Liverpool star who lost possession 16 times on international duty has blown Man United chance
The international break came at the perfect time for Liverpool after losing top spot in the Premier League to Arsenal.
Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea saw them lose three times in a row for the first time under Arne Slot, with many of their players receiving criticism.
Mohamed Salah is out of form after failing to score in his last three Premier League matches, while Florian Wirtz has struggled since moving to Liverpool.
Arne Slot will hope that the international break gives his players a chance to regroup ahead of a tricky fixture schedule, but one experienced star may have blown his opportunity to start against Man United.
Andy Robertson was poor during Scotlands win vs Belarus
Andy Robertson is widely regarded as one of the Premier League’s best modern left-backs, but the Scotsman has slowly seen his form decline.
As a result, Robertson has lost his place in the Liverpool starting lineup to Milos Kerkez, who was signed for big money from Bournemouth this summer.
Although Kerkez hasn’t covered himself in glory, with Slot’s full-backs being exposed by a flaw in his system, the Hungarian has started all but one top-flight fixture this term.
With Liverpool hosting Manchester United straight after the break, the 22-year-old will hope to keep his spot at left-back, especially after watching Robertson on international duty.
Scotland hosted Belarus in a World Cup qualifier with captain Robertson starting at left-back, and the 31-year-old was poor despite the Tartan Army picking up a 2-1 win.
| Andy Robertson stats against Belarus |
| 80 touches |
| 1 assist |
| Possession lost 16x |
| 0 ground duels won |
| 1 aerial duel won |
| Dribbled past once |
| 0 tackles won |
Although the former Hull City defender provided the assist for Scott McTominay’s goal, his all round game let him down against a lower standard of opposition, evidenced by him losing possession 16 times and winning zero tackles.
Robertson’s decline is alarming
From being one of the first names on the team sheet under Jurgen Klopp to struggling against minnows on the international stage, Robertson’s decline is worrying.
The flying full-back once recorded double figures for assists in three consecutive seasons between 2018/19 to 2021/22, and now, his attacking output has suffered.
In 33 Premier League matches last term, Robertson only recorded one assist. Alarmingly, it isn’t just going forward where he’s struggled, as seen against Belarus, he tends to switch off in the defensive phase, and that is why he’s lost his place in Slot’s side.
Robertson is classed as a Liverpool legend, but after coming close to joining Atletico Madrid in the summer, surely this is his final campaign at Anfield.