Andy Robertson was defiant in his insistence he is not finished at Liverpool - but he might have stronger competition than ever next season
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Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes
Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
As far as responses go, Andy Robertson's insistence that he is far from finished at Liverpool represented a defiant one from the Scotland captain. The Reds defender, speaking on Scotland duty, had a message of his own for those who believe his performances have started to wane under Arne Slot.
“Sure, this season there have been a couple of moments when I haven’t covered myself in glory, but some things have been taken way out of proportion," he said. “I think the performance levels have been there for me.
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"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. That’s the world we live in, that’s the Premier League. Everyone has eyes on you, everyone has an opinion. It is what it is, but I’m always confident in my ability. I’ve shown that right throughout my career, but especially during my time at Liverpool.”
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Robertson has a point, of course. The left-back has played 27 of Liverpool's 29 games in the Premier League so far, with just three of them coming as a substitute and for a team who lead the way with a 12-point cushion - and the second-best defensive record of 27 conceded - he is wholly within his rights to argue that the critiques have been over the mark.
That being said, this has been the campaign where the errors have become more glaring than previous. The misjudged tackle at Southampton was harshly judged to have been inside the penalty area back in late November but there could be few complaints about the red card he received for a professional foul as the last man against Fulham in December.
In the Champions League, there was also the foul to concede a penalty that was missed by Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and at the cutting edge of the sport, losing even half a yard can be fatal.
Robertson has over 600 career games behind him, which is a lot of mileage on the clock for someone whose game is based on explosive bursts up and down the left side.
He has juggled left-back duty with Kostas Tsimikas for the entire season but having shared game-time more than he would have liked in the early going of Slot's reign, there is no doubt that he is the undisputed first choice at Anfield once more, much like he has been for virtually the entirety of his near eight-year stay.
For many, Robertson is the best left-back they have seen at Anfield and not since the days of fellow Scot Steve Nicol have the Reds had such a cornerstone of the team in that position. A total of 336 appearances to date mean Robertson, who has won every top-level trophy available on Merseyside, will go down as a legendary figure, whenever it is time to walk away. For the former Hull City man himself, however, that time is not here yet.
“Your time comes and I don’t think it’s my time yet," he says. "But even if we do bring someone in, then so be it. I’ll always back myself."
It is perhaps Robertson's Anfield longevity and his grounded, down-to-earth nature that makes it seem as though he is older than he is. The defender only turned 31 last week after all, but there is perhaps one thing he is wrong about when he fires back at his critics.
His claim that Liverpool have "been linked with pretty much every left-back in the world" had some merit when he spoke on Wednesday, but the exaggeration was maybe deliberate as a way of shrugging off the developments that are based more in reality.
Instead, Liverpool have been repeatedly linked in connection with one left-back in particular in Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez. The Reds have reportedly stepped up contact with the defender's representatives ahead of a possible summer switch.
Reds sporting director Richard Hughes was influential in bringing Kerkez to the Premier League to begin with, having been the executive who negotiated with AZ Alkmaar to strike a deal in the region of £15m in the summer of 2023.
As a result, Hughes will know the specifics of Kerkez's contract on the south coast, leaving the Reds ideally placed in negotiations as Slot gears up for a potentially busy summer window at Anfield.
Hughes also has experience of working with Kerkez's agent, Fali Ramadani, due to the move that brought Federico Chiesa from Juventus to Anfield last summer, which is another factor that would work in Liverpool's favour.
At the age of 21 and at a reported fee of around £40m - a figure very much in line with what the Reds tend to pay as a minimum for first-team additions - there are several boxes that are ticked when a potential deal for Kerkez is weighed up.
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The Hungary international, who is a good friend of Dominik Szoboszlai, has been an important part of a Cherries side who have punched considerably above their weight this term, with outside aspirations of Champions League qualification.
No other player has played every game for Andoni Iraola this season and his six assists and two goals have helped the team to within four points of fifth in the table.
Robertson, clearly, has no intention of giving up his spot in the Liverpool team just yet but as the speculation starts to crystallise ahead of the summer window, he might be set to face his toughest challenge yet next season.