Liverpool's Full-Back Conundrum: Murphy Questions Araujo and Frimpong
Liverpool’s search for balance at the back is drifting towards a familiar flashpoint: the full-backs. As talk grows that the club could move for a permanent deal for Ronald Araujo next summer and potentially slide him into the central role currently owned by Virgil van Dijk, the knock-on effect is obvious. That kind of move would let Andoni Iraola go back into the market for yet another full-back.
Danny Murphy is not convinced that should be the plan.
Speaking to GOAL in association with Snabbare, the former Liverpool midfielder stressed that the club’s view of Araujo is far more short-term and pragmatic than any grand succession plot.
“I think the club will be assessing Araujo game-in, game-out, week-to-week,” Murphy said. “I don't think they'll be necessarily thinking he's the one to come in and take Van Dijk's place because of his age. I think they'll always be open-minded to what else is out there.”
The real issue, in his eyes, sits wider.
Full-backs no longer driving Liverpool
Murphy believes Liverpool have drifted away from one of the key pillars of their modern success: two full-backs who terrify teams with the ball.
“There’s a problem at Liverpool with the full-backs,” he said. “What Liverpool's success has thrived on over a long period is having two full-backs who are wonderfully good going forward and the team suited their style and they had midfielders who filled in for them when they bombed on and all those things we know.”
That dynamic is gone. The current options, he argues, simply do not hurt opponents enough when Liverpool dominate possession.
“The full-backs at the moment aren't good enough with the ball and that's a real problem when, in a lot of games, Liverpool will dominate the ball,” he continued.
Murphy pointed to how the game has evolved. The middle of the pitch is crowded. Teams shut down central spaces. So the ball naturally funnels wide, putting huge responsibility on the full-backs to create.
“Football has gone from a men-to-men situation, which it was years ago, to a more tactical game where the centre of the pitch is very, very busy,” he said. “Generally, the space will come in wide areas and teams will defend the middle of the pitch. So, the full-backs are getting lots and lots of the ball, the numbers tell you that. And the end product of Frimpong and [Milos] Kerkez is certainly not up to the level Liverpool need.”
Frimpong out of position, Kerkez under scrutiny
Murphy did not stop at attacking output. He questioned whether Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez offer enough at either end of the pitch to justify their places.
“And there is an argument also saying, are they good enough defensively to sacrifice that forward quality, if you like, and the answer is no. So, it is a problem. Both of them have failed, in terms of so far, let's say, in their Liverpool career.”
Frimpong, in particular, gets a degree of sympathy from Murphy. The Dutchman’s best football came higher up the pitch, not as a traditional right-back.
“Now, the argument for Frimpong, he never really did play as a right-back, so what was the thinking behind that? That's a fair argument and I feel for him a little bit at times. I'm not just digging him out. He's played the best season of his career in a different position than he's been asked to play when he's come to one of the hardest leagues in the world.”
The question is obvious: why sign him to play in a role that does not suit his strengths?
Araujo solid, but not the answer out wide
Araujo, by contrast, has adapted with far less fuss. His defensive instincts allow him to slot in at full-back without drama, and he has already produced a standout attacking moment, a deft flick against Atletico that set up Dominik Szoboszlai for an assist.
Murphy, though, draws a clear line. Araujo is not the kind of rampaging full-back Liverpool once built their system around.
“I don't think, although Araujo does it really comfortably because he's got a defensive mind and I know he had the wonderful flick against Atletico for [Dominik] Szoboszlai for his assist, but generally you wouldn't class him as a marauding full-back who's going to whip crosses in and create goals.”
That matters. If Liverpool want their wide defenders to be primary creators again, Araujo is not the long-term solution in those zones.
“So, I think it's a definite area for Liverpool to look at, even in January,” Murphy concluded.
The message is blunt. If Liverpool want to chase titles with the ball at their feet and the initiative in their hands, the next big decision may not be about who follows Van Dijk — but who can finally restore fear down both flanks.
