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Carragher highlights recruitment need amid Liverpool legend’s struggle

Originally posted on The Kop Times | By Siddharth Juyal | Last updated Jan 8, 2025 9:05 AM ET

Jamie Carragher believes the fullback department could cost Liverpool the Premier League title, pinpointing the struggles of left-back Andy Robertson. Since last season, Robertson has struggled with nagging injuries and inconsistencies, suffering a steep decline with age in his 30s.

The Scotland captain will turn 31 in March while his competitive alternative Kostas Tsimikas has struggled with a similar issue. Liverpool dropped two points against Manchester United in the last game at Anfield after conceding two poor goals on Sunday.

Amad Diallo’s late equaliser involved a simple move from the Man United forward that helped him beat Robertson with ease. The latter stages of the game also involved many basic mistakes from the Liverpool left-back which annoyed the home crowd.

Robertson holds a lot of respect and admiration from his peers and the Liverpool fans but the issues are persisting. The 30-year-old’s constant struggles combined with Tsimikas’ inability to establish himself as a first-choice leaves limited internal solution for Liverpool.

The Reds’ head coach Arne Slot has worked brilliantly as a successor to Jurgen Klopp, helping them dominate all competitions. However, only the first half of the current season has ended which provides no major trophy for that impressive dominance.

Speaking in the Gary Neville podcast (via Sky Sports/YouTube), Carragher highlighted the fullback vulnerability for Liverpool by pinpointing Robertson. He said:

“Robertson is hanging on for dear life. He’s been an absolute legend for this club, but even the Amad goal, Robertson three or four years ago [would have dealt with it]. I’ve been in that position, it just feels like he’s involved in a lot of goals [that Liverpool concede] now Andy Robertson, we’ve been there as players, half a yard short. Now if Trent is having problems at right back as well, that puts an awful lot of pressure on the middle two [defenders], and (Virgil) Van Dijk, you think of how many times he pulled Liverpool out of the rubbish today in terms of coming across, he’s probably having to work too hard. That’s the one thing that can stop Liverpool winning the league, the full-back areas.”

If Liverpool can recruit a left-back with their profile, they should take the potential seriously with so much at stake. The Reds operate with patience in the transfer market, using caution in assessment to get the best option.

Furthermore, Liverpool does not spend a big amount unless the position becomes a necessity for them. The left-back position is a necessity now that Robertson and Tsimikas have struggled for more than a season. With no margin for error in the Premier League, Liverpool needs to act with conviction to back the head coach who has done a brilliant job under a miser spending.

This article first appeared on The Kop Times and was syndicated with permission.

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