There is only one wish when players depart on international duty – that they return healthy. So one can imagine the blow that was seeing Andy Robertson cradle his injured shoulder after a collision with Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón.

By Joanna Durkan, ThisIsAnfield.com

Eight games into the new Premier League season and Robertson has started and played the full 90 minutes in every single one, dropping out of Liverpool’s team only for the League Cup and Europa League.

Much had been made of the Scot’s place in the side following the Reds’ system change at the back end of last season, but he has started the campaign with renewed vigour.

Robertson has been at the heart of the Reds’ creative hub from his place at left-back for years now, and while Trent Alexander-Arnold may attract the majority of the attention, the 29-year-old has the Premier League all-time assist record for a defender.

In the Premier League, no other Red has created more chances than Robertson’s 19 across the first eight games this season – only seven players have created more across the entire division.

With 2.4 chances created per 90, the Scotland captain sits ahead of both Mohamed Salah (2.2 per 90) and Dominik Szoboszlai (2.1 per 90) in the rankings – two players whom Liverpool supporters would hail as the best of the campaign so far.  

Reliable, a creator, a leader and an ever-present – the picture we’re painting shines a spotlight on the void Robertson will leave for the duration of his absence, which could be months if his shoulder injury requires surgery. 

Of the 334 games the Reds have played since the left-back arrived in the summer of 2017, Robertson has played 275 (82.3 percent). As Klopp’s sixth most-used player at Liverpool, the task of stepping into the Scot’s position is not a simple nor straightforward one.

Kostas Tsimikas is the long-term deputy, though, and will be expected to step up just weeks after signing a new long-term contract at the club – which in itself is evidence that Liverpool are convinced he can do the job.

Since arriving in 2020, he has been a squad player and the temporary nature of his place in the side is exemplified by having never started more than two consecutive Premier League games.

Just as there was for Robertson, questions will be asked of how Tsimikas will fare as the left-sided defender in the 3-4-3 setup, though he too has plenty to offer when it comes to the creative side of the game.

The Greek international is a threat on set pieces and from open play, which will be of some comfort to Liverpool when taking into account Robertson’s abovementioned influence. 

Tsimikas’ defensive positioning and lapses in concentration will be a huge concern though, with the feeling among supporters over the years being that he does not completely have the manager’s full trust.

His attacking capabilities may prove to be worth the risk for Klopp. 

But as there is no direct like-for-like Robertson replacement, that means the Liverpool manager may need to explore alternative options, and Joe Gomez is one of them. 

With the tweaks to the team’s setup, the left-sided defender all but operates as a centre-back and Gomez can fulfil those duties – though Klopp would be sacrificing attacking impetus.

The English defender has played at both centre-back and right-back this season and has previously played at left-back — albeit in his debut season in 2015/16 – making him a ‘safe’ option. 

Without the added minutes in his legs from international commitments and having made nine appearances compared to Tsimikas’ four this season, Gomez has rhythm and momentum. 

So, on one hand, Klopp has a safe defensive option and on the other a left-footed player capable of posing a threat in the final third – it leaves plenty to weigh up. 

Though Liverpool will hope the Robertson-sized hole in their starting XI is a short-term problem and not a long-term one, his absence will be a huge loss for the Reds irrespective of how long it turns out to be.

One of the loudest in the dressing room and with a relentless spirit on the pitch, Robertson deals in both the tangible and non-tangible parts of this game, and his form has been instrumental to the Reds sitting just three points off the top of the Premier League table.

Klopp’s decisions from this point forward could well dictate if that gap dwindles, grows or remains stable.   

(Images from IMAGO)

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As the second international break of the campaign hits, along with it comes an opportunity for players, managers and supporters to take stock of its start. For Liverpool, that means the first 11 games in a season in which they will hope to, again, play in every fixture possible.

By Jack Lusby, ThisIsAnfield.com

It is a particularly valuable time for Jürgen Klopp, as he presides over a new-look squad at the beginning of arguably the first major overhaul of a successful side in his managerial career. The German has labelled it ‘Liverpool 2.0’, with seven players out and four in, including changes to both captain and vice-captain.

There was an overriding sense, as they limped through the 2022/23 campaign, that the first iteration of Liverpool that was truly Klopp’s – the Premier League and Champions League winners – was on its last legs.

So there was real optimism heading into 2023/24 – and rightly so – but with the October break upon us, there remains a sour taste in the mouth for many due to back-to-back disappointments in the league.

For those with column inches to fill and traffic to drive throughout a period with no club football, defeat to Tottenham and a draw at Brighton which, in reality, felt like a loss, was a nightmare outcome. After heading into the clash with Tottenham bearing the early ‘title contenders’ tag, Liverpool now sit fourth in the league with Aston Villa and Brighton breathing down their neck.

But with 11 games played – eight in the league – it has, in fact, been a fantastic start for Klopp’s new Liverpool.

The obvious place to start is that the Reds’ sole defeat so far was the highly controversial 2-1 loss at Tottenham, which required a last-minute own goal from Joel Matip to ensure three points against a side with nine men. If it wasn’t for a series of mind-bogglingly poor decisions from referee Simon Hooper and VAR Darren England, things may have been much different.

But rather than dwell on the negatives – which includes four red cards for Liverpool players already, plus the news that Anfield won’t be at capacity until the start of 2024 at the earliest – there are a number of positives to pick out.

Chiefly, Liverpool, with 17, are only three points off the top of the table, with Tottenham and Arsenal both on 20. They are only a point behind long-time rivals and reigning champions Manchester City. Only Tottenham and Arsenal (both none) have suffered fewer defeats in the league and only Brighton (21), Newcastle (20) and Aston Villa (19) have scored more goals than Liverpool’s 18.

Five of the Reds’ eight league games have been away from home, including trips to Chelsea, Newcastle, Tottenham and Brighton; those fixtures are now out of the way and those sides won’t look forward to visiting Anfield. Liverpool have already faced four out of seven sides from last season’s top eight, while three of their five league victories so far this season have come against sides currently in the top eight.

By comparison, league leaders Tottenham have won six of their eight league games so far, but four of those have been against Luton, Burnley, Bournemouth and Sheffield United – the four sides at the very bottom of the table. Similarly, the only side that Arsenal have beaten in the league that is currently in the top eight is Manchester City.

Of course, those clubs can only beat who they are up against, but it is valuable context when it comes to weighing up Liverpool’s start to the campaign and how they have kept pace.

It is clear, with two defeats already, that Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are not the force they have been in the past; while Arsenal, Aston Villa and Brighton are juggling European football this season, having not done so last time out, and it remains to be seen whether they have the resources to do so. Tottenham are the outlier, a side flourishing under Ange Postecoglou and without the ‘distraction’ of Champions League, Europa League or Europa Conference League football.

Liverpool, meanwhile, appear well-stocked as they weather the rigours of a Thursday-Sunday schedule after qualifying for the Europa League, with Klopp managing his squad through the opening two games against LASK and Union SG with a raft of changes, bringing two wins from two so far. The likes of Ryan Gravenberch, Jarell Quansah and Harvey Elliott have stepped up in those European games, while to date, only Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai have played over 75 percent of the available minutes across all 11 fixtures.

Injuries to Cody Gakpo and Andy Robertson, and the ongoing absence of Thiago, plus suspension for Curtis Jones due to his red card, could test the depth of Klopp’s squad, but for now at least, the Reds look better prepared to contend this time out.

Crucial to that has been the revamp of Klopp’s midfield, from the primary weakness in 2022/23 to one of their key strengths this time out. Replacing Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and James Milner with Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Wataru Endo has not only brought the average age of the midfield group down significantly, but also given Liverpool a new edge both on and off the ball.

It is still a work in progress, and that is shown by dropped points against Chelsea, Tottenham and Brighton, but that Liverpool remain just three points from top and a point behind Manchester City, as well as leading their Europa League group and into the fourth round of the League Cup, shows it should only get even better.

That sour taste will fade, with Klopp’s ‘Liverpool 2.0’ still yet to truly hit its sweet spot.

(Images from IMAGO)

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