On a seismic day in what could be a seismic week in the history of Liverpool football club, today the heart was finally ripped out. After a season of huge transition, from the players, to the staff, potentially the management very soon, to the very ethos and response to a fan base that have carried them for decades, Liverpool football club truly had its heart ripped out today. No it wasn't from the Spion Kop announcing that they would be removing all flags and banners from the Kop in protest to the Fenway milk snatchers, ticket price increases (Please see the work that Kops Outs, Liverpool women's supporters groups, Spirit of Shankly as well as the Spion Kop are doing around this, support anyway you can Reds - FSG cannot treat the local fans who make Liverpool football club what it is, in this manner!), to the fallout from last night's absolutely pathetic showing against PSG, to the Frenchman of the same parish Ibou Konate looking like he is about to sign a new and improved contract with the Reds, it really was quite the day.....that was until I got the text from my Reds supporting brother, the news that I had dreaded personally more than the departure of Mohammed Salah. 

The news that Andy Robertson will be leaving Liverpool football club. Let us go back to the Klopp era, Alison Becker, Andy Robertson, Virgil Van Dijk, Joel Matip/Joe Gomez, Trent Alexander Arnold, Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum, Fabinho/James Milner, Mo Salah, Luis Diaz, Sadio Mane, Robert Firmino, Divock Origi all managed by the mecurial Jurgen Klopp, nearly every single person from the Klopp era is now gone. Andy for me represnted the very ethos of the Klopp era, the £8 million pound gamble to be a back up for Alberto Moreno (Yes no really!) from relegated Hull City, not expected to be any more than a squad player for Klopp, is now an undisputed member of the best thirty players in the history of Liverpool football club - and maybe even that low number is not high enough. I have wrote about Robbo before, THAT harrying chase against Man City, THAT cross against the same opponents for Salah's goal in the 3-1 of the title winning season, the headers against the Eve and Aston Villa, the laughing in Jordan Pickford's face in the Mersey Derby (Blues will be celebrating this evening, a last goal at the Hill of windy Penises Robbo?!), even Robbo's  latest strike at Wolves - he represents the very best of this club over the last ten years, I don't do the James Milner thing guys, Andy Robertson is one of THE most talented people in that team, touch, control, technique, defensive awesomeness, he is the best fully back I have personally seen play for Liverpool football club. 

Again as I have written before, it is the man, the working class lad who has come basically from nothing to be captain of Scotland, World Cup footballer, Champions League and Premier League Winner, through working his balls into the ground for the club I love. It goes without saying that I wish to thank Andy Robertson, for his efforts for the club, his dedication, skill and talent, but most of all the inspiration he provides to working class lads and lasses like myself that we can be more than what we are perceived we should be. The worry for the furture is, let alone Robbo's squad replcement (Tsimikas returns anyone?!), this is just a continuaton of the loss of identity that the Reds have suffered over the last two years since Jurgen Klopp had to stop turning us from doubters into believers.  Now with Robbo, Milly, Jurgen, Hendo and the standard setters gone. WHat are we left with Szobo's half a million pound watch and Etihad tantrum? Hugo Ekitike and Ryan Cherki shirt swapping like high end chippendales? The Fenway project of trying to bleed money and the soul of the club from fans who have lived and worked in the area for decades, responsible for making Liverpool football club what it is - for what? 

To pay for free car to give to Alex Isak? The Hollywoodization of the club over the summer, Florian Wirtz, Isak, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Wales coaches being made into U21 coaches, Gio Van Bronckhorst a third assistant? Fans confidentently predicted Premier League title wins before the Christmas presents went under the Christmas tree? Luis Diaz not good enough to play for Liverpool? A Premier League winning manager being turned on by an entire fan base, after winning the league, leading the club through the Water Street and the Diogo Jota tragedies? Liverpool will be back to the club it was one day, but right now we seem to be a copy and paste oligarch's oil wet dream, or a gulf state's sportwashing project, just another club - I though this meant more? Wishing you can return home is a heartbreaker, you should never want to go back anywhere, but boy do I wish I could go back to 2017/18 when that gangly lad from Hull scared the living shit out of Manchester City and Claudio Bravo! Andy Robertson, I may not get a ticket for Brentford, but I will be coming to Merseyside that day, for Mo Salah, but mostly for you. You are Liverpool football club, cheers mate, I will catch you down the road.



ROBBO: ON A SEISMIC DAY FOR THE SOUL OF THE CLUB, THE HEART SAYS GOODBYE