Liverpool fans are buzzing over the arrival of Milos Kerkez, but replacing a fan favourite at left back isn’t an easy task at Anfield.
The Hungary international has sealed a £40million switch from Bournemouth to Merseyside, which could push Andy Robertson out as a consequence.
Kerkez is heading to Anfield with the tough task of replacing RobertsonGetty He’ll hope to do far better than a number of his predecessors, including Paul KoncheskyGettyScotland captain Robertson is open to a loan departure to Atletico Madrid and Kerkez will have big boots to fill, but will at least hope he does a better job than Paul Konchesky.
In 2010, the East London native was signed by Roy Hodgson in a £4million deal that no one was happy about.
Fans didn’t want Hodgson – who brought him over from Fulham – and such a small fee on a player from down the table was seen as indicative of the new low standards during the torrid Hicks and Gillett ownership era.
The club was yet to replace icon John Arne Riise who had been their best left back of the century, and it was soon clear that Konchesky wasn’t going to be the man to make the spot his own.
Joining in the same window as the completely forgettable trio of Christian Poulsen, Milan Jovanovic and Danny Wilson, no one was excited about the 2010/11 season, except their new fullback.
“I’m 29 and this is my last chance to play at the highest level,” Konchesky admitted at the time. “That is what Liverpool are and I am really looking forward to it. It’s going to be a very high standard.
“Knowing the manager was a big factor but Liverpool being a big club was a massive factor. You want to play at the highest level and that’s what Liverpool is. I’m very excited. I’m looking forward to getting a new lease of life and playing at a very high standard.”
Sadly for the Charlton academy product, he didn’t reach that high standard, and Liverpool sank down the table at a worrying rate, flirting with relegation for the first time in the Premier League.
Everyone was at fault, but the players were shielded to an extent with Hodgson massively unpopular, but the owners undermined everything with the debt riddled club in need of a saviour.
Yet for a few days in November when things were particularly bad, Konchesky became the main story and it wasn’t even his own fault.
Konchesky was excited to join, but there weren’t many thrills during the seasonGettyOK, he had a particularly bad game in a 2-0 away loss to Stoke, but that was nothing compared to the storm that met his mum’s Facebook post in the dead of night post-match.
Writing on her public account at 3:54am, she addressed supporters and Hodgson in a brutal tirade.
“To all you Liverpool scouse scum out the [there] never mind the cockney c**t. Take a real look at you [your] team stop living off the past.
“The team are s**t. [If] Anyone made a mistake, it’s the cockney c**t. Never should have left Fulham.”
By the time daylight rose on November 14, Carol Konchesky was the football news story of the day, with an earlier post quickly found of her saying the family wouldn’t move to Liverpool because ‘we don’t like the way they talk’.
To some surprise, Konchesky played the next match, a week later against former side West Ham, and he even notched his one and only assist in the 3-0 win.
Hodgson’s transfer window was as bleak as it getsThe renaissance at left back was brief, though, as Konchesky was at fault for an Aaron Lennon winner away at Tottenham next time out, sensing his time was over.
In his penultimate match, against Wolves, he was even taken off, and booed, perhaps a late response to his mum’s antics.
Hodgson was then sacked and replaced by Kenny Dalglish, with Fabio Aurelio and Martin Kelly instead sharing left back duties on the way to a League Cup triumph.
Spending half a season on loan at Nottingham Forest, Konchesky would then have the next four at Leicester, playing his best football and helping the team get promoted before departing a club that would become unexpected Premier League winners.
Thankfully, Konchesky, who is now a coach, can look back on his time at Anfield and laugh, even when it comes to his mum’s social media activity.
“She was obviously naive thinking that it would stay between her and her friends,” he said, in 2017.
“She probably regrets every single bit of it now, but that’s motherhood for you!
Konchesky still got to train alongside elite players like Fernando Torres and Steven GerrardAFP“I didn’t know about it until probably a day or two after it. I went into training and obviously the press people get hold of you and say blah, blah, blah.
“She regrets every minute of it, but that’s life. You get on and you learn from your mistakes. I’ve gone on and played many more games since.”
He added: “I can say that (the move was a mistake) now, yes, of course. But at the time I think anyone would have turned their head to go to join Liverpool, who are one of the best teams in the world.
“Their story shows that and it wasn’t to be and all I can say is thanks for the opportunity and I wish them the best and that’s it, really.”
It wasn’t until Robertson’s signing in 2017 that Liverpool truly replaced Riise, and now Kerkez will be tasked with making sure the club doesn’t experience the same hangover at left back.
But before he commences that task, it’s probably best that he sets his mum’s social media accounts to private first.
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