The Liverpool ace who has become a big problem should fall

Festive fever has swept the nation, but with Boxing Day comes football, and Christmas Day Liverpool Persuasion will wake up with only one thing on his mind: Leicester City.

Ruud van NistelrooyLiverpool take on Liverpool at Anfield this evening as they look to cause an upset with the remnants of the manager's bounce back after a promising start, with Newcastle and Wolves badly beating the Foxes over the past fortnight.

Four points at the top (with a game in hand), Liverpool will double their belief heading into the match, outperforming their rivals. Premier League The Rivals are the team to beat as we head into the new year.

But Nottingham Forest's win over Merseyside last September was a cautionary tale to go into competitions with a real fear of defeat, lest complacency stifle the synergy and style that comes with it. Arnie slot Meticulously developed over several months.

Boxing Day routinely promotes exciting, high-scoring matches, and while the Reds will be desperate to keep a clean sheet after playing eight of their last three Premier League matches, there is a feeling the hosts will have too much for 17th-placed Leicester.

Liverpool team news

Slott expressed caution in his pre-match press conference, as the hectic holiday period was more than capable of producing an upset or two.

On the injury front, defensive duo Ibrahima Konate and Connor Bradley are still sidelined after suffering a setback at the beginning of the month.

Things are looking fairly promising, regardless, and Liverpool could see some rotation following the thrilling win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, with Curtis Jones certainly eyeing a starting position in midfield.

Diogo JotaThe player's fitness has steadily increased over the past few weeks and he could be keen to replace him Luis Diaz At center forward, anyway Darwin Nunez He's definitely looking forward to the place himself after dropping by N17.

Diaz starred against Tottenham, scoring twice and producing a silky and unusual performance in the ninth, but he is not as decisive and consistent as someone like Jota, who could be a difference-maker against a City backline that can crumble against such a team. Elite scorer.

Although Slott doesn't actually communicate the changes, he may be eager to communicate them Andy Robertson Back to the bench as well, replacing him with Kostas Tsimikas.

Why should Slot drop Andy Robertson

Robertson is one of Liverpool's longest serving members, Joining from Hull City in a stunning £10m deal Back in 2017. Mohamed Salah's record-breaking brilliance overshadowed his signing and debut season, but… 319 appearances And a host of major accolades later, he is a modern-day legend.

However, the 30-year-old has weathered some storms over the past few seasons, and may not be quite the same old electric machine, with errors and athletic lapses creeping into his season.

Make no mistake, Robertson is cultured, experienced and has one of the best ball-playing abilities of any full-back in the business, ranking in the top 1% of these players for attempted passes, top 3% for progressive passes and top 2% for shot creation actions per 90. , According to FBref.

A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters closer to the opponent's goal or any completed pass inside the penalty area.

But he refused. There is no doubt that he is a lesser version of what he once was, and he even admitted in November that some critics were “Write me off“Because of its declining form and safety.

He has recently conceded penalties against Real Madrid and Southampton while being subjected to the brutal glare of a red card during the 2-2 draw against Fulham this month, leaving Reporter Louis Bauer Criticizing the “terrible” error on the afternoon which was “a bit of a mare” for the Scotland captain.

But the matter is not limited to these cases; They are not flashes in a dirty frying pan. Tsimikas has been second choice throughout his Liverpool career, having joined from Olympiacos in 2020. However, he is now gaining minutes on the big stage over a fully fit Robertson, with results that reinforce Slott's decision.

This detailed statistical compilation provides an interesting commentary on Robertson's athletic decline, as his Greek counterpart outperforms him on a number of defensive and athletic metrics, albeit from a less in-depth data set.

Robertson is a Liverpool player The highest earners are £160,000 per weekbut the paper covering the cracks began to corrode. Tsimikas, 28, is much more reliable in ball-winning situations while maintaining crispness with his passing that suits the Slot setup well.

Change could be afoot at Anfield over the Christmas period, with Robertson and possibly Diaz among those whom Slott could put on the bench. Remember, this is a busy period and Liverpool will meet West Ham United at the London Stadium in just three days.

For now, let's take each game individually. Four or five months from now, the plot threads will be woven together in a grand slam finale that may or may not see Liverpool win the biggest prizes Europe has to offer.

However, a win over Leicester would only strengthen Slott's deal, as it would serve as another subtle but sinister reminder to the alleged title contenders that Liverpool have the quality, depth and dynamism needed to achieve victory.

Rotation is key, especially with a trip to West Ham only a few days away. Robertson should be ruled out, as Tsimikas is more than capable of serving well in his stead.