Liverpool: Interesting battle between Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas for left-back spot Football News

Andy Robertson faces actual competitors at left-back in Liverpool’s beginning XI for the primary time since becoming a member of the membership seven years in the past, with former substitute Kostas Tsimikas displaying he can take the lead.

The Scotland worldwide’s solely actual battle for the left-back spot at Anfield got here initially of his Reds profession, when he initially served as Alberto Moreno’s understudy in Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool facet .

Robertson was purchased from a relegated crew Hull City on sale for £10m In July 2017, regardless of Liverpool initially concentrating on Monaco’s Benjamin Mendy and Roma’s Emerson Palmieri as their first and second targets respectively, the membership’s former head of statistics Ian Dr Graham revealed he had misgivings concerning the participant.

“When Robertson arrived, I wasn’t actually positive about his defence,” Graham recalled. Mendy joined Manchester Metropolis and Emerson was injured, that means the Reds turned to searching for a 3rd participant on the listing.

After patiently ready for an opportunity within the first-team, Robertson’s massive break got here when Moreno was injured in December 2017 and the Scot seized the chance with each fingers – and he hasn’t seemed again since.

Throughout this time, the 30-year-old has gained nearly each trophy a participant can win throughout his profession on the membership, whereas additionally recording essentially the most assists from a defender in Premier League historical past, joint first with 59. Teammate and defender Trent Alexander-Arnold on the opposite facet of Anfield.

He additionally scored essential targets, such because the late equalizer in a surprising 2-1 win over Aston Villa in November 2019 as Liverpool headed in the direction of their first league title win in 30 years. The championship builds up unstoppable momentum because it marches on.

In the meantime, “Robo” was recognized to many as the person who handcuffed Lionel Messi to the again of his head throughout the Reds’ comeback victory over Barcelona within the Champions League semi-final at Anfield in Could 2019. The combative Glaswegian all the time has one thing to show.

Robertson even captained Liverpool to a 3-1 victory over Wolves in September final yr, scoring a late second purpose – one in all 11 he scored for the Reds – — which exhibits his rising affect off the sphere as a part of the Reds’ management group.

On the pitch, nonetheless, it is not an excessive amount of to say that he and Alexander-Arnold redefined the full-back position below Klopp, significantly throughout the early “heavy steel” interval of the German’s dominance, in keeping with Graham. “When Jurgen was evaluating the left-back choices in the summertime of 2017, he mentioned, ‘My full-back has to assault and we are able to fill his protection.’

The boys completed off the 2, maybe greatest exemplified by Liverpool’s second purpose of the sport. 3-1 win over Manchester City At Anfield in November 2019, Alexander-Arnold’s diagonal cross launched Robertson into house on the left wing and Mohamed Salah curled in from his inch-dot heart to header into the far put up.

Sturdiness, in the meantime, was one other key hallmark of the left-back’s time at Liverpool till final season, one thing Tsikakas loved when he dislocated his shoulder whereas taking part in for Spain of their Euro 2024 qualifiers. The door opened for his longest profession.

When Robertson lastly returned to motion in late January, he suffered a severe ankle damage whereas taking part in for Scotland in March, however continued to play via the damage as Liverpool chased a historic quadruple title and Scotland entered the European Championship.

In consequence, the defender badly missed the beginning of recent head coach Arne Slaughter’s first pre-season, together with the Dutchman’s first sport of the Reds’ US tour in cost, that means he struggled from each a bodily and tactical perspective. In pursuit.

A lot in order that Tsimikas has scored in Liverpool’s Champions League video games with AC Milan, RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen, within the Carabao Cup with West Ham United, and on this season’s Premier League video games towards Crystal Palace and Brighton acknowledged.

The Scot has additionally been closely concerned, beginning every of Slott’s first six league video games in cost and occurring to begin 15 video games in all competitions this season, albeit along with his share of struggles. sky sports activities Commentator Gary Neville noticed throughout Liverpool’s win over Chelsea in October that “Robertson was a bit off within the opening quarter-hour or so”, and he additionally began the match in Arsenal’s subsequent 2-2 draw on the Emirates Stadium. A mistake was made within the purpose.

Nevertheless, it was telling that the brand new supervisor returned to Robertson of their most up-to-date assembly with Aston Villa at Anfield earlier than the worldwide break, when he produced his greatest efficiency of the season to date.

The Dutchman himself is outwardly not too anxious about this predicament, explaining that his cuts and modifications had been solely because of gamers’ curtailed pre-season: “I believe if a participant misses pre-season, he is within the state of affairs he at present is You possibly can anticipate that.

Simply taking a look at Robertson makes me drained. He can dash 100 meters a minute, which is completely unbelievable. These are the qualities.

“In the case of us, it’s a must to go right into a plan that tactically misses the bottom. [a new management team]in addition to bodily. It isn’t shocking that he did not play all of the video games as a result of I believe he solely performed three or 4 days earlier than the second pleasant at our stadium [against Las Palmas on August 11]”.

Nevertheless, Slott’s calls for on full-backs are totally different to the attacking philosophy of his predecessor, that means we’re unlikely to lose 3-1 at Anfield to Manchester United supervisor Jose Mourinho Then I learn this assertion.

“I really feel drained simply watching Robertson. He sprints 100 meters a minute, completely unbelievable, these are qualities,” the Portuguese mentioned after his remaining sport accountable for United in December 2018.

Actually, Robertson is now extra prone to play as a supporting centre-back alongside Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate when Alexander-Arnold presses into midfield – as we noticed final season — as an alternative of bombing the left wing, as Slaughter had chosen.

Nevertheless, it is also essential to acknowledge that Tsimikas’ personal spectacular performances have made it tougher for Slott to disregard the Greek’s declare to the first-team squad.

The 28-year-old has by no means let down Liverpool prior to now 4 years, and he tenaciously took the successful penalty within the 2022 FA Cup remaining towards Chelsea earlier than making a dramatic victory for his crew. The successful purpose.

Together with his left-footed wand, Tsimikas is a continuing menace going ahead and has created big possibilities this season – he equalized for Virgil van Dijk at San Siro in September and was additionally in England’s latest win in Athens attracted folks’s consideration.

All of which means that Tsimikas, affectionately referred to as the ‘Greek Star’ on Merseyside, is now not simply Robertson’s understudy however a viable and dependable possibility in Liverpool’s defence.

Nevertheless, relating to realizing who Sloter’s true first selection is, the proof will lie within the head coach’s selection, as he himself admitted not too long ago when requested the identical query.

“My squad tells you ways I really feel about it,” he mentioned, and who the Reds boss chooses to begin within the Premier League towards Manchester Metropolis at Anfield on December 1 – stay sky sports activities – will probably be inspiring.

Liverpool now face testing matches in three totally different competitions subsequent month – they face European champions Actual Madrid 4 days earlier than Pep Guardiola’s facet go to Anfield – and, actually, each gamers might Get plenty of first-team alternatives within the crew’s video games.

However for now, let’s simply say stories of “Robbo’s” demise are enormously exaggerated.

Liverpool’s season shapes winter trip

• November twenty fourth: Southampton (away) – Premier League, sky sports activities stay
• November 27: Actual Madrid (H) – Champions League
• December 1: Manchester Metropolis (H) – Premier League, sky sports activities stay
• December 4th: Newcastle (away) – Premier League
• December 7: Everton (away) – Premier League
• December 10: Girona (a) – Champions League
• December 14th: Fulham (residence) – Premier League
• December 21: Tottenham Hotspur (a) – Premier League, sky sports activities stay