There were five minutes of normal time remaining at Molineux when Andy Robertson found himself storming forward into the Wolverhampton Wanderers box.
He found Mohamed Salah on the edge of the penalty area, took the Egyptian’s return pass in his stride and stroked the ball into the net for the goal that completed Liverpool’s comeback and set them on their way to three more precious points.
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It was a classic example of the kind of aggressive, attacking intent Robertson has provided from left-back since he arrived from Hull City in 2017, an attribute encouraged by Jurgen Klopp’s traditional 4-3-3 setup, which demanded both full-backs got forward at every opportunity.
In the context of recent months, however, it was an anomaly. Liverpool’s system has changed (in possession, at least) to a 3-box-3 formation. It has altered the roles of several players, including Robertson.
Robertson scored against Wolves but his attacking opportunities have been limited (Naomi Baker/Getty Images)With Trent Alexander-Arnold drifting into the inverted No 6 role, Robertson has been given more defensive responsibility to form a back three, tucking in alongside the two centre-backs.
The 29-year-old has admitted to making sacrifices to adjust to his new role. Natural individual instincts have been reduced to benefit the collective and given Liverpool and their new system are now unbeaten in 15 games dating back to last season, nobody is complaining.
The metaphorical handcuffs are not too tight — Robertson does have the licence to push forward, provide width and overlap the left winger — however, the key is picking and choosing those moments.
Since he moved from Hull to Liverpool in 2017, Robertson ranks ninth in total chances created for all Premier League players, underlining his attacking prowess.
Chances created in the PL since August 2
PLAYER
| APPS
| CHANCES CREATED
| CHANCES CREATED PER GAME
|
|---|---|---|---|
179 | 544 | 3.04 | |
197 | 421 | 2.14 | |
195 | 407 | 2.09 | |
223 | 388 | 1.74 | |
168 | 361 | 2.15 | |
210 | 355 | 1.69 | |
129 | 349 | 2.71 | |
211 | 330 | 1.56 | |
200 | 316 | 1.58 | |
160 | 304 | 1.90 |
In terms of assists, Robertson has 63 for Liverpool since his arrival and 53 of them have come in the Premier League. Only Kevin De Bruyne (74), Salah (62) and Alexander-Arnold (55) have recorded more assists in the top flight in that time.
This season, however, he has yet to provide one. In fact, his last open-play assist came in the 7-0 victory over Manchester United, before Liverpool’s system switch. His two assists since then (against Nottingham Forest and West Ham) came via set pieces. Can that be a coincidence?
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This season only offers a small sample size compared to full season data, but the initial trend highlights the difference. This season, Robertson is averaging 18.2 touches per 90 minutes in the attacking third, lower than any other season at Liverpool and almost half what he was averaging in 2019-20.
Similarly, with touches in the opposition box, Robertson has never averaged below two. This season he is averaging one.
Robertson's attacking influence declines
| Touches in attack third/90 | Touches in opp box/90 | |
|---|---|---|
2017-18 | 28.3 | 2.2 |
2018-19 | 27.2 | 2.5 |
2019-20 | 33.4 | 2.4 |
2020-21 | 33.3 | 2.6 |
2021-22 | 32.1 | 3.3 |
2022-23 | 26 | 2.2 |
2023-24 | 18.2 | 1 |
Robertson’s most productive season of assists came in 2021-22, with 15. Looking at his touch map, it is easy to see why.
More than half – 57 per cent to be precise – of his touches came in the opposition half during the Premier League campaign as he played a crucial role in making Liverpool such a potent attacking force.
His touch map from the start of this season shows a significant shift, however.
The percentage drops highlight the change, but the actual number of touches is even more telling. In the top square to the right of the halfway line, he has dropped from 15.8 touches per 90 minutes to 12 touches. Slightly further upfield, his average touches have halved (14.1 to seven).
It corresponds with the defensive half of the pitch, too. He is averaging 30 touches in the top two quadrants to the left of the halfway line this season, compared to 21.2 per 90 in 2021-22.
Noticeably, in the section nearer to the middle of the pitch, his touches increased from 3.3 touches per 90 to 7.6, illustrating Robertson’s shift into a more central position when Liverpool are building play.
In the 15 games he has played in Liverpool’s new system (he did not feature in the final game of last season against Southampton), Robertson has created seven chances from open play at a rate of 0.5 per 90. Wolves was the first game that he registered more than one chance created.
It is a significant drop from his usual standards — he has never created less than one chance per 90 across a completed campaign at Liverpool.
Robertson's open-play chances created
| Season | Chances created from open play per 90 |
|---|---|
2017-18 | 1 |
2018-19 | 1.3 |
2019-20 | 1.5 |
2020-21 | 1.2 |
2021-22 | 1.4 |
2022-23 | 1 |
2023-24 | 0.6 |
Klopp explained it in simple terms last season. “We cannot have one full-back in the centre of the field and the other one constantly high up on the left side,” he said.
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There are, of course, some caveats. This season is still in its infancy, so Robertson’s role may develop as time goes on. Liverpool have also been reduced to 10 men in two of their five league games so far, totalling 90 minutes of action. That will have limited Robertson’s attacking opportunities further.
To help broaden the sample size, we can compare the post-system switch from the 2-2 draw against Arsenal across the 14 games Roberston has played in his new role. The theme remains the same.
The Wolves game proved, however, that Robertson has lost none of his quality in attacking areas.
Liverpool’s half-time formation switch, as well as the fact the team were chasing the game, gave him more licence to bomb forward and it was easy to spot the lift in his performance as he repeatedly burst down the left channel.
Joe Gomez’s role as an inverted full-back was scrapped, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones dropping deeper into a double pivot. Gomez was more reserved and that increased protection allowed the Scot to fly forward.
It caused Wolves problems. Luis Diaz could drift inside, which left space for Robertson. His off-the-ball movement around the opposition box unsettled the home side and Szoboszlai could switch play with ease — a hallmark of how Liverpool frequently involved Robertson in attacks.
Immediately at the start of the second half, Robertson was released in behind from a switch of play into the Wolves box from Szoboszlai…
… and his cross was headed wide by Diaz. It set the tone for what was to come.
His average position difference from the first half to the second half is clear (Robertson, the No 26, is underneath No 17, Curtis Jones, in the first-half graphic).
Gone are the days when Liverpool’s two red arrows simultaneously flew forward from full-back at every opportunity, but it is important for the team that Robertson’s influence is not completely nullified.
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The second half against Wolves offered a potential solution that has limited risk. Without Alexander-Arnold, the balance was easier to strike.
It does not mean it can’t be done with him in the side. It could be as simple as Alexander-Arnold not moving into the inverted No 6 role at every opportunity. It adds another point of attack that opponents have to consider. Allowing Robertson space will eventually lead to opponents being punished.
How effective that would be is a different question, but Klopp appears to have found a solution for if and when Alexander-Arnold is missing. Robertson takes over the full-back creativity duties and can look like the player we all know with no restrictions or limitations.
(Top photo: Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)
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