Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson is having a ordinary marketing campaign on the creativity front. So long an quintessential section of the Reds’ attack, the Scotland captain has just one assist in 2023/24.
Based on what he wrote in ‘Robbo: Now You’re Gonna Believe Us. Our Year, My Story’ the 30-year-old in all likelihood isn’t too bothered. “From my perspective, I could put in 5 bad crosses, one finds Bobby [Firmino], he ratings and every person else say that’s Robbo’s twenty third aid or whatever; however I may want to preserve a winger quiet for eighty-five minutes, he receives past me once, units up a purpose and I’m torturing myself,” he wrote. “That’s because I view myself as a defender first.”
Assists can be so random too, and usually be counted upon the ending of the participant taking the shot. For instance, Robertson, Dominik Szoboszlai and Conor Bradley have each created seven Opta-defined huge possibilities this season however have gathered one, two and three assists respectively from them.
Even so, it nevertheless feels abnormal to see Robertson, the joint-top defender for assists in Premier League history (alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold) create so few goals. His sole assist was now not from a trademark move either; he intercepted a pass by in opposition to Luton and the ball ran to Luis Díaz who then scored.
However, Liverpool’s irritating FA Cup loss in opposition to Manchester United highlighted that we need to seem to be past the headline statistics to garner a better understanding of Robertson’s campaign.
In one sense, he’s by no means been more creativeThe Reds’ quantity 26 set up a solitary hazard at Old Trafford. One of his second-half corners discovered the head of Darwin Núñez however the Uruguayan’s shot used to be blocked. In expected aim terms, Robertson had Liverpool’s 2nd most valuable opportunity of the in shape himself, blasting over the bar after changing passes with Díaz in the 14th minute.
The Scot played the ignore earlier than the skip various times on Sunday. These are referred to as ‘pre-assists’ have to the danger end up a goal, and FBRef appears beyond the installed key pass metric by way of searching at the two involvements prior to the attempt, labeling them as shot-creating moves (SCA).
As well as passes, these can be take-ons, shots, defensive movements and being fouledFBRef don’t lift statistics for FA Cup fits but the eye check showed how Robertson was heavily involved. He would’ve been credited with an SCA for the three pictures right now following his own, as nicely as two in the second half.
While it would be going far too far to say he was once vital to the Reds’ first goal, the pass began with his throw-in (and the sequence for the third commenced in the same fashion; Thomas Grønnemark will be delighted).
It’s impossible to be sure however Robertson would probably have recorded seven shot-creating movements in opposition to United. It’s a tally he’s reached before — 10 in opposition to Arsenal in 2020 is his non-public great — even though in no way when taking part in fewer than eighty five minutes and he used to be withdrawn after 76 at Old Trafford.
