Match Topic Liverpool vs Brighton - Premier League, 2nd November @ 3pm

[ynwa.tv]

Match topic

[Kid Klopp]

Brutalise them.

[Stevie]

Hopefully Mitoma stubs his big toe or something and can’t play 

[PaulMcC186]

I reckon everyone that didn't play last night, or played less than 70 minutes will start. I'd still start Robertson over Tsimikas.

[Begbie]

Good that so many had a rest

I guess the choices are Robbo/Tsimi, Jones/Dom and Diaz/Gakpo

[PaulMcC186]

I'd start Gakpo, Szoboszlai and Robertson. I think Gakpo is in better form, Szoboszlai had more of a rest and Robertson is better than Tsimikas.

[honourablegeorge]

1 hour ago, PaulMcC186 said:

I'd start Gakpo, Szoboszlai and Robertson. I think Gakpo is in better form, Szoboszlai had more of a rest and Robertson is better than Tsimikas.

Can't argue with any of that.

[Case]

1 hour ago, PaulMcC186 said:

I'd start Gakpo, Szoboszlai and Robertson. I think Gakpo is in better form, Szoboszlai had more of a rest and Robertson is better than Tsimikas.

Tsimikas for me. More rested, and in better recent form than Robertson. Neither are the mid-long term answer though.

[honourablegeorge]

Quote

Andy Robertson has had tough moments but now is not time to write off Liverpool defender

By Andy Jones

Oct 29, 2024

It’s not a week Andy Robertson will look back on fondly.

In back-to-back Premier League games, he has faced Chelsea’s Noni Madueke and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and found things difficult.

The two moments that stick out were similar in how the Scotland captain was put under pressure. Both were long balls delivered over his head and both saw Robertson caught out.

Against Chelsea, Robertson was left in a heap on the ground, tripping as he tried to recover with Madueke ahead of him. He was grateful for Curtis Jones’ potential goal-saving block from Cole Palmer’s resulting shot. 

He found himself on the floor again at the Emirates. Sensing a long ball in behind was imminent, Robertson began to drop, but the rest of Liverpool’s back line didn’t. In doing so, he played Saka onside, who beat him to the ball, nutmegged him and scored — Van Dijk was not in a position to cover him. 

The defender will want to see neither again and as ever, those moments bring scrutiny and questions — usually more exaggerated than they need to be. 

No, Robertson is not “finished”, as those who like to leap to conclusions may say after seeing those incidents occur in back-to-back games. Players are allowed to have bad games and struggle for form. There have been periods during Robertson’s Anfield career when he hasn’t performed at the lofty standards he has set himself. What happened next? He bounced back. 

These weren’t just any old wingers he was facing either. Saka has started the season in sensational form, rivalling Mohamed Salah in the battle for the Premier League’s best right-winger. Madueke is a rising star full of technical quality and speed.

Yet it is fair to suggest that Robertson’s peak levels may have diminished from when he was at his best in a Liverpool shirt. The burst of recovery pace may not be as sharp, but it suddenly doesn’t mean transfer plans should be ripped up and a new left-back made the priority in January. 

Since he arrived in 2017, only Salah (27,757) has played more minutes in all competitions than Robertson (24,801) among Liverpool’s outfield players. A statistic like that can generate concern alongside admiration. 

It is a lot of football and that can take its toll. A Jurgen Klopp full-back needed as big an engine as anyone, particularly during his earlier years, to fly up and down the flanks. 

The regression from the likes of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson — who were also part of the Champions League and Premier League winning squad — from the peak levels is easy to point to. Robertson is now the wrong side of 30 and has played a lot of football at a high level and intensity for such a long time. 

It seems Slot is taking that into consideration. The Scotland captain is the only part of the back four who has been rotated frequently — although he has only missed one league game — since Ibrahima Konate replaced Jarell Quansah after the opening-day win at Ipswich. Konate, Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold have started every Premier League and Champions League game since. 

Robertson is valuable on and off the pitch and a high-level defender that can be first choice in a title-challenging side. When Liverpool limped over the line last season as their title challenge went up in smoke, Robertson was one of the better performers as those around him struggled.

Robertson can look positively on the fact that he improved in both games. Madueke beat him once on the outside and then in the moment mentioned earlier, but after that, he limited him to very little. 

Robertson was part of the side that won the Champions League (Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Saka had more success throughout the first half — and will do against most full-backs — and Robertson needed help from those around him. But in the second half, Saka became a peripheral figure as Liverpool seized more of the initiative.

However, arguably for the first time in his Liverpool career, it feels like there may be a battle for the starting left-back role between him and Kostas Tsimikas. It is a hierarchy that has never shifted since the Greece international’s arrival in 2020, but his performances this season — except for the opening minutes against AC Milan — open the door to that conversation. 

“We have a very, very good relationship with him,” Tsimikas told reporters after the victory over RB Leipzig when asked about his relationship with Robertson. “We are almost every day together, we laugh together, but we play the same position. Both of us, we want to play. A very healthy competition, as it had to be from the start. 

“When he plays, he gives everything. When he plays, I want all the best for him. And when I play, he wants all the best for me. That’s healthy competition. We are very, very close and I think both of us want to play. And both of us, every time we have the chance, we just keep absolutely at it.”

That is not an easy thing to face for Robertson, who has been integral to Liverpool’s success since his arrival. Players declining is normal, but there is no need to look for a panic button for Robertson. This may have been the clearest indication that his powers may be waning in battles against the best, but we are far from that point in his career where his presence is a hindrance rather than helpful. 

With Robertson aged 30 and Tsimikas 28, left-back is a position that should be on the radar when looking to future-proof that area. There is young talent out on loan — such as Owen Beck (Blackburn Rovers) and Luke Chambers (Wigan Athletic) — but they aren’t ready to take that leap.

Robertson’s race is not run and writing a player off after a handful of poor performances is unfair even if there are small signs of him slowing down. It is easy to draw sweeping conclusions from a moment in a game.

No defender can be perfect and losing out on one duel in a game can result in a goal. Yet, if more opponents try to target Robertson and do so successfully, then it may lead to a different conversation.

 

 

[YugoB]

3 hours ago, PaulMcC186 said:

I'd start Gakpo, Szoboszlai and Robertson. I think Gakpo is in better form, Szoboszlai had more of a rest and Robertson is better than Tsimikas.

Robbo hasnt been playing better than Kostas as of late, thats for sure.  I dont think he starts, that would be 3 games in a week for him and hes already struggling

[honourablegeorge]

1 hour ago, Case said:

Tsimikas for me. More rested, and in better recent form than Robertson. Neither are the mid-long term answer though.

Lose Trent, Virg and Salah, and then replace Robbo? My heart can't take this

[PhilM]

Don't forget Alisson!

[Gethin]

6 minutes ago, PhilM said:

Don't forget Alisson!

Well aren't you two little bundles of f***ing sunshine

[BigBird]

4 hours ago, PaulMcC186 said:

I'd start Gakpo, Szoboszlai and Robertson. I think Gakpo is in better form, Szoboszlai had more of a rest and Robertson is better than Tsimikas.

 

2 hours ago, honourablegeorge said:

Can't argue with any of that.

I can.

Diaz and 10 others. Anything less is an affront to creativity and style.

 

[Ripley]

Ref: Tony Harrington VAR: Chris Kavanagh

[Cobs]

i imagine with Leverkusen on Tuesday, Robbo has been earmarked to start that hence why he played last night and then Tsimi gets the nod on Saturday. 

 

Robbo's form is a slight concern generally - i don't think he's done but he's deffo having a dip.

[Ripley]

Just realised that Harrington reffed last's match. Seems highly unusual for him to get Saturday's repeat.

[PaulMcC186]

A Brighton fan's view

 

How do you rate the matchday experience at Anfield?

 

It’s okay.

 

There’s always a warm welcome in the pub before a game and the core Liverpool fanbase are both extremely knowledgeable about the game and have an excellent set of values, in terms of the importance of club and city regarding history, heritage and identity.

 

What I find depressing is the decision of FSG to chase the tourist pound.

 

It makes sense financially, and with Project Big Picture and Super League it is easy to see where their loyalties lie, with profit more important than football.

 

There are too many selfie sticks and half-and-half scarves to create the truly intimidating atmosphere that Anfield used to create back when I first started going there as an away fan.

 

The expansion of the stadium with a focus on non-season ticket holders is a logical way to maximise revenues, but in doing so, something has been lost.

 

As a tourist experience, it is very effective at separating fans from their wallets, but the uniqueness of Anfield as a testimony to the greatness of the city has been diluted due to FSG’s priorities.

 

 

[honourablegeorge]

19 hours ago, Cobs said:

i imagine with Leverkusen on Tuesday, Robbo has been earmarked to start that hence why he played last night and then Tsimi gets the nod on Saturday. 

 

Robbo's form is a slight concern generally - i don't think he's done but he's deffo having a dip.

Linked with the Bournemouth left back Kerkez in BBC gossip today, which seems credible for a few reasons

[PaulMcC186]

5 minutes ago, honourablegeorge said:

Linked with the Bournemouth left back Kerkez in BBC gossip today, which seems credible for a few reasons

I think he's been good when he played against us.

[BigBird]

2 hours ago, honourablegeorge said:

Linked with the Bournemouth left back Kerkez in BBC gossip today, which seems credible for a few reasons

Linked on Team Talk with the above and the Wolves left back Ait-Nouri. 

[ChrisC]

1 hour ago, BigBird said:

Linked on Team Talk with the above and the Wolves left back Ait-Nouri. 

He’s done well for them, think he could be a good fit.

[YugoB]

Expecting a difficult match, they've had a relatively good start to the season. They've been awkward for us to play against for a while now. 

[Cobs]

6 minutes ago, YugoB said:

Expecting a difficult match, they've had a relatively good start to the season. They've been awkward for us to play against for a while now. 

yep, only lost to Chelsea this season - but they do look loose at the back and can be got at.

what we don't want is another slow start

[PaulMcC186]

On the preview I read a fan of theirs said they're very open to crossfield balls on the counter and should've conceded 7 or 8 against Chelsea.