Andrew Robertson must improve before he can replace Alberto Moreno at Liverpool, says Jurgen Klopp
Robertson has made just three appearances since arriving at Anfield in the summer
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Your support makes all the difference.Jürgen Klopp has told Andrew Robertson that he must improve and follow the example set by Alberto Moreno in order to become Liverpool’s first-choice left-back.
Robertson arrived at Anfield from Hull City during the summer for an initial fee of £8m but has made just three appearances since, with the 23-year-old left out of Klopp’s matchday squad on 11 separate occasions.
Moreno, meanwhile, has enjoyed something of a renaissance this season after losing his place to makeshift left-back James Milner last term and sitting out for the majority of the campaign.
Since returning to the side in the season’s opener at Watford, the Spaniard has minimised the calamitous errors that once characterised his game and his recent form was deemed enough to earn a surprise re-call to his country’s national team manager Julen Lopetegui.
Moreno could win his first Spain cap since March 2014 against Costa Rica on Saturday night and Klopp believes the full-back's story is an example to players who, like Robertson, currently find themselves out of favour.
“The players can always do that,” the Liverpool manager said of Moreno’s revival. “If they have the quality they can win the fans back because we have no real idea about the games four or five weeks away. We are easy to convince in the moment. He did it now consistently which is really nice.
“I am happy for him because he had a very difficult situation last year. That’s how it was. We spoke before the last season what we wanted him to do differently. He needed a bit of time and now he is doing well. Hopefully he can do well in the future again because that’s how you show consistency.
Klopp added: “That’s the exact situation for Andy Robertson. People will say: ‘Why do you do that [sign Robertson], because he is here and not playing?’ Because he has to learn, but there is no problem. We are in conversation, talk about it and he has to improve.”
Robertson admitted last month to being frustrated by the lack of opportunities he has had since moving to Merseyside, but also promised to work hard and be patient for a chance to impress.
The Scotland international will return to Melwood in the coming days after playing the entirety of his national side’s 1-0 defeat to Holland on Thursday night and, with Moreno still on duty with Spain, he will be able to stake his claim.
“He’s on a good way, a really good way,” Klopp added on Robertson. “It’s going well apart from maybe he is not happy he cannot start so often as he would thought from the beginning. It’s all about improvement and then to be ready for the moment you are used.”
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