STEVE Clarke has brushed aside “harsh” criticism of Andy Robertson following Liverpool’s end-of-season celebrations and insisted his captain is in perfect shape to lead Scotland through to the World Cup finals.
Robertson was savaged by many angry members of the Tartan Army when he was seen drinking beer with his Anfield team mates on an open top bus tour to mark their Carabao Cup and FA Cup wins on Sunday and looking the worse for wear.
However, national team manager Clarke, whose men will play Ukraine in the Qatar 2022 play-off semi-final at Hampden tonight, was pleased to see the left back enjoy his successes in the 2021/22 campaign with Reds supporters.
He knows his skipper, who took part in a final training session at Oriam yesterday, will be determined to put the Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid in Paris on Saturday firmly behind him with a victory.
‘I didn’t see the criticism,” he said. “I saw the clip and I was pleased that he was getting over his disappointment. Some people want to make too much out of small things.
“It was the right thing to do, the right thing to celebrate with his team and his supporters on the back of a fantastic season for Liverpool. He has joined us in a great place and that’s all I am concerned about. I don’t care about criticism. It won’t bother Andy and it certainly won’t bother me.
“We had a little chat and he is fine. Listen, Liverpool had a great season. When you look at two of the four major trophies in the cabinet, missed out on the league by a point and one goal did them in the Champions League final. They should have been in front before they conceded that goal.
“They were very close to the quadruple, they’ve had a great season. Finishing with two disappointments is something you learn to deal with as a professional player. It’s not as if he is going to a poor Nations League end of season game with Scotland.
“It’s one of the biggest games he has probably ever faced for his country, so he will be ready to go.’ We all want it, they all want it. You must have seen that, you must have seen the evolution of this group over the last three years.
“They want to be successful for their country. Andy is the leader of that and he is the captain. He drives that and we are in a good place.”
