Andy Robertson set for awkward Tottenham meeting after angry comments | Football | Sport
He potentially made his farewell Liverpool appearance after entering as a substitute during Saturday’s 3-2 loss at Bournemouth. Robertson has engaged in several heated exchanges with Richarlison throughout the years, dating back to their Merseyside derby clashes during the Brazilian’s time at Everton. Following one particular derby in October 2020, Robertson criticised both Richarlison and Toffees goalkeeper Jordan Pickford for their tackles on Thiago and Virgil van Dijk, respectively. Pickford escaped punishment for his challenge on Van Dijk, which left the Dutch centre-back sidelined with injury early in the match. Richarlison wasn’t as fortunate, receiving his marching orders for a reckless tackle on Thiago, who avoided serious harm as the encounter finished 2-2.
Robertson condemned Richarlison’s tackle while discussing the officials’ failure to penalise Pickford. He said: “The lads, when they came in at half-time, said it was a shocking challenge, so that’s two they’ve done us with today.
“For me, it was the same as Richarlison’s. The whistle had already gone and he went flying in. It’s a red card. I can’t comment on if Pickford’s meant it or not. I think he’s an honest lad and I don’t think he would have.
“But it doesn’t look good for Virg and I hope he comes back quickly. Losing a player like him is always tough, but from an incident like that, it makes it a wee bit tougher.”
Robertson did acknowledge such incidents were an inevitable part of derby matches. He added: “Look, that’s part of football, unfortunately. It’s part of derbies, it’s part of life. We’ll all deal with it, we’ll all support Virg for however long he’s out for.”
Struggling Tottenham are at risk of being dragged into a relegation scrap. The club had reportedly been planning to pursue Robertson in the summer but have accelerated their interest.
“Do I expect him to be here on Wednesday [for the Qarabag game in the Champions League]? That’s not on me, is it? Let’s speak about [my best memories of him] when [a move] happens.”
