Robertson sends emotional message after final Liverpool away game

“But I can only thank you for the last nine years of travelling up and down the country and all over the world packing out away ends wherever we go! Will see you next week for one last time”

That is exactly why the 32-year-old will leave with so much respect, because even when he wasn’t involved on the pitch, he still understood the need to front up.

Robertson could easily have stayed quiet after a night when Liverpool were pulled apart too often, but instead he acknowledged the standards that haven’t been met.

Liverpool denied proper farewell mood

David Lynch summed up the mood after the Villa defeat by saying: “Tonight summed up why so few Liverpool fans believe Arne Slot can fix this.”

That feels impossible to ignore after another game where we looked open, passive and far too easy to score against.

Ollie Watkins then added to the concern by explaining that Liverpool’s high line gave him “a lot of space” to run into, which is a damning assessment of where this side currently is defensively.

Robertson’s own night may have been spent on the bench, but his message still carried the weight of a player who knows what Liverpool are supposed to look like.

Next week should have been a pure goodbye to two club greats.

Instead, Robertson’s final Anfield appearance now comes with pressure, uncertainty and the need for one last result.