Liverpool will travel to Amex Stadium to face Brighton in the Carabao Cup clash on Wednesday.
The Reds boss, Arne Slot, is definitely going to make some changes to the side that drew 2-2 against Arsenal in a high-intensity game.
Liverpool won the competition last season under Jurgen Klopp, and Slot will be aiming to repeat that, although Brighton could offer them a stern test.
Slot praised Bukayo Saka after the game for his sheer individual brilliance in the opening goal, but he will be a bit disappointed with Andy Robertson’s defensive effort.
Roberson is a senior player on the squad, and he has been a key player for the Reds over the years.
However, his recent performances could force Slot to play Kostas Tsimikas more regularly. Tsimikas has mainly played as a second-choice left-back behind Robertson, but it appears that he is responding better to Slot’s demands.
Against Arsenal, Robertson lost possession nine times and was dribbled past by Saka twice. A closer analysis of the opening goal will tell us that Robertson knew what Saka was going to do. The England winger would obviously cut into his favourite left foot and have a shot on goal.
It was a predictable move, and it was down to the pair’s individual skills. While Robertson did anticipate his move, he simply couldn’t get near Saka as he rifled the shot past the Reds goalkeeper.
It has been really frustrating to see how Robertson lost possession during the game. Against Chelsea, he lost possession eight times, and this is becoming a recurrent theme. In terms of going forward, the Scottish defender is also not contributing enough, as he made zero key passes against the Gunners.
Liverpool have maintained an enviable defensive record so far, and Slot must axe Robertson going forward. He must use Tsimikas regularly and play Robertson as a second choice.
In terms of ability, Robertson is miles ahead of the Greek defender (even though he is not in his prime anymore), but he appears to be struggling to cope with Slot’s system.
Robertson was simply outstanding in Klopp’s gegenpressing style, but Slot’s set-up requires patient build-up. Robertson is still trying to do things in a hurry, a trait we found in Klopp’s heavy-metal system, and in the process, he is conceding possession.
While Tsimikas is also equally guilty of losing possession, he is contributing more in terms of going forward, as we saw in the Champions League clash against RB Leipzig. Slot must fix this issue and use Robertson properly.
In other Liverpool news, Jamie Carragher has made bold transfer claims about one Reds player.