Andy Robertson - Player Thread
- Thread starter Spursex
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Spursex
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Seeing the lack of comments about his imminent arrival, I thought I needed to say why I think this is a great move for us:
Robertson’s arrival represents for me a clear short-term upgrade with some longer-term uncertainty. He brings immediate benefits in leadership, mentality, and proven quality after nine pretty successful years at Liverpool, where he won major honours including the Premier League and Champions League. We have lacked leadership, consistency and a genuine winning mentality in recent seasons, and Robertson addresses all three areas instantly. I expect him to help raise standards both on and off the pitch, not just through his performances but through the way he conducts himself in training and in high-pressure situations. He is not just a first-team player; he is a standards-setter and an exemplary professional who I believe will influence the entire squad.
At the same time, there are clear risks, at 32 years of age, Robertson is no longer in his physical prime, and there are valid concerns about a gradual decline in pace and intensity. While his experience and football intelligence remain strong, it is unlikely that he can sustain peak performance levels over an extended period. As a result, this is very much a “fill the gap now versus future” signing,
But that’s exactly what we need to do.
One of Robertson’s most important contributions will be the stability he brings to the left-back position. The left side of the defence has been inconsistent, with Udogie showing promise but struggling with injuries and form, and other options lacking reliability or still being unproven. Robertson provides tactical discipline, positional awareness, and dependable delivery from wide areas. Historically, he has been one of the most productive attacking full-backs in the Premier League, combining defensive work rate with the ability to create chances through high-quality crossing and overlapping runs. Whether he starts every week or rotates, he immediately raises the level of competition and reliability in that position.
His style of play also fits well with a system that relies on full-backs contributing to build-up play and providing width. His experience in high-intensity, possession-based systems means he can support both defensive structure and attacking transitions. Even if he is slightly past his peak, his football intelligence and understanding of positioning make him highly effective within a structured tactical setup. This feels like a win -win for me, assuming he stays fit.
However, it is important to recognise that this is not the same player who dominated during Liverpool’s peak years. His role at Liverpool diminished in his final season, and his reduced game time last season suggests that his physical output has declined. This reinforces the idea that he is not a long-term solution, but rather a short-term reinforcement who can contribute over the next two to three years while we continue our rebuilding.
His arrival will also have a significant impact on the development of Udogie. In a positive scenario, I believe he can act as a mentor, helping Udogie improve while providing rotation and depth. In a more negative scenario, Robertson could well take the starting role, limiting Udogie’s opportunities and potentially affecting his long-term future at the club. This dynamic will be one of the key side effects of the transfer and could shape how De Zerbi’s approach affects Udogies’ defensive development.
Beyond tactical and positional contributions, I expect he will bring intangible qualities that we have often been criticised for lacking. He is known for his aggression, communication, and ability to set the tempo of a match. These characteristics help address the perception that we can be too passive or lack resilience in big moments. His presence alone could make the team harder to play against and more competitive in challenging situations.
In terms of overall impact, the best-case scenario is that he becomes the leader I believe him to be - and a reliable starter who lifts standards across the squad and helps us become more difficult to beat. The worst-case scenario is that his physical decline accelerates, he limits opportunities for younger players, and the signing is viewed as a short-term fix without lasting value.
Ultimately, this is a smart rather than glamorous signing. He is unlikely to transform us on his own at the back or into title contenders going forward on his own, but his crossing and service from the left may well give Solanke the service he once enjoyed at Bournemouth and did so well with, so in my view he can significantly raise the team’s baseline level of performance.
After a difficult period for the club, that kind of stability and leadership may be exactly what we need to move forward and upwards.
This is a big tick for me, and I wish we could have persuaded Liverpool to let him join us in January - our end of season nightmare may well have been very different if he had.
Robertson’s arrival represents for me a clear short-term upgrade with some longer-term uncertainty. He brings immediate benefits in leadership, mentality, and proven quality after nine pretty successful years at Liverpool, where he won major honours including the Premier League and Champions League. We have lacked leadership, consistency and a genuine winning mentality in recent seasons, and Robertson addresses all three areas instantly. I expect him to help raise standards both on and off the pitch, not just through his performances but through the way he conducts himself in training and in high-pressure situations. He is not just a first-team player; he is a standards-setter and an exemplary professional who I believe will influence the entire squad.
At the same time, there are clear risks, at 32 years of age, Robertson is no longer in his physical prime, and there are valid concerns about a gradual decline in pace and intensity. While his experience and football intelligence remain strong, it is unlikely that he can sustain peak performance levels over an extended period. As a result, this is very much a “fill the gap now versus future” signing,
But that’s exactly what we need to do.
One of Robertson’s most important contributions will be the stability he brings to the left-back position. The left side of the defence has been inconsistent, with Udogie showing promise but struggling with injuries and form, and other options lacking reliability or still being unproven. Robertson provides tactical discipline, positional awareness, and dependable delivery from wide areas. Historically, he has been one of the most productive attacking full-backs in the Premier League, combining defensive work rate with the ability to create chances through high-quality crossing and overlapping runs. Whether he starts every week or rotates, he immediately raises the level of competition and reliability in that position.
His style of play also fits well with a system that relies on full-backs contributing to build-up play and providing width. His experience in high-intensity, possession-based systems means he can support both defensive structure and attacking transitions. Even if he is slightly past his peak, his football intelligence and understanding of positioning make him highly effective within a structured tactical setup. This feels like a win -win for me, assuming he stays fit.
However, it is important to recognise that this is not the same player who dominated during Liverpool’s peak years. His role at Liverpool diminished in his final season, and his reduced game time last season suggests that his physical output has declined. This reinforces the idea that he is not a long-term solution, but rather a short-term reinforcement who can contribute over the next two to three years while we continue our rebuilding.
His arrival will also have a significant impact on the development of Udogie. In a positive scenario, I believe he can act as a mentor, helping Udogie improve while providing rotation and depth. In a more negative scenario, Robertson could well take the starting role, limiting Udogie’s opportunities and potentially affecting his long-term future at the club. This dynamic will be one of the key side effects of the transfer and could shape how De Zerbi’s approach affects Udogies’ defensive development.
Beyond tactical and positional contributions, I expect he will bring intangible qualities that we have often been criticised for lacking. He is known for his aggression, communication, and ability to set the tempo of a match. These characteristics help address the perception that we can be too passive or lack resilience in big moments. His presence alone could make the team harder to play against and more competitive in challenging situations.
In terms of overall impact, the best-case scenario is that he becomes the leader I believe him to be - and a reliable starter who lifts standards across the squad and helps us become more difficult to beat. The worst-case scenario is that his physical decline accelerates, he limits opportunities for younger players, and the signing is viewed as a short-term fix without lasting value.
Ultimately, this is a smart rather than glamorous signing. He is unlikely to transform us on his own at the back or into title contenders going forward on his own, but his crossing and service from the left may well give Solanke the service he once enjoyed at Bournemouth and did so well with, so in my view he can significantly raise the team’s baseline level of performance.
After a difficult period for the club, that kind of stability and leadership may be exactly what we need to move forward and upwards.
This is a big tick for me, and I wish we could have persuaded Liverpool to let him join us in January - our end of season nightmare may well have been very different if he had.
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Littlest Hobo
Vital 1st Team Regular
His game was based on superhuman levels of speed and fitness. He could attack one second and be last ditch defending in the same breathe.
That was as close to an Ange type player as you could find. We are not that team anymore (Neither were liverpool last season) which is why i am not as worried about his fitness. Even slowing down a little, my money is on him being faster & fitter than Udoggie ever has been.
The real benefit for me is he will pressure Udoggie (I expect him to leave next season) and he will possibly help Souza who may just surprise us. He will also let SPence concentrate on the right hand side.
If he arrives then i am all for it tbh.
That was as close to an Ange type player as you could find. We are not that team anymore (Neither were liverpool last season) which is why i am not as worried about his fitness. Even slowing down a little, my money is on him being faster & fitter than Udoggie ever has been.
The real benefit for me is he will pressure Udoggie (I expect him to leave next season) and he will possibly help Souza who may just surprise us. He will also let SPence concentrate on the right hand side.
If he arrives then i am all for it tbh.
freundorfoe
Vital 1st Team Regular
Injuries aside Udogie has been pretty quick and done some relentless running. Not sure that money would be safe.
Sounds like this is a done deal, but it worries me a little as he was a target pre RDZ and feels very much like the "squad needs experience" type signing which I think while important, misses addressing the fundamental issues we have for building a robust quality squad for the future.
The first thing we need to do is raise the passing level of the team, especially in midfield, and the chance creation and finishing level of the attack. I don't care if those players are prem experienced or not, our squad wasn't bereft of experience - it was bereft of quality. The likes of Palhinha dragged us over the line for survival with their experience and moments of quality, but they didn't improve the floor or raise the ceiling of our general play.
We're not signing Robertson in his prime. If he is better than Udogie it won't be by much and it won't be for long. Hope I'm wrong, but feels like a classic ENIC opportunistic signing when they need to be doing big business. It might not seem like it after b2b 17th place finishes but we have a huge opportunity this season, no Europe, a good manager, a young squad and if last season is anything to go by - a mixed bag in terms of competition near the top of the table.
PS you might wanna change the thread title. Don't think we're signing a rugby player, Frank's not the manager any more.
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Spursex
Alert Team
Lol! To the last line...(corrected now!!)
thelaughingcock
Vital Squad Member
I think we've all learned from the Eze and MGW transfers that unless they're holding a Spurs shirt up, it's not yet done! Lol!
Littlest Hobo
Vital 1st Team Regular
I must be the only one who thinks Udoggie is a bit like Danny Rose and takes AGES to recover from an injury. He looks susceptible to putting on weight and keeping it off. His injury record has been poor. He also hasnt got onto many second ball passes where he used to overlap all the time. In fact players have stopped even making that pass and his run down the lie is more to just take the defender away. Where has the run inside gone too.
OK managers change how they play but ive seen him try to make the run outside quite a few times and 99% of the time the defender has had the legs on him.
Spursex
Alert Team
Injuries do slow you down, persistent ones, more so - he needs a good summer and a season of no injuries - because even recovering from them can be 10x harder if you can't clear them completely and these guys are real professional athletes operating often at their physical and mental limits. That can undermine full recovery in a thousand different ways., I expect he will be back to his best next season, if he can avoid anymore of the injuries of the type he's picked up in the past 3 season...the last two are bad enough:
Niall D
Vital 1st Team Regular
I'm on the fence over this one, if he's 28 no worries, it's the 31 that annoys me, however I do agree that Udogie is very injury prone (Lamellaesque), so as a backup to bring on Souza then I'm OK with it, as has been said I hope it's not a case of getting 'Big names' through the door on the cheap.
We need 5/6 players around 24/28 who have been in the Premier League to bring expierence, plus we are limited to Premier League comps this season so Euro Expierence wouldn't be just as necessary.
I suppose it allows us to move on Udogie, have Souza/Spence as back up, but yup on paper an expierenced signing who could do a job for us.
We need 5/6 players around 24/28 who have been in the Premier League to bring expierence, plus we are limited to Premier League comps this season so Euro Expierence wouldn't be just as necessary.
I suppose it allows us to move on Udogie, have Souza/Spence as back up, but yup on paper an expierenced signing who could do a job for us.
ScottDaYid
Vital Football Legend
Meh. I don't think we're in the right position to be signing players like this but time will tell.
Spursex
Alert Team
31 is the new 25 i.e. it's now being said that 27-34 is an athletic footballers peak physical condition as opposed to 24-28 as it once was.
Players are simply so much fitter generally in the modern game and take much more care of themselves than back in the day.
steveperryman
Vital Football Legend
I'm going to be critical on who we do and don't sign this summer. I tend to be on the more positive rather than negative side of things but developing players need experience in order to integrate into the squad properly. We're lacking a little in that so i believe he should be warmly welcomed. Not saying we need a squad full of them, we just need another one or two to make the difference.
Niall D
Vital 1st Team Regular
Agreed Spex all you have to do (I suppose) is look at Udogie who's early 20s and next to useless for us injury wise.
My apologies for my absence from this site over the last 3/4 months, personally I find it difficult to deal with the overwhelming negativity when we lose.
Secondly, even though I can't remember who I was debating with I feel I owe him an apology. 3 months ago he recognised we were in a relegation fight, I couldn't see that a team that was 9 points clear could be in a relegation fight. So please accept my apologies.
Moving on, IMO this is a very good signing for us. Until the club prove to me that they are prepare to pump cash in then smart signings like this is a must.
Our money needs to be spent up front IMO
Secondly, even though I can't remember who I was debating with I feel I owe him an apology. 3 months ago he recognised we were in a relegation fight, I couldn't see that a team that was 9 points clear could be in a relegation fight. So please accept my apologies.
Moving on, IMO this is a very good signing for us. Until the club prove to me that they are prepare to pump cash in then smart signings like this is a must.
Our money needs to be spent up front IMO
Welcome back Top!!!!!
Spursex
Alert Team
Welcome back Top, you've been missed. 3/4/5 months ago I suspect it was with me - I got ripped a new one by Walt and a couple of others - probably by you (! ) For insisting we were serious relegation candidates,.
Then we finally sacked Frank, but then compounded my despair and appointed Tudor - finally we appointed RDZ and my desperation and negativity lifted and on the day he was appointed changed tack, believing that we just might pull it off.
It's a period of time I would not want to go through again; our football was desperate and so on reflection was I.
In my near depression, I hope I didn't say anything to chase you away!
As a squad replacement for Davies, and a former topClass player for cover, brining valuable experience to an overall rather young group of fullbacks...
As long as his pay-pak is reflective of his actual status, and not nostalgic based, there is clearly value in having him part of the squad.
On a free.
Seems like very little to lose with this deal.
.
As long as his pay-pak is reflective of his actual status, and not nostalgic based, there is clearly value in having him part of the squad.
On a free.
Seems like very little to lose with this deal.
.
definitely not Ex, it was more about me not letting myself get wound up and frustrated with results.
