Robertson: “It’s Nice to be Home.”
Liverpool’s left-back is excited to play in front of the Kop ahead of a busy month of fixtures.
Liverpool FC are soon to embark on a stretch that will see the Reds play 7 matches across all competitions in the 3 weeks between Saturday and the next international break. It’s a period that both explains Slot’s decision to run with a largely unchanged side for the opening three matches and will reveal Liverpool’s depth in pretty short order.
With Liverpool hosting Nottingham Forest this Saturday at Anfield, preparations got back underway in earnest at the AXA training ground. The club’s international contingent have now returned and are clearly eager to carry the bright form they displayed heading into the break.
The official site was able to pull one international, Andy Robertson, aside to ask a few questions about the season so far and what to expect. With typical candor, the Scottish left-back provided some good thoughts.
First, Robbo reflected on current results and the impact of the international break:
“It’s good. Obviously we won the first three games [with] three clean sheets, scoring goals and playing well and that’s what we wanted, that’s how we wanted to start the season. Then the international break comes and everyone goes and they want to represent their country, but we were probably in full flow at that point. But it’s just up to us to make sure it doesn’t disrupt our rhythm and that’s got to be key for us, to kick-start now.”
Robbo also referenced potential rotation given the fixture congestion:
“The manager has gone with roughly the same starting XI in the first three games and I’m sure, although I’m obviously not the one who makes the decisions, in the next seven games it will probably not be the same team every single game and we will need everyone to chip in and be ready with the level that they’re at.”
It all makes sense for Slot to have wanted to stick with the same XI over the initial three matches: helps to ensure the new concepts are implemented by folks moving into new roles as well as to accommodate the fact that a few folks needed time to work their way back into fitness. It is good management, even it must be difficult for the folks who might feel frozen out of playing time.
But the truth is that there really are more than enough minutes to go around. And in order for Liverpool to truly challenge on all fronts, every single squad member is going to be called upon throughout the course of the season.
It’s helpful, then, to know that there is an understanding among the squad that while appearances may have been a bit tight early on, it’s hard to look at the fixture list and envision a lack of rotation.
Saturday truly can’t come soon enough.
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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