Leadership Group at Liverpool: Changing of the Guard as Szoboszlai and Robertson Debate Grows
Liverpool’s leadership group has long been the heartbeat of a side that refused to accept second best. From Champions League nights under the lights to title races decided on a knife-edge, standards were set in whispers on the training pitch and roars in the dressing room. Now, that structure faces a period of upheaval.
As journalist Dave Davis put it, “There’s going to be a million and one things to talk about… and one topic that we should start with actually is the leadership group.” He is right. On the surface, Liverpool still looks blessed with senior professionals. Scratch beneath, and uncertainty creeps in.
This is not panic, not yet. But it is a conversation about succession, character and responsibility, about who carries the armband in spirit as much as in fact.
Leadership Group Stability in Question
Liverpool supporters have been spoiled by continuity. A spine of figures held the line through triumph and turbulence alike. Yet, as Davis added, “We know what really happened with Robbo… and you expect him to be off in the summer.” That suggestion alone rattles foundations.
Andrew Robertson is not merely a left-back. He is volume, urgency, the conscience of the side. Lose that, and you lose something harder to measure than assists and clean sheets. David Lynch echoed the mood: “Robertson, for me, that’s a certainty that he will go now… there’s no chance of a new contract now and he will depart.”
It may prove premature, but the point stands. Robertson has been a standards-setter. If he moves on, Liverpool’s leadership group must evolve rapidly.
Meanwhile, talk swirls around Mohamed Salah and Alisson Becker. Lynch warned, “There’s definite interest from those clubs… it might be the time to go.” Even the faintest whisper of departure alters the dynamic.
Only Virgil van Dijk appears certain to remain captain next season. That stability matters, but a single voice cannot carry an entire squad.
Robertson Influence Beyond Left-Back Role
Robertson’s importance goes beyond his position. He is the kind who shouts instructions when lungs burn and legs fade. He drags others into the fight. Liverpool’s leadership group has relied on that grit.
Without him, Liverpool must ask: who brings that relentless edge? Trent Alexander-Arnold leads with talent, Van Dijk with calm authority, but Robertson’s leadership is visceral.
There are younger figures who could step up. Yet leadership is not appointed; it is earned through consistency, resilience and trust. When Robertson first arrived, he did not walk into Anfield as a leader. He grew into it.
That process must begin again.
Szoboszlai Role in Next Leadership Cycle
Dominik Szoboszlai is an intriguing candidate. He carries himself with intent, speaks with clarity and performs with intensity. Leadership group status is not guaranteed, but his trajectory suggests possibility.
Szoboszlai captained his country at a young age. That experience matters. He understands responsibility, media pressure and dressing-room politics. Liverpool will need voices like his if departures accelerate. As Lynch noted: “I think it does show that he does want to step up a little bit and kind of be a big part of it.
There’s loads of kind of worry about Real Madrid recently. And it’s like just because of that quote from his international manager and we’ve had no suggestion Real Madrid are involved or interested at the moment.
Liverpool are in a strong position with him. They want to tie him down to a new contract. Maybe they will, maybe they won’t. But I can guarantee that Dominic Szoboszlai will be a Liverpool player next season.
He leads by example on the field, but also the way he speaks off it as well. And when you listen to him speak you can tell he’s got insanely high standards, which is ideal for someone who’s supposed to set those standards.
Imagine a midfield anchored by players who have learned from the old guard. That is the natural cycle Lynch alluded to: “They stepped up into it… they joined the club at one point and became leaders. So the job will be for others to then do that in their place.”
Szoboszlai may not replace Robertson directly, but he could help redefine the leadership group’s tone.
Future Standards Set by New Voices
Liverpool’s challenge is not simply replacing players. It is preserving standards. Leadership group culture is fragile; once lost, it can take years to rebuild.
Van Dijk will remain the captain. Around him, Liverpool must cultivate personalities who lead in different ways. Alexander-Arnold with tactical intelligence. Szoboszlai with competitive fire. Others with professionalism and humility.
There will be rumours, speculation and perhaps farewells. But Liverpool has weathered change before. Leaders left, others rose.
The real test comes not in headlines but in habits: arriving early, training hard, demanding more. If Szoboszlai and Robertson represent opposite ends of a leadership spectrum – one established, one emerging – Liverpool must ensure that the spirit linking them never fades.
Because trophies are won by talent, but dynasties are built by leadership groups that refuse to accept less than excellence.
Original source: Comments from Dave Davis and David Lynch discussing Liverpool’s leadership group changes, including quotes on Robertson’s likely departure and potential moves for Salah and Alisson.
