I think we need a new left back, and hopefully we sign Kerkez in January.
I just think there’s some life left in Robbo, useful for us, and he’s not quite ready for the knacker’s yard.
2 Likes
https://x.com/DataMB_/status/1868626288745087098
Interesting comparison between the two left backs that impressed me the most in PL this season. I didn’t expect Robinson to be this better in comparison with Kerkez but he’s also six years older. That said, there are only seven criteria here but I’d say it’s enough to paint a picture of where they are at the moment.
Whoever gets Robinson, though, gets a ready-made solution for their left back issues and a complete fullback. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up at Man United in the summer, though he’d fit Arsenal like a glove (provided Calafiori plays as centre back).
Robinson would be an almost ready-made player. However, he’s never played European football before (former clubs include Bolton and Wigan, before moving to Fulham in 2020), and at 27 years of age (28 in August), I think the club will want to go with the younger player, who can learn from Robertson, and be shaped into what we want him to be.
4 Likes
Yeah, definitely, that’s why I didn’t say I’d want him at Liverpool (although he impressed me literally every time he played against us - but I always had the impression that left backs like him and Ait-Nouri had a point to prove when facing Salah).
Just for the record, I’ve been and I still am in favour of buying Kerkez. His silly haircuts are about the only flaw that I can find with him and I think that he’s the type of modern fullback that Slot would be able to turn into a top class player.
I don’t know how Hato compares, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him play, but I’ve seen Kerkez plenty of times and heard nothing but the best about him and his background, all of that combined makes him a perfect target for Liverpool in my opinion.
3 Likes
The biggest question is, how do they compare to Robertson’s performances this season? Given all that’s being said, I think it would be quite a good barometer, especially if they can’t even compete with this season’s performances, let alone previous seasons.
Same graph for this season:
Same graph for the previous season:
Judging by them alone, one would think that Robinson and Kerkez are improving, while Robbo is declining. Still, I wouldn’t judge them only by this but it seems like Robinson, at least statistically, looks great at the moment.
2 Likes
Fascinating, now I want to do a straight comparison between Robertson and Tsimikas from both seasons as well, because there’s always the possibility that it’s a change of roles that has led to the declining numbers. But that duel % is alarming. Defensive actions isn’t that surprising since the teams they play for are rather different…
1 Like
Just to add my tuppence and agree that Robinson is a very good fullback. I’d have no problem if we signed him. Like others, I think it is unlikely, mostly due to age. Fulham would want top dollar, and he may only have three years to go at this sort of level, whereas Kerkez has more improvement to come, and potentially a decade to go at the top.
Hato is an interesting shout too. I would be happy with him if Kerkez went elsewhere. He’s a bit younger again, but is already doing very well at Ajax and could spend a year rotating with Robbo before taking over.
Still, I think all the signs point to Kerkez.
Kerkez and a midfielder, and we will go into the second half of the season with renewed energy to fight for the biggest prizes all the way. With the squad as is, it is touch and go if we have enough to do that, given the injuries, which are a fact of life unfortunately.
Does Julio Soler have enough stats to make a comparision with the Caveat that he’s playing in the Argentinian league
NOOOOO!!! You are just again invoking @cynicaloldgit with his soler system shit pun
1 Like
You only use a shit pun once, if at all.
6.1% dual winning rate or percentile ? 
Personally I think Antonee Robinson is the best LB in the league at this time but Milos Kerkez has very good potential to take that mantle eventually.
1 Like
I’ve seen a lot of commentary that the ship has sailed on Robinson given his age. He’s 27 and will be 28 by the start of next season. He obviously isn’t a long term solution, but not everyone has to earmarked for a decade long run in the side. There is a price that becomes cost prohibitive for a player who’d likely only be a one contract player, and that may well be a stumbling point, but him being viewed as a top quality stop gap shouldn’t rule him out as a target.
It’s not how you want to approach your transfer business in general, but for one or two isolated targets it is totally fine.
Your point is valid but I think that people on these boards are looking at respective ages of our current left backs and are thus decided on getting a younger left back to replace either of them (well, in my opinion, it’s Tsimikas who should go because I think that Robertson still has a lot to offer and will likely get better once he starts playing less football).
Just to add to your point, I’d absolutely love it if Liverpool got a centre forward of that age who is playing as well as and whom I rate as highly as Robinson at left back. That wouldn’t be a stop-gap for the next five years but likely a player who’d hit at least 100 goals for Liverpool by the time his Liverpool career ends.
Like Thiago (ignoring his injury record)
And Poulson. And Joe Cole.
3 Likes
How dare you forget him.
3 Likes
I decided to stop at two, because continuing further down that path is where madness lives
Paul Koncheski…fuck ARGH
4 Likes
When you look at it, it’s been a while since we were in a serious search for a quality striker or forward and got one.
Suarez was a masterstroke in terms of transfer business. Circumstances helped us to sneakily get that one over the line in a January window and although back then he was more of a roaming second striker, he very soon became basically our main attacking player. Not like the competition was great anyway. In my eyes, he was already a calibre for a side that was better than us, was absolutely delighted when we got him.
Then we had Sturridge when he was fit (very good deal transfer wise, but not fit often enough), then it was Firmino’s time. Forgetting the likes of Carroll (in a few days we managed one of our best transfers ever and one of our worst) before Suarez, Balotelli and Benteke after him (Brendao was amazing in the summer of 2015, saying how next season we would go back to our principles and press like animals, then he goes and gets Benteke, incredible really).
Now it looks like that new serious search will be on very soon, if it’s not already going on behind the scenes.