Who Should Replace Andy Robertson at Left-Back for Liverpool?
With Andy Robertson expected to be out for nearly three months due to a shoulder injury, Liverpool supporters have been debating who should take his place at left-back. Robertson has been a stalwart for the Reds over the last five years, and his absence leaves a big gap in the team.
Kostas Tsimikas
The obvious replacement is Kostas Tsimikas, who started in the Merseyside derby on Saturday. However, he hasn’t won everyone over yet. Speaking on Monday’s Live at 5 show, available on This Is Anfield’s YouTube and podcast platforms, Gareth Roberts said he thought Tsimikas was “bad” against Everton. Paul Cope was also not completely confident in Tsimikas, saying: “When his new contract got announced, I was shocked.” He went on to say that he would have sold Tsimikas in the summer, as he wasn’t getting a look-in to give Robertson a rest even when Liverpool were playing their old style of football. Cope also suggested that Tsimikas isn’t the ideal replacement for Robertson in the new system, as he is now almost a hybrid left-sided centre-half at times.
Joe Gomez
Gareth Roberts suggested that he would be “erring towards playing Joe Gomez” instead of Tsimikas. Gomez does have prior experience at left-back, having played the position when first signed by Brendan Rodgers. However, his presence there would perhaps take away some of the Reds’ attacking threat.
Youngsters
Youngsters Luke Chambers and Calum Scanlon have been training with the first team, and could also stake a claim to the position. Darwin Nunez replaced Joe Gomez after 62 minutes in the derby, and Luis Diaz filled in for him out of position.
Should Liverpool Have Signed an Andy Robertson Replacement?
Paul Cope reinforced his opinion that the Reds should have signed a defender in the summer transfer window. He suggested that if they were struggling for money, they should have sold Tsimikas and bought another Joe Gomez-type player. He believes that this would have made a big difference to their squad, and would have been a better solution than relying on Tsimikas as a fill-in.
Conclusion
Andy Robertson’s absence leaves a big hole in the Liverpool team, and it remains to be seen who will fill it. Kostas Tsimikas is the obvious replacement, but his performances haven’t excited everyone yet. Joe Gomez is another option, but his presence there would take away some of the Reds’ attacking threat. Youngsters Luke Chambers and Calum Scanlon could also stake a claim to the position. Paul Cope believes that Liverpool should have signed an Andy Robertson replacement in the summer transfer window, as this would have made a big difference to their squad.