Just now, Liverpool signed 21-year-old Hungarian international Kolkedz from Bournemouth for £40 million. So, will this left-back who has outstanding performance at Bournemouth become the perfect successor to Scotland captain Andrew Robertson at Live...
Just now, Liverpool signed 21-year-old Hungarian international Kolkedz from Bournemouth for £40 million. So, will this left-back who has outstanding performance at Bournemouth become the perfect successor to Scotland captain Andrew Robertson at Liverpool? Sky Sports author Nick Wright wrote an article for analysis.
After signing Leverkusen right-back Flynnon, Liverpool finalized Bournemouth left-back Kolkedz with the fastest speed. It seems that with Arnold leaving and Andrew Robertson may leave this summer (the Scottish captain has only one year left in the contract with Liverpool, and there are reports that he may transfer to Atletico Madrid this summer), Liverpool has found the best solution for two full-back positions to be updated.
From the 20/21 season to the 24/25 season, Robertson's average 90-minute sprints did indeed decline significantly
31-year-old Andrew Robertson did indeed decline in his form in the field for the next year after joining Liverpool for 8 years. Last season, his steals on the left became less frequent - which was also related to his more conservative role adjustments - and from the statistics, his average 90-minute sprints and burst speed also dropped significantly.
Robertson's highest running speed in the Premier League also has a significant decline
It is true that Robertson is not as unique as Arnold for Liverpool. After all, the native former Liverpool right-back Arnold, in terms of passing vision and passing ability, is more like an elite midfielder than a full-back. But even so, it is still a difficult task to take over Robertson and contribute the same outstanding qualities to the team.
In addition to his surprising endurance and defensive wisdom, Robertson's creativity is actually not inferior to Arnold's. Since joining Liverpool, the Scottish captain has created only five fewer opportunities than Arnold in the same period.
And the number of assists sent during the same period was only 8 less than Arnold's 64 times. The comparison range is expanded to the entire Premier League arena, and Robertson can also be ranked in the top 5 in the same period assist list led by De Bruyne and Salah, and is one of the two defenders in the top 25 players.
Perhaps Robertson will give people a low-key feeling, but his data is definitely worthy of more recognition. It is precisely because of this, combined with Kolkerz's statistics, we can better understand why the Liverpool uniforms chose this Bournemouth left-back as Robertson's successor. Since Robertson joined Liverpool, Kolkz, who transferred from Alkmaar to Bournemouth in 2023, is still only 21 years old, 10 years younger than Robertson, which means his best years are still ahead. Bournemouth coach Ilaura also talked about the progress of the Hungarian international in an interview with reporters last month. He said: "I think Kolkz's performance has made obvious progress compared to last season. He is energetic and has a strong desire to win. Moreover, he has a strong mental power and can concentrate on the game within 95 minutes or even 100 minutes."
Moreover, Kolkz's reliability is also reflected in: there were only six outfield players in the Premier League last season, and Kolkz is one of them. He played more minutes at Bournemouth than any other teammate and played a major role in the team's best results in Premier League history.
Ilaura also emphasized Kolkz's progress in offense.
He said: "He is quite capable on the offensive end, and his performance in the offensive third zone has also improved. If you compare his data from last season with this season, it can be seen very clearly. It is great that he can make such a breakthrough at such an age."
Korkez compared the offensive data from the 23/24 season and 24/25 season
Last season, Kolkz contributed five assists in the Premier League and scored two goals. Compared to his first season in the Premier League, he only had one assist. His touch, passes and passes also improved significantly - this is also because he took on more offensive tasks under Ilara. In the 24/25 season, Kolkz has become Bournemouth's main offensive outlet, and within the entire Premier League, only Nottingham Forest has a higher offensive ratio on the left than Bournemouth.
Last season, 44% of Bournemouth's offenses were launched on the left side of Kolkz, all of which gave Liverpool enough confidence, and they must have noticed the similarities in style between Kolkz and Robertson. Especially considering that the player was signed for Bournemouth by their athletic director Richard Hughes.
As a good player, Kolkz is very similar to Robertson at his peak in terms of physical fitness. According to statistics, Kolkz ranked among the top five in the Premier League in terms of sprint and running distance last season, giving people an extremely profound sense of stability. In the 24/25 season, the number of sprints and running distances of Premier League players is more important, the way Kolkz allocates his physical fitness.
Like Robertson, Kolkz is also good at breaking the wing and creating opportunities through retracement and crossing. He gave assists to his teammates against Everton and Manchester City last season - both assists left a deep impression on people.
According to GeniusIQ statistics, Kolkz's side runs more times than any other Premier League player, reaching 213 times.
Korkez's running statistics in the 24/25 season
Interestingly, Kolkz also performed well in terms of counter-side side running (i.e. wingers are outside and full-backs are inside). In fact, in addition to ranking first in the Premier League in terms of running on the side, Kolkz also ranked first in the Premier League in terms of running on the side, nearly 50% more than any other player, with 137 times.
Korkez's diverse running formats make it difficult for him to be defended - similar to Robertson - to better penetrate the opponent's hinterland and use crosses to create threats. Just like Bournemouth did when he assisted Tavineil in a 2-2 draw with Tottenham in March this year.
Korkez, like Robertson, was able to create scoring opportunities for teammates at similar positions
After completing an interception in the half at Bournemouth, Kolkz dribbled the ball forward from the left, which also highlighted his ability to dribble - one of his biggest advantages.
According to OPTA data, only 12 Premier League players dribbled the ball and moved forward further last season. It is also worth noting that his average dribbling distance in 90 minutes is 87.4 meters, which is significantly higher than Robertson's 76.1 meters.
This ability to quickly dribble the ball forward also made Kolkz the main offensive weapon of Bournemouth last season, and allowed the team to use offense and defense to create a huge threat. Considering Slot's emphasis on counterattacks, Kolkz's joining is definitely of great significance to Liverpool - Liverpool ranked first in the Premier League in terms of fast counterattacks and goals last season.
Statistics of Liverpool's rapid counterattack in the 24/25 season, of course, this is just one of the many ways Kolketz has helped the team succeed.
Although it is very difficult for most players to replace Robertson and all the contributions he has made to Liverpool over the years. But if you have to find a player who can do this job, there is probably no more suitable player than Kolkz.
(Armour)
