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Paul Scholes thinks teams are going to start targeting Liverpool player who is ‘making mistakes’ recently
During the 2024/2025 season, Liverpool have not given opposition sides many reasons to hurt them.
Arne Slot has brought a fresh tactical system to Anfield that seems far more controlled and defensively resolute than how the hustle and bustle with how Jurgen Klopp’s side approached games last season.
As a result, Liverpool look like the team to beat if any other side intend to win the Premier League title this campaign.
Joe Gomez revealed Arne Slot’s warning to the Reds players behind the scenes is not to get “complacent” while stressing that his tactical ideas are not “straightforward” to execute.
But the league leaders’ last two games have resulted in draws against Newcastle United and Fulham.
Against Marco Silva’s side in particular, a player who struggled was Andy Robertson, as he was sent off for fouling Harvey Wilson after initially losing the ball after taking a wayward touch.
Paul Scholes claims teams will target Andy Robertson
Roberston had a tough time against Arsenal as well, according to Gary Neville, with Bukayo Saka notably leaving him for dead before opening the scoring at the Emirates Stadium in both sides’ 2-2 draw.
But the Scottish left-back has even looked far from his best in his side’s 2-0 win against Real Madrid, conceding a needless spot-kick that was eventually missed by Kylian Mbappe. Robertson is the best left-back in England, according to Alan Shearer, a reputation he has earned for much of his time in Merseyside but the 30-year-old seems to be experiencing a rough patch.
Initially, Paul Scholes claimed on The Overlap’s Fan Debate that Robertson has not been as poor as some may suggest.
“I don’t actually think he’s been that bad, you know. [Andy] Robertson. I know he’s made a couple of mistakes obviously. And he looks like the type of player, I know we spoke about this early in the season as well because he was in and out a little bit.”
“I think he’s the type of player that needs to play every week.”
However, Paul Scholes feels that due to the fact that Robertson’s unconvincing form has become a topic of conversations, more teams will target him and Liverpool’s left-hand side.
“That’s what will happen, teams will start targeting it. Even if it’s not your weakness but just because what’s happening to him now and he’s making mistakes, people are just going to target that area all the time.”
- READ MORE: Gary Neville says ‘brilliant’ Liverpool player just didn’t look right in win over Chelsea
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher relates to Andy Robertson’s struggles
Jamie Carragher made the point once an ageing player like Robertson starts making mistakes at full-back, the harder times become for him as a narrative is formed that he is the weak link in this Liverpool side; something he experienced as well.
Carragher claimed: “I think he’s just having that thing Scholesy where I’ve been there as a player and Gary [Neville] speaks about this a lot. Full-back is the one area where you can get really exposed, where you almost feel alone.”
“At centre-back, you’re okay, you can get a midfielder playing, sometimes, you can be left alone out there and I think it’s that thing of, not even that he has been that bad but the more people talk about it, you think the opposition and that gets in your head.”
‘Oh, we’ll target that side’, so you actually get asked a lot more questions you normally will do because this narrative starts, especially around defenders when you get to a certain age. I had it.”
Carragher concluded: “People keep telling you every time, you had a bad game, it’s because of your age. I’m thinking, I had loads of bad games when I was 23! But when that narrative starts and people start speaking about it, it gets in your head, it gets in the players you’re playing with.”
Ultimately, a player of Robertson’s experience will be aware that he is not playing his best football but whether he can rediscover his best remains to be seen.