"I am trying to prove people wrong again" - Liverpool star makes feeling known amid criticism over poor form
Liverpool defender Andy Robertson has vowed to prove his doubters wrong after receiving criticism from a section of the Anfield faithful. The Scotland captain is yet to establish himself as Arne Slot's first-choice left-back, and has been rotated for Kostas Tsimikas on multiple occasions.
Robertson missed most of Liverpool's pre-season over the summer due to an ankle injury. Due to this, the 30-year-old has been heavily rotated with Tsimikas and is aiming to get back to his usual form.
Robertson stated (via Mirror):
"Last couple of games I’ve been on the bench and I got doubters for the first time in a long time, first time at this club. But it suits me in this position. I am trying to prove people wrong again. I tried to do that against Villa."
“I want to play every game, of course, but that was not possible. I knew that the next time I got a chance I would take it and that’s what I tried to do.”
He added:
“Look, I am a lot older and a lot wiser now than when I came in. When I first came in I was only 23, first time playing for a big club. I have been here for seven years and won everything, played in a lot of big games."
“I am a lot more experienced and a lot better at switching off from everything like overreactions and things like that. Probably a bad 45 minutes of football against Arsenal, it was not great. I think pretty much everyone had written me off after that. That is football and that is what happens these days. People can write me off all they want. But I will always try to keep working, keep improving, I have tried to do that and hopefully I have shown that.”
Andy Robertson has made 15 appearances across competitions this season but is yet to register a goal contribution. He was also benched for Liverpool's recent games against Brighton & Hove Albion and Bayer Leverkusen with Tsimikas preferred at left-back. The latter has emerged as a vital squad player for the Reds, recording one assist in 11 appearances.
Despite Robertson's dip in form this season, the Scotsman has established himself as one of the best left-backs in Premier League history since debuting for the Reds in 2017. He has scored 11 goals and provided 65 assists in 312 appearances across competitions, helping Liverpool win eight trophies.
"They can outscore you" - Theo Walcott highlights Liverpool's advantage in Premier League title race
Former Arsenal attacker Theo Walcott has praised Liverpool for their goal-scoring threat, admitting their excellent goal difference could help them in their Premier League title challenge.
The Reds recently dispatched Aston Villa 2-0 in the league to extend their lead at the top of the table. They currently have 28 points from 11 games, having scored 21 goals and conceded just six with an impressive goal difference of 15 - the highest in the league.
With Manchester City and Arsenal having a goal difference of nine and six, respectively, the Reds already have a good advantage in the title race. Walcott highlighted this, saying (via Rousing the Kop):
“I would not write off anyone who is up there now, absolutely not. Liverpool at some point are going to stumble and they will have injury problems like every other team."
“What Liverpool have got going for them is they have seemingly endless amounts of goals in their team. If you look at their goal difference compared to the teams chasing them, it is massive. So it doesn’t really matter if they do start conceding goals, because they can outscore you.”
The Reds next face Southampton in the Premier League on Sunday, November 24.