Liverpool ‘need to sign full-back in January’ because Robertson is ‘hanging on’ – Carragher

by


Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool can put themselves in a “really strong” position to win the Premier League by replacing Andy Robertson this month.

In his eighth season at the club, Robertson was part of a questionable defensive display in the 2-2 draw at home to struggling Manchester United on Sunday, when the visitors scored their first goals at Anfield since 2018.

“Liverpool need to sign a full-back in January – I think at left-back,” former Reds defender Carragher told Sky Sports. “If Liverpool get a left-back in January, that will put them in a really strong position.

“Robertson is an absolute legend and I love him to bits. He’s just hanging on in every game and I don’t think [understudy] Konstantinos Tsimikas is quite the standard to come in and replace him.”

Liverpool to replace Robertson?

Robertson, who won every English trophy at least once and the Champions League under former manager Jurgen Klopp, has started in 17 of Liverpool’s 19 league games this season under new boss Arne Slot and three of their European matches.

As part of one of the most forgettable performances of his career, the 30-year-old was sent off after 17 minutes of the 2-2 draw at home to Fulham on December 14.

Most of the scrutiny after the draw with United fell on right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, with the visitors concentrating most of their attacks on his flank and scoring their goals on that side.

Alexander-Arnold ‘really poor’

“Trent was really poor today but Conor Bradley came on and he’s fantastic,” said Carragher, adding that there was “definitely going to be focus” on the England international following reports heavily linking him with a move to Real Madrid.

“I don’t think the game could have gone much worse for him. I was expecting him to put in a performance where he dominates the game and is almost a playmaker from right-back.

“I thought Manchester United’s system would play in to his hands and give him a lot of space to get his head up and put crosses in and combine with Mo Salah.

“He was poor defensively, but we’ve seen that before. There was nothing going forward, on the ball.”

Real Madrid talk ‘affected’ Alexander-Arnold

The 26-year-old was replaced by Bradley in the 84th minute, four minutes after United made it 2-2 – when Robertson was the closest player to scorer Amad Diallo – and a minute after Alexander-Arnold was booked.

“Only he knows if the talk affected him, but the fact that he was so poor in the first game after Real Madrid put a bid in for him tells me that it did,” said Carragher. “Trent should have come off a lot earlier.”




Leave a Comment