Liverpool have two quality left-backs n Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas, but Jurgen Klopp faces a tough decision going forward
Squad depth has always been a key reason behind the success of any football team. In the case of Liverpool, one position that has arguably been the most difficult for this to be achieved is now the polar opposite.
For several seasons, Andy Robertson was the established left-back at Anfield. Since he was signed from Hull City for just £8million in 2017, there have not been many occasions where his place in the team was under threa
James Milner, a long-standing servant to Liverpool, has operated in that position on many occasions. And prior to his exit in 2019, Alberto Moreno was often utilised as a back-up with varying degrees of success.
Then in 2020, a new left-back arrived in the form of Kostas Tsimikas. Unless you were well versed in Greek football from his time at Olympiacos, most Liverpool fans were not sure what player Jurgen Klopp was bringing to the club.
In what is now a third season at Anfield for the Greece international, it’s safe to say everyone connected with Liverpool knows his qualities now. Possibly for the first time in Robertson’s career on Merseyside, his place in the team is under significant threat.
At this moment in time, Robertson is injured with a knee problem. Klopp said last week that he hoped to have the Scotland captain back for after the international break.
Even if the Reds No.26 was to be back available for the match against Brighton on October 1, there is certainly no guarantee that he will be included in the line-up. In fact, were he to be then it would be fairly harsh on Tsimikas, who many believe is in his best run of form in a Liverpool shirt.
If you were to pick your line-up based on the win over Ajax last week, then Tsimikas certainly deserves to get the nod for the foreseeable future. And based on the performances of both left-backs so far this season, that would also be a fair decision.
It’s no secret that Liverpool have not been at their usual best this season. From defensive frailties to a lack of attacking intelligence, things just haven’t been as they usually are for Klopp’s team this season.
When you think about the key to Liverpool’s success in recent seasons, many would point to the impact of the two full-backs. Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold have formed a formidable partnership in providing bags of goals for the Reds’ forwards down the years.
However, in the case of Robertson, this has been an area where the numbers are nowhere near the same as usual. And for Tsimikas, they are at the opposite end of the spectrum.
So far this season, Robertson averages 2.44 shot creating actions per 90 minutes (via FBref). If you were to compare this his previous seasons at Liverpool, it’s his lowest figure since the 2018/19 campaign when he averaged 2.24, but considerably lower than last season where he averaged 3.37 per 90 minutes, so a significant difference.

This is where Tsimikas comes in. The 26-year-old has enjoyed a good start to the season on an individual level, and those numbers compared to Robertson back that up.
So far this term, Tsimikas averages 5.44 shot creating actions per 90 minutes. That’s more than double what Robertson is currently producing for the Reds.
These are creating chances, but how about chances that have an end product? Unsurprisingly, Tsimikas is ahead of Robertson in that regard, too, this season.
Tsimikas averages 1.34 goal creating actions per 90 minutes. This is significantly higher than the 0.22 figure that Robertson averages. To put that into further perspective, that is the lowest figure for Robertson in this stat across his entire career at Liverpool.
Liverpool are blessed to have two left-backs that fit their system perfectly, but the numbers show that Tsimikas is having a clear difference in terms of attacking output, whereas Robertson is significantly less so.
Whilst Robertson is out injured, Klopp is left with a no-brainer decision of selecting Tsimikas, fitness providing. But when both are fit, the German is now facing the possibility that the left-back hierarchy may have changed at Anfield for
the time being.
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