Andy Robertson has added his name to the growing list of footballers dismayed by a calendar at bursting point and called for governing bodies to consult players.
A huge theme of the opening weeks of the campaign has been how quick so many individuals, such as Robertson’s team-mate Alisson Becker and Manchester City midfielder Rodri, have been to highlight the burden being placed on squads.
Liverpool have a minimum of 19 fixtures to play before New Year, while there are two rounds of internationals coming up in the next five weeks, ensuring that nobody will have a chance to draw breath.
The landscape won’t change in 2025, either, with the revamped Club World Cup shoehorned in.
Robertson expects to be available for Liverpool’s next Champions League game against Bologna on Wednesday, having taken a kick to his ankle at Wolves on Saturday, but there is a distinct difference between ‘being fit’ and ‘being ready’.
Andy Robertson has added his name to the growing list of footballers dismayed by a fixture list at bursting point
Liverpool have a minimum of 19 fixtures to play before New Year, while there are two rounds of internationals coming up in the next five weeks
Scotland’s captain has argued there will never be a dilution in his enthusiasm to play but warned that frustrations are being exacerbated by the failure of organisations such as UEFA and FIFA to ever consider entering into discussions.
Robertson said: ‘I don’t think the players are ever asked. I think that’s where our frustrations lie. We all love playing football. We love playing games. That’s what we work so hard towards.
‘We’ve got a game in the Champions League coming up. It’s one of the best games to be involved in.
‘But extra games get added. Extra tournaments get added and I just don’t think players get asked what their opinion of it is and how we feel about it.
‘That’s where the frustration lies with us. These organisations just put on extra games and tournaments and we’re never asked. That’s frustrating.
‘It doesn’t seem we have much of a say in it. We just get put out there. We always want to put on a show for the fans. We always want people to get value for money.
‘We know how important fans are to football. When lads are getting overworked or whatever, sometimes you can’t do that. We’ll keep doing it.
‘We’ve got no real option. We’ll let other people discuss it. We’ll let other people try to help us out but, like I say, when games are put in front of us, when you are in the changing room you don’t think about it. You get excited by it. You just go out and play your heart out and that’s all we can do.
A huge theme of the opening weeks of the campaign has been how quick so many individuals, such as Robertson’s team-mate Alisson Becker have been to highlight the burden on squads
Robertson expects to be available for Liverpool’s next Champions League game against Bologna on Wednesday, despite picking up a knock against Wolves
‘But, in the future, I think it would be best to get the players together and ask their opinion as well.’
A WhatsApp group for Premier League captains was set up four years ago during the Covid pandemic to discuss various issues but Robertson’s understanding is that it has never been broached with them about a sensible route forward.
He added: ‘There are a lot of experienced professionals, captains who can have a say on these things. They are never asked. Just asking players or managers, it’s always wise to ask the people who can feel it, week-to-week instead of people sitting in offices.’
