For what feels an eternity, Andy Robertson has been Liverpool’s undisputed first-choice left-back.
The indefatigable Scotsman was an integral cog in Jurgen Klopp’s counter-pressing machine, offering the energy, ferocity and ingenuity needed to thrive in one of modern football’s most demanding systems.
But the Klopp era is over. Arne Slot has made a record-breaking start since inheriting the Anfield hot seat, notably improving a host of players throughout the Liverpool squad. Unfortunately, Robertson isn’t among them.
The 30-year-old was already slowing down come the end of Klopp’s time on Merseyside but he’s struggled to adapt to Slot’s brief. Robertson’s underwhelming displays have opened the door for Kostas Tsimikas, the deputy who is seeking a full-time position on the left-hand side of the Liverpool defence.
But which left-back should be starting for Slot’s Liverpool?
Robertson has remained Slot’s first-choice at the beginning of his tenure. The former Hull City defender has played 670 minutes in the Premier League, with Tsimikas having played a comparatively meagre 229 minutes. However, it’s the Greek international who has impressed defensively.
Tsimikas has always been a relatively error-prone defender. There were several occasions last season in which the 28-year-old sloppily gifted possession to the opposition in his own half – fixtures against Toulouse and Leicester City spring to mind – with the Reds often punished for his lapses in concentration.
But this season has been a different story. In the Premier League, it’s been Tsimikas who has caught the eye with his defensive contributions. He’s currently averaging 4.62 tackles, 2.31 clearances, 1.15 interceptions and a 75% tackle success rate per 90 minutes, all while making zero errors leading to an opposition shot in his six outings.
Robertson’s underlying numbers are significantly worse. He’s averaging just 1.22 tackles, 0.95 clearances, 0.41 interceptions and a tackle success rate of just 53.8% in the Premier League. He’s also winning just 25% of his aerial duels on average, with Tsimikas victorious in 50% of his battles in the air.
Years of high-intensity sprints and endless bombing up and down the left flank may well have taken their toll on Robertson, who has struggled to cut the same commanding defensive figure as in previous seasons when nipping into challenges and battling with opposition wingers.
Slot may not deploy his full-backs in the same positions as Klopp once did at Anfield, but he certainly expects them to be confident in possession. The shift to a more measured and controlled approach under the Dutchman has been noticeable.
Robertson has been concerningly lax in possession this season. In the Premier League, the Scot is completing fewer passes than Tsimikas (57.2 vs 69.2) per 90, while the accuracy of his distribution has also been less consistent than his fellow left-back (82.8% completion vs 86.1%).
Tsimikas has been more accurate in his short, medium and long-range passing per 90, perhaps one of the reasons that the Greek defender has started the last two matches at home to Brighton & Hove Albion and in the 4-0 thumping of Bayer Leverkusen where Liverpool were likely to be pressed intensely in their own half.
Robertson’s attacking influence has been waning over the past year. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s development as an inverted full-back limited Robertson’s ability to take risks in the final third at the end of Klopp’s reign, instead requiring him to sit deeper and narrower.
In 2021/22, he provided three goals and 15 assists, backed up by ten assists the following campaign. Last term, he managed three strikes but just two assists in all competitions, albeit injuries did impact his availability.
This season has been a similar story. Robertson is yet to register a goal contribution, averaging just 1.89 progressive carries and 4.73 progressive passes per 90 in the Premier League. He’s created a total of ten chances but has an expected assists tally of just 1.06, although it’s worth noting that Alexander-Arnold’s numbers also represent the reduced attacking significance of Liverpool’s full-backs under Slot.
By contrast, Tsimikas is averaging 10.8 progressive passes and 1.92 progressive carries per 90 in the league. while also averaging more shots and shots on target – albeit those efforts are coming from further out than Robertson’s. He’s also got a single assist to his name, setting up Virgil van Dijk against Milan in the Champions League from a near-post corner.
Right now, it’s Tsimikas who most resembles the tireless attacking full-back that Robertson has long been for the Reds.
Slot is fortunate to have two left-backs capable of performing at an extremely high level, even if it’s an area of the pitch that Liverpool may wish to reinforce over the next few transfer windows. With games coming thick and fast, the Dutchman has the opportunity to rest and rotate, which is not a luxury to be sniffed at.
However, on current form, it’s difficult to look past Tsimikas for a starting spot in the most high-profile games. Robertson’s recent display at Arsenal against the fleet-footed Bukayo Saka highlighted the issues that are starting to emerge in his game as he was given a rough ride by the England winger. Tsimikas seems to possess an energy lacking in Robertson’s game right now.
However, that’s not to write Liverpool’s left-back off. He needs time to adapt to Slot’s demands after years of comfort under Klopp, with the role of the Reds’ full-backs less prominent and eye-catching under the former Feyenoord boss.
