Carragher slams ‘ridiculous’ Liverpool star as Keane agrees with brutal Arne Slot reaction

Jamie Carragher hit out at Milos Kerkez over his “ridiculous” dive for Liverpool against Burnley at Turf Moor on Sunday as Roy Keane agreed with Arne Slot’s brutal reaction.

Kerkez was signed from Bournemouth for £40m this summer and has had an up and down start to his Liverpool career.

He was one of the standout players in the 1-0 win over Arsenal but has displayed some questionable defending at times, with him ducking out of a header with Bruno Guimareas in the 3-2 win over Newcastle a particularly notable display of that side of his game not being quite so productive as when he charges down the wing.

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And the 21-year-old embarrassed himself against Burnley, going down in the box in a bid to win a penalty after the slightest of contacts from Josh Laurent.

Carragher was not impressed, claiming it was “absolutely stupid” from the Hungarian, who had the chance to pull the ball across the face of the Burnley goal but instead chose to go to ground.

“It was a dive, there’s absolutely no doubt about that,” Carragher said on Sky Sports. “I don’t think anybody in the stadium thought it wasn’t.

“It was so theatrical. I mean, it’s absolutely stupid that. I don’t think there’s any contact whatsoever really.

“He’s in a good position. I think he can probably swing his foot around that and get a cross in. He’s in a really good position, right on the byline.”

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Referee Michael Oliver had no hesitation in showing Kerkez a yellow card and after the full-back then committed a foul on the halfway line but escaped a second booking, Slot took the brutal step of taking him off in favour of Andy Robertson before half-time.

And as Slot grabbed Kerkez as he was walking off the pitch, Carragher claimed hooking him after 37 minutes was a good decision.

Carragher commented: “I think it’s really good management from Arne Slot. It was absolutely ridiculous what he did in the first half, with the yellow card and trying to get a penalty. And then he has the foul on the halfway line – I think the manager’s talking [to him] about that.

“This game is going to be about counter attack, if he gets caught 1v1 and something happens, second yellow and he’s off.”

Roy Keane was in full agreement with Slot’s decision after Kerkez’s “crazy dive”.

He said in the Sky Sports studio: “The circumstances is he got a yellow card for a crazy dive. He then makes a foul towards the halfway line and Slot knows that Burnley are playing on the counterattack, so if Kerkez makes one more mistake…

“Why is he looking to go down? [sarcastically] He’s made an impression alright! The second one is a foul, not sure it’s a second yellow but the manager got worried.”