Jurgen Klopp was spotted ‘going mad’ at Andy Robertson after Liverpool conceded the equaliser against Manchester City yesterday.
It seems a long time ago now, but the Reds did briefly lead at the Etihad on Saturday. Hope did exist, for a short time at least. It was quickly crushed though – City’s Julian Alvarez levelling the scores just 10 minutes after Mohamed Salah’s opener.
The goal wasn’t a great one to conceded for Liverpool, having been on the attack just moments before. With Robertson caught up the field, Riyad Mahrez dragged Virgil van Dijk out into the left-back position, eventually opening up the space for Alvarez to tap home.
And looking back on the goal with a caller to TalkSPORT yesterday, Jamie O’Hara claimed that Klopp hadn’t been happy with his left-back.
“He dived in for the first goal and you could see Jurgen Klopp on the side lines going mad at Robertson,” said the pundit. “He kept getting sucked in. They just played around him.”
Reds pay for Robertson mishap
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time Robertson has been caught out in a similar manner this season. His high-pressing style can leave Liverpool badly exposed if it doesn’t go to plan. Not only Klopp, this is something Jamie Carragher pointed out during yesterday’s game, too.
Against the quality that City have, it’s always a danger to try and win the ball high up the pitch. On this occasion, the left-back was caught out trying to intercept a Kevin de Bruyne pass near the half-way line.
Some would argue that, well, what is he supposed to do? It wasn’t as though Robertson raced out of position, he was already high up the pitch. With Jordan Henderson not anywhere near close enough to De Bruyne, someone had to put pressure on the ball.
Had Robbo managed to cut out the pass, he would have immediately put Liverpool on the front foot. Instead, De Bruyne found Mahrez and the Reds couldn’t re-organise.
It’s small margins, but these are the things which seem to be continually going against Liverpool this season. Where their pressing was once near-faultless, it has now become a tool to be used against them.
Klopp has every right to be disappointed with that, but it isn’t a new phenomenon. The Reds have been getting these things wrong since the first whistle of the season away at Fulham. Robertson has been culpable a few times since then, but his instructions from Jurgen don’t ever seem to change. Maybe it’s finally time for a review.
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