Liverpool suffered a title blow against Brentford last time out.placeholder image
Liverpool suffered a title blow against Brentford last time out. | Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Liverpool were outstanding against Real Madrid with Andy Robertson showing that there is plenty of life in the old dog yet.
Liverpool deserved more than just the one goal against Real Madrid with Thibaut Courtois the only barrier to a more comfortable scoreline.
Arne Slot silenced his critics with a strong line-up that looked balanced and well-organised from the first whistle and a far cry from some of the performances that have been seen in recent weeks. In short, it looked like a completely different team against a side that is littered with world class players in the middle of their second best start to a season ever.
Liverpool’s defence keeps Real Madrid quiet
On the other side of the pitch, Andy Robertson was immense and worth every mark of his 8/10 player rating. The Liverpool leadership has been questioned this season, but the vice-captain looked back to his best after a period of inconsistency where rustiness has played a part in individual mistakes. There is no doubt now though that Milos Kerkez has lost his place to Robertson.
Anfield sang Robertson’s name on several occasions and gave him a standing ovation in the 88th minute when he departed for Kerkez. With an 83% pass success rate, one chance created and three passes into the final third, the Scotland captain was a calming influence behind Florian Wirtz.
In defence, he won 4/6 duels, recovered the ball three times, made four tackles, one interception and two clearances. It was the sort of performance that made Robertson a fans’ favourite and the sort of performance that should see Richard Hughes end any thoughts of not offering a new contract to extend his stay at the club.
Will Liverpool offer Andy Robertson a new contract?
Speaking to Football Insider, former Man United chief scout Mick Brown believes that Liverpool won’t be so keen to lose the 31-year old now: “Robertson is still an important player for Liverpool, when they’re playing well, it’s easy to talk about the likes of Mohamed Salah or the other attacking players who usually grab the headlines. But since he came in to Liverpool, Robertson has been just as big a part of the success they have had over a number of years and even last season.
“I understand why they decided to sign Kerkez, because he was fantastic for Bournemouth. He’s seen as the long-term replacement for Robertson given time, but they seemed to rush it a bit, putting him straight in and taking Robertson out.
“Now, he’s struggled a bit, and Robertson has come back into the side and showed once again he can be a reliable option for them despite their recent struggles. He’s coped well with their dip in form, which is very much to his credit, and Liverpool will certainly have taken note about how important he is in that side. In terms of his contract, I’d be very surprised if they were willing to let him leave now.
“He has showed once again how important he is there, and even if he is slowly phased out and replaced by Kerkez, they’ll want to do that over a couple of seasons, not immediately.”
Kerkez might well be the future of Liverpool’s left-back position, but Robertson should be the present as long as performances are as good as his one against Madrid. A new contract is simply a must.
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