Beginning Of The End For Robbo?
When you think about Andy Robertson, you think of one of the greatest Liverpool players of the modern era. He is the embodiment of the Liverpool fighting spirit. Robbo possesses a combination of energy, desire, work-rate, and winning mentality nearly unmatched at the club. In short, Andy Robertson is a manager’s dream of a player who has been integral to the success of those great Liverpool teams under Jurgen Klopp.
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Looking back at the team that won the Champions League in 2018/19 and the Premier League the following season, Robertson was integral to that style of play. Robbo provided a superb option from the left flank, supplementing Sadio Mane, as the Reds endured their most successful spell in recent memory.
However, much like most players in that squad, we’ve reached the point with Robertson where he’s looked increasingly like the shadow of the player he once was. There have been numerous shaky moments plaguing the Scotsman to start the season. It is far from ideal, as the Reds look to be inserting themselves as genuine title contenders as the weeks go by.
What Are Arne Slot’s Options?
This season has been largely positive thus far. However, Robertson’s inconsistencies remain one of the few blemishes that make Arne Slot’s brow furrow. Obviously, Slot’s style of play differs from Klopp’s. There is less reliance on full-back creativity than there was. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that the left-back remains a critical cog in the Slot machine (heh). Any drop-off in quality can prove detrimental to a result, such as Liverpool’s 2-2 draw against Arsenal earlier in the season. On that day, Bukayo Saka had Robertson on strings from minute one. Of course, Liverpool have a big squad. Robertson’s deputy, Kostas Tsimikas remains a viable option if the Scot is out of form.
However, while our Greek Scouser has had his moments, there’s a reason why he’s been the de facto backup since his arrival in 2020. That being said, he hasn’t really been given an extended run of games since becoming a Red. Maybe this could be the opportunity he needs to cement himself in the first team. Alongside Tsimikas, Liverpool’s own Swiss army knife, Joe Gomez is always an option whenever there is a need for defensive cover.
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Last season highlighted Gomez’s importance to the squad, especially when we had multiple players out due to injury. This level of versatility isn’t a detriment, however. The 27-year-old is perfectly capable of being a first-team player, exemplified by his role as Virgil van Dijk’s partner in the title-winning season of 2019/20. Gomez would present a viable, albeit, conservative option at left-back, with the Englishman preferring a right-back, or center-back role. In my opinion, it would be a waste of Joe Gomez to play him in an unfamiliar role. Simply asking him to do a solid, yet unspectacular job, feels hollow. It’s just nice to have it as a decent alternative.
The Verdict On Robbo
We all owe it to Robbo, of course, to give him the benefit of the doubt, especially considering the excellent years he has given us. That benefit is admittedly decreasing with each sub-par performance though, and there has to be a noticeable uptick in Robertson’s form if Liverpool are to remain in the driving seat for this season’s title race. There’s still a long way to go for this campaign, and we owe it to Andy as the best supporters in the world to back him in this tough period. Hopefully to jump-start his form and bring back the relentless Andy Robertson of old.
