The enormous quality of Liverpool’s marauding left-back, Andrew Robertson, was once again on show as the Scot was excellent in the Reds’ 3-0 destruction of Bournemouth.
Brimming with his customary enthusiasm, the 24-year-old got up and down his flank with remarkable vigour and stamina, fulfilling his duties on both sides of the ball with the utmost competency.
Exerting himself fully on the defensive end, he tracked runners attentively, made excellent decisions when to respond to pressing triggers (such as when an opponent received possession in an open body orientation or with their back to goal plus when they made a sloppy first touch) or hold his position as well as when to crossover a marking assignment.
Showing shrewd judgement and conviction when chiming in with an intervention was another positive on his way to completing five successful defensive actions.
Robertson’s quality work importantly carried over into his offensive output. Providing vital width for the Reds, his wonderfully timed forward bursts were critical towards Liverpool being able to horizontally stretch the Cherries backline. The dynamic full-back didn’t solely just embark on overlapping runs, however, for he smartly made underlapping runs forward too, which gave Bournemouth another headache to contend with.
Upon amalgamating the afore with his sizzling acceleration and pace, plus his purposeful distribution, and it was easy to see why Robertson gave his side such attacking impetus.
Playing with tremendous intensity, conviction and confidence, it’s been captivating to observe how Robertson, who only made two league starts before December, has taken his opportunities with both hands following Alberto Moreno’s unfortunate injury.
Fellow Scot and former Reds legend, Kenny Dalglish, aptly summed up what a stirling impact Robertson has had so far at Anfield. “Andy has been fantastic ever since he came into the team,” he explained. “Everyone in Scotland should be very, very proud of him.
“You only need to come to a game to sense the respect the punters have for him. They really enjoy watching Andy and he has his own chant already, which I know means a lot to him.
“Andy’s a quality player. He has pace, his final ball is excellent and he plays with his heart on his sleeve. It gives me a lot of satisfaction to see him flying the flag for Scotland.”
Clearly thriving and relishing working under the charismatic Jurgen Klopp, the man who joined for just £8 million in the summer from Hull City, has unequivocally been one of the bargains of the season.
With Liverpool heading into a hugely significant section of their campaign as they fight to finish second in the Premier League and have a tantalising Champions League semi-final with AS Roma, Robertson will be keen to keep up his rich vein of form.
In the case of Robertson, all it took was a bit of patience, persistence and working under a manager that’s willing to place his faith in his players so they are afforded the chance prove themselves.
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