HOME > Football

The Red Army s deputy has never aged! He scored 2 goals in 2 Champions League games. Slott should let him return to the starting lineup.

5:54am, 24 October 2025【Football】

Victory over Frankfurt 5-1 in the Champions League ended Liverpool's embarrassing 4-game losing streak. Frankfurt's defense was frankly shocking, allowing Liverpool to take 18 shots, 14 of which were on target. Liverpool's xG (expected goals) is as high as 3.26. In this campaign, many Liverpool players performed well, including deputy Robertson who returned to the starting lineup.

For many years, Robertson has been Liverpool's turbocharger on the left, with lightning-fast crosses and breakthroughs and clean dribbling. But over the past year or so, Robertson has begun to suffer criticism from fans. The 31-year-old player no longer has the vitality and explosiveness of the past, and has become a full-back with a significantly reduced athletic ability. But in the team's crisis moment, he showed the responsibility that a veteran should have.

This was clearly demonstrated in the game against Frankfurt. Ekitic's opening goal was made possible by Robertson's insight into the space and a well-timed through ball. This is where his value lies. Sofascore statistics show that the Scotsman touched the ball a total of 114 times, attempted 5 crosses, completed 5 ball recovery attempts, successfully attempted a steal once, and made 3 interceptions.

Robertson proved with his stunning performance that he is still an indispensable part of the team. This season, Liverpool introduced Cole Coz, the best left back in the Premier League last season. In previous games, Slott has always reused the 21-year-old Kolkoz and rarely gave Robertson a chance to start. But in his only two starts in the Champions League, Robertson contributed 1 goal and 1 assist, outperforming Kolkoz.

Through this Champions League victory, Slott should understand: The future of Liverpool's left back may belong to Kolkoz, but now he still has to believe in Robertson. Although he has lost his pace, the veteran is still one of the most creative full-backs in the Premier League and his assist numbers are proof of that. The problem with Kolkoz is that he is not a natural ball handler. In other words, it would be a mistake to treat him as the main outlet.

Korcoz is more like a traditional full-back, with speed, strength and breakthrough ability. These qualities may come in handy in the future. But Liverpool are in the early stages of a transformation, and Robertson brings balance, consistency and stability to Liverpool's left wing. The vice-captain "must start against Brentford", says The Athletic's James Pearce, a sentiment echoed by many fans in recent times.