of the Season for his impressive performances in midfield last campaign – one of the few positives in what was otherwise a disappointing season for the Reds under Arne Slot.
Despite establishing himself as a mainstay in midfield, the Hungarian has also been called upon to deputise at right-back, doing so sporadically last season and again during the second half of Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Carragher believes Szoboszlai may be tasked with the right-back role permanently after Liverpool’s disjointed start under Iraola, who has drawn both his Premier League matches so far.
With Conor Bradley still injured and Jeremie Frimpong struggling for form, right-back has become a problem position for Liverpool since Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s exit to Real Madrid last summer.
Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola (right) needs to have an awkward conversation with his vice-captain Dominik Szoboszlai (left) and move him to right-back
Carragher fears Liverpool made a ‘massive mistake’ by not recruiting at full-back this summer
Fearing it was a ‘massive mistake’ not to bolster Liverpool’s ranks at full-back in the transfer window, Carragher is confident Szoboszlai could provide a solution for Iraola.
‘The big thing he (Iraola) has got, and it happened last season and at the weekend, Szoboszlai went back to right-back. I’ve never believed Szoboszlai is a central midfield player,’ Carragher said on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Disney+.
‘Now, he’s signed a new contract and I can only imagine in those talks, they were desperate for him to stay, he’s almost said “I want to play midfield”. He’s moved around a bit and he started the season in central midfield. I don’t see him as that.
‘For me, in midfield he’s a Jordan Henderson. Runner, energy, with more of a goal threat. But Liverpool don’t play that way and he’s not really a No 10. His best role could actually be at right-back. He’d get plenty of the ball, he can run and almost play that Trent role from there.
‘But there’s no way he’s going to want to play there because he’s just signed a new contract for £350,000 a week. You’ve just done this big thing, he’s the vice-captain, I just think that’s a conversation Iraola is going to have to have going forward, because the midfield is not right and he’s part of that midfield not being right.’
Liverpool reinforced Iraola’s ranks this summer with the £123million signing of Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain and the £34.5m acquisition of Victor Munoz from Osasuna, who both play on the left wing.
Centre-backs Jeremy Jacquet and Ronald Araujo also signed on permanent and loan deals respectively to bolster the defence, but no additions were made at full-back or in central midfield.
‘I’m stunned,’ Gary Neville said reflecting on Liverpool’s transfer window.
‘The two full-backs (Kerkez and Frimpong), it was quite clear at the start of last season when you watched them for five or six matches that defensively they weren’t going to be quite at the level to do it. I’m stunned, will Liverpool regret not bringing players in there?’
Szoboszlai won Liverpool’s Player of the Season last term for his performances in midfield
He took over from Jeremie Frimpong at right-back against Nottingham Forest last weekend
Carragher added: ‘Their understanding of the game is really really poor. You’re watching the game and thinking why he’s done that? I described Kerkez at the start of last season as the “Darwin Nunez” of full-backs. It’s just head down and run. Everything Kerkez does is 100 miles per hour.
‘They brought in Kerkez for £40million, he’s had a first season. Wasn’t amazing, but it’s probably right to give him another go. Iraola’s come in from Bournemouth, he knows him, okay. You’re our left back for the season.
‘The right-back situation is a mess. What Liverpool did when Trent left, and I agreed with it, they didn’t go and buy a Trent replacement. Conor Bradley has done well enough when he’s fit and they brought Frimpong in, not as direct competition, but almost for a bit of right-back and a bit of right-wing, to get his minutes there.
‘Bradley got his chance, got an injury and didn’t do particularly well last season, let’s be honest. My problem with it is, Conor Bradley is a good young player, but if someone gets a bad injury, he’s not that good that you don’t go and replace him.
‘You’d wait for Trent and Andy Robertson to come back, but unfortunately I don’t think you should be waiting for Conor Bradley. You go and buy a right-back.
‘We’re Liverpool, we’re a big club, we can’t wait for Conor Bradley. We want to get him back and good luck to him, but I think it’s a massive mistake.’
Liverpool will be searching for their first win of the season when they head to Portman Road to face newly promoted Ipswich on Friday.
