Stat Breakdown Suggests Tsimikas Should Stay Over Robertson at Liverpool | OneFootball

Liverpool’s Left-Back Dilemma: Tsimikas Edging Robertson in Stat Me Up Breakdown

In a detailed analysis on Stat Me Up, Dave Davis and Phil Barter (Barts) dived deep into Liverpool’s full-back situation, with a heavy focus on the left side. The central theme? “It’s not been a stellar season for either” Andy Robertson or Kostas Tsimikas – but on the numbers, one is clearly outperforming the other.

Shift in the Balance

Barter was unequivocal about the importance of full-backs in Liverpool’s system. “They’re fundamental… if we change that, it’s a fundamental change in how we attack,” he said. While neither Robertson nor Tsimikas have had standout campaigns, the stats tell a compelling story: since the turn of the year, Tsimikas has been the more effective player.

“Kostas has been the better fullback for a period of time now,” Barter stated. He pointed out that while Robertson “has played more, had more touches,” Tsimikas “does more with the touches he’s got.”

Statistical Breakdown

From attacking metrics to defensive solidity, the numbers paint a revealing picture:

Further diving into EPV (Expected Possession Value) and XT (Expected Threat), Barts added: “Costas is now at 0.19 XT per 90 – that’s the same XT as Mo [Salah] right now… Robo has dropped to 0.18.”

Stability vs Sentiment

Much of the public narrative still favours keeping Robertson. Leadership, presence, and legacy matter. But Barts was clear: “Take away the intangibles… Kostas is the better player to keep.”

Davis agreed, adding, “Even the biggest fans of Robbo know… clearly on the decline.” He listed key moments – a red card against Fulham, a penalty against Southampton, a poor moment against Real Madrid – as evidence that the drop-off isn’t just statistical but situational.

On aerials, another area of concern, Barter highlighted that neither full-back excels, but Robertson is “only marginally better – 18% to 27% for Kostas – and that’s not saying much.”

Future Implications

With rumours of Milos Kerkez and Alvaro Carreras surfacing as incoming options, the likelihood of change is high. Davis summarised it best: “One of them is definitely going because a new left-back is coming in.”

Barter added a pragmatic note: “There’s a market for Robbo… well-respected, you could see him at a mid-Premier League club. But for Kostas, there’s not a lot of resale.”

In short, it’s not about sentiment anymore. “It’s a pretty easy decision,” Barts concluded. “Kostas is outperforming Robbo on a per-90 basis. The metrics are telling us everything we need to know.”