Liverpool got their revenge on Crystal Palace and extended their winning run in the Premier League to tighten their grip on Champions League qualification.
Make no mistake, this has been a woeful year for Liverpool and Arne Slot, but FSG are set to extend their hand to stop the under-fire coach from falling, giving him the summer transfer window to put Liverpool’s problems to rights.
That’s a decision that won’t please everyone. After all, the Premier League champions will lift no silverware this season, performances and results leaving so much to be desired throughout the campaign.
The 3-1 victory over the Eagles wasn’t vintage Liverpool – it wasn’t even vintage Slot – but they secured the points at Anfield and overtook Aston Villa to claim fourth place.
Improvements are needed this summer, but the outgoing Andy Robertson perhaps showed that he still has something to offer this team.
How Andy Robertson played vs Palace
Robertson, 31, will play his final match for Liverpool in one month, with his contract set to expire this summer and a mutual decision in place for him to head off for pastures new.
Robertson arrived from Hull City in 2017 for just £8m, but he will leave as a legend, a cabinet chock-full with silverware and a reputation as one of the division’s greatest left-backs.
His goal against Palace was a special one, Liverpool breaking away in trademark fashion. His celebration oozed with passion and he remarked after the match that it “was a striker’s finish, wasn’t it?“
The Scotland skipper was kept busy against Palace’s lively attack, but he still made two clearances and two defensive contributions.
Last summer, Liverpool signed Milos Kerkez. With Kostas Tsimikas returning from a loan spell with AS Roma in a few months, it makes sense that Robertson will leave for more playing time, but the same can’t be said for all of Liverpool’s potential outgoings this summer.
Liverpool star showed why he shouldn’t be sold
Liverpool are set for another big summer rebuild, with Mohamed Salah leading the wave of departures. As with Robertson, the legendary forward’s exit is understandable, though that doesn’t make it any less painful, yet it feels like an anticipated exit for Curtis Jones could be prevented.
Again, who can understand why boyhood Liverpool fan Jones might want to leave, having only started 14 Premier League games this season.
|
Jones’ Premier League Playing Time |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Apps |
Minutes |
|
25/26 |
29 |
1,570′ |
|
24/25 |
33 |
1,711′ |
|
23/24 |
23 |
1,166′ |
|
22/23 |
18 |
1,039′ |
|
21/22 |
15 |
856′ |
|
20/21 |
24 |
1,178′ |
|
19/20 |
6 |
122′ |
Against Crystal Palace, the midfielder impressed once again in a makeshift right-back role, creating Robertson’s goal with a threaded through ball and also winning four duels and recovering six balls.
Dynamic and versatile, he is such an asset to this Liverpool side, a natural-born technician who ranks inside the top 10% of positional peers in the division for successful passes, accurate long balls, completed dribbles and recoveries made per 90.
Alexis Mac Allister registered two assists against Oliver Glasner’s side, but he has been poor all season, lacking dynamism and physicality in the middle of the park. There’s a case to be made that Jones should have played more games than the Argentinian.
However, with Slot set to stay in charge, it looks like Jones will angle for a summer exit. In January, Tottenham and Inter Milan both registered their interest, and though concrete efforts were made, Slot and FSG ruled that it would be foolish to weaken a struggling midfield at the campaign’s midpoint.
But interest has not abated, and the likes of Aston Villa have now joined the race for the £30m-rated England star, who is about to enter the final year of his Liverpool contract.
Robertson is getting on and approaching the end of his contract. The mutual decision for him to try his hand elsewhere is understandable, if saddening.
However, Jones is in the prime of his career, and while he might not be everyone’s cup of tea, the Scouser in Liverpool’s team needs to stay next season.
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