Andy Robertson will undoubtedly go down as one of Liverpool‘s pound-for-pound best signings. The Scotland international cost just $13 million from Hull eight years ago, and has made well over 300 appearances, winning every trophy that is possible to win with the Reds.
For much of the last decade, he has been the Premier League‘s best left-back, but there have been more than a few signs this season that he no longer holds that title.
Earlier in the season, Arne Slot seemingly could not decide who he preferred out of Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas, and although the Scot ultimately won that battle, he may well be on his way to losing the war.
Last week, Robertson backed himself to carry on playing at the highest level for some time yet. “Sure, this season there have been a couple of moments when I haven’t covered myself in glory,” he said, “[but] some things have been taken way out of proportion.
“I think the performance levels have been there for me. I think I’ve had a relatively good season but one thing people will say about me is that I’ve been pretty consistent, so when you make a couple of mistakes, then people can talk.”
Robertson’s notable mishaps came in games against Southampton and Real Madrid last November, giving penalties away in both, before an early sending-off against Fulham a month later.
His performances for Liverpool have generally been better since the turn of the year but he remains some way off the form Reds fans became accustomed to seeing during his first few years on Merseyside.
Robertson endured a night to forget with Scotland on Wednesday night as the Tartan Army was thumped 3-0 at home to Greece, with the left-back partially culpable for two of the visiting team’s goals.
The Guardian asserted that Robertson had had “an awful night” while The Herald handed Robertson a four out of 10 in its player ratings from the game.
The 31-year-old will return to Liverpool this week knowing that Scotland will not compete in the top tier of the Nations League again until 2028 at the earliest, with Greece keeping its spot in League A.
Robertson’s left-back understudy at Liverpool, Kostas Tsimikas, was also at Hampden Park for the game but did not emerge from the substitutes’ bench, and the plights of both players underline Liverpool’s need to strengthen in that area of the pitch this summer.
It is clear that Tsimikas is not the answer for Slot, and Robertson’s best days may well be behind him — although he will fight hard to prove that they aren’t. In the long run, though, there’s no doubt that Liverpool needs a lasting solution at left-back.
