One pundit has vocally called out Arne Slot’s Liverpool selection decisions, as a reserve figure ended up stealing the show against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Liverpool fans would have been fearful that their side would come unstuck against their West Midlands hosts, again, in the FA Cup, having crashed to a last-minute 2-1 defeat to them in the Premier League.
Thankfully, the Reds were far more professional and clinical this time, avoiding a horrid repeat of their league fortunes with a comfortable 3-1 victory secured by goals from Andy Robertson, Mohamed Salah, and Curtis Jones.
In particular, Robertson would receive lots of praise at the full-time whistle for his polished showing against Rob Edwards’ men, as the Scotsman rolled back the years with a classy display against Liverpool’s bottom-of-the-league opponents.
Robertson’s standout showing vs Wolves
Robertson showed no visible cobwebs when starting against Wolves on Friday night, despite only starting five Premier League games so far this season.
Indeed, the Glaswegian would get Slot and Co. up and running at Molineux by smashing home the opener, before gliding forward with confidence to tee up Salah for a simple second strike of the evening, to clinch a win in the Cup.
Liverpool will surely be reconsidering now whether they should sever ties with their loyal servant come the end of the season, with the number 26 clearly a fine wine on his day, so long into his well-established Anfield career.
Unfortunately, he has fallen foul of the Reds’ major spending in the last few transfer markets, with 22-year-old Milos Kerkez now often a guaranteed starter in the left-back spot, after joining from AFC Bournemouth for a steep £40m fee.
Robertson’s declining minutes vs Kerkez – 25/26:
| Statistic | Robertson | Kerkez |
| Appearances | 27 | 36 |
| Minutes played | 1472 mins | 2530 min |
| Goals / Assists | 2 / 2 | 1 / 2 |
TalkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino believes Robertson should be starting ahead of the Hungarian permanently; however, after his sublime performance in the Cup, as the outspoken former footballer didn’t hold back with his thoughts.
Cascarino’s thoughts on the Robertson situation
The ex-Millwall striker isn’t afraid to be vocal, and he hasn’t minced his words, again, when commenting on Robertson’s declining minutes at Anfield, saying it’s “one of the big mistakes” Slot had made to keep him out of his starting XI regularly.
He said: “It’s one of the big mistakes Slot has made!”
“I don’t care who you bring in, you don’t leave out players with that level of experience and heart unless they are physically unable to play.”
Cascarino would further go on to praise the Reds veteran’s attitude and energy, especially for a player who is nearing the conclusion of his decorated playing days.
He praised Robertson, again, by stating: “He’s always available, always wants it! You see him out there, he’s demanding from everyone else.”
“Even when he’s not having his best game technically, his ‘worst’ is still better than most because of his engine and his attitude.”
Concluding by claiming that Robertson is “comfortably” in Slot’s best starting XI, it remains to be seen whether the 31-year-old’s star showing against Wolves is rewarded with a start against Galatasaray in the Champions League.
Regardless of whether he does go on to have a run of starts, now, or blends back into the background, Robertson will back himself to be a headline-grabbing ace for the Reds, again, after a goal and assist were collected at Molineux.
