Andy Robertson could face the axe by Liverpool boss Arne Slot
Andy Robertson could face the axe by Liverpool boss Arne Slot

View: 28% Andy Robertson is a cause of concern for Arne Slot at Liverpool after what happened on Sunday

Connor Burgess

Connor is a professional sports writer from Liverpool, UK. He currently writes for Breaking Media Limited on liverpoolnews247.com, as well as other sites. Connor is soon to have a Masters degree in Sports Journalism from Liverpool John Moores and will soon be NCTJ qualified. He has previously worked for the Liverpool ECHO and Planet Sport. Connor comes from a split Liverpool and Everton family but fell in love with Liverpool after a trip to Anfield when he was a child. He recently attended Jurgen Klopp's last trophy win in the Carabao Cup final in 2024.

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Andy Robertson is becoming a cause of concern for Arne Slot at Liverpool after an underwhelming start to the 2024/25 season.

The Scotland captain resumed his left-back duties under the new boss at Anfield this season after a disappointing Euro 2024 campaign as Scotland finished bottom of group A with one point.

Since then, Robertson has endured rehabilitation for an injury suffered during the tournament and has failed to set the world alight with his performances in the opening three Premier League fixtures.

With those performances carrying over into the national side, Robertson could become the latest Liverpool player to suffer the wrath of the no-nonsense Dutchman at Anfield.

Andy Robertson is showing signs he is past his best at Liverpool

The signing of Robertson from Hull City for £10m in 2017 [BBC Sport] will arguably be remembered as one of the best bargains in Liverpool's history and a staple of Michael Edward's tenure as sporting director.

Robertson, alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold, revolutionised the full-back position under Jurgen Klopp and, he currently stands one assist ahead of his Reds teammate in the all-time Premier League assist charts for full-backs.

However, the intense nature in which he approaches the game is seemingly taking its toll as he enters his thirties. He spent a significant spell of last season on the sidelines through injury and has endured fitness problems in the early stages of the new campaign.

His performances have also been far below the usual standard that the Liverpool supporters expect from their left-back and, he has shown no sign of replicating his previous form on international duty with Scotland.

Against Portugal, Robertson struggled to exude his usual creativity from the left flank with zero completed crosses from three attempts, he completed only 28 per cent of his seven long balls attempted, was dispossessed 17 times, and ended the match with a 63 per cent pass completion rate from 30 passes attempted [Sofascore].

Liverpool defender Andy Robertson in Scotland v Portugal
Liverpool defender Andy Robertson fails to deal with Diogo Dalot for Scotland v Portugal (Credit: ITV Sport)

For Liverpool, his defensive output has not been much better. At the start of the Premier League season, Robertson is in the bottom 29 percentile for tackles won, 23 percentile for blocks, 20 percentile for clearances, and ninth percentile for interceptions [FBref].

Andy Robertson form a worrying sight for Liverpool

Under Klopp, his defensive vulnerability was counteracted with his attacking prowess but even his attacking output has suffered so far this season.

His three accurate long balls so far equate to the 52.3 percentile while his 21.4 per cent accuracy ranks in the bottom 9.1 percentile. He has recorded a low 22.2 accuracy in his crossing attempts and completed only 50 per cent of his dribbles [Fotmob].

Liverpool defender Andy Robertson for Scotland v Portugal
Andy Robertson failed to lead his Scotland side against Portugal. (Credit: ITV Sport)

Robertson has been a tremendous servant for the Reds throughout his seven-year tenure at Anfield but the warning signs are there that he is slowing down towards the twilight years of his career.

With Kostas Tsimikas and Joe Gomez waiting in the wings, his place in the starting lineup should be safe for now.

However, Slot has already proven this season that he will be ruthless if he feels a player is not pulling their weight and Robertson could be the latest victim if his form doesn't improve after the international break.

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