Liverpool recruitment issues are slowly piling up - but the solution to one is simple

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Analysis from Molineux as Liverpool move into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup with a 3-1 victory over Wolverhampton WanderersTo long-time observers, it felt as though the stunning effort that broke the deadlock for Liverpool from Andy Robertson here at Molineux had been in the pipeline for the best part of nine years.The Scotland captain, as he joked with typically self-deprecating humour after the game, had rarely struck one as sweetly as he did for the opening goal and as a result, it had a claim for being the finest effort of his career, certainly as a Reds player.But it was his assist to Mohamed Salah, just 95 seconds later, that really spoke to his enduring talent as the road-running, legendary left-back. Assists were once Robertson's bread and butter at Anfield, so much so in fact, that he used to have bets with close friend Trent Alexander-Arnold as to who could create the most for their team-mates across a full season.So the expert delivery for Salah to make it 2-0 shortly after the first goal was a reminder of Robertson's class in that regard, but the long-serving Scot turns 32 next week and is potentially entering the end-game of his career on Merseyside.FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE!

All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook pageInterest from Tottenham Hotspur died down as quickly as it emerged in January and while that might appear to have been a wise decision for both Robertson and Liverpool themselves, the defender is sure to be inundated with offers at the end of his contract.This week, the iconic Sir Kenny Dalglish expressed his hope that Robertson will extend his stay at the club and reject interest from elsewhere and while Milos Kerkez's adaptation process has accelerated in recent weeks, the Reds won't find a left-back as capable of stepping in with minimum fuss as their current vice-captain.A new deal will have to be right for Robertson as he enters the autumn of his career, but him leaving as a free agent will present Liverpool with another recruitment problem in a summer where those issues might just be piling up. From the club's perspective, it seems like a no-brainer.

Certainly, based on this evidence.Time to embrace the CupWhile the overriding objective for a club of Liverpool's size must be qualification for next season's Champions League, the prospect of a trip to Wembley for a second successive season is now just one game away in the FA Cup.Post-match, Robertson revealed that he and others who were at the club in 2022 - when the club last lifted this trophy - have stressed to the newcomers what it means to win the world's oldest cup competition.Now into the last eight, the draw will hold few fears for the Reds, even if they are still not quite firing on all cylinders just now.The FA Cup can have a wonderful knack for distracting from the stresses and strains of a league campaign and this year's iteration must now serve that exact purpose for Liverpool.Rather than being gripped by the fear of missing out on the Champions League - as seemed to be the case when these two teams met on Tuesday night - Arne Slot's side can instead be liberated by the prospect of Wembley and a showpiece final in May.The FA Cup may have become somewhat unfashionable for clubs competing for league titles and Champions League crowns but it's time to embrace it from here on in.Wirtz return timelyWhile Rio Ngumoha's blistering performance will understandably hog the spotlight here, there return of another creative young talent in Florian Wirtz was timely.The Germany international arrived for what was, briefly, a club-record fee of £116m in June and has far more expectations and demands placed on his shoulders than 17-year-old academy prospect Ngumoha as a result, but it's worth remembering that Wirtz himself doesn't turn 23 until May.It's been a mixed season for the attacking midfielder but the former Bayer Leverkusen star has showcased his talents more frequently in recent months after a difficult opening to his Liverpool tenure.But having missed the last three games with a back injury, Wirtz's absence has caused a creative shortfall. It was, though, a good step forward just as the campaign enters a critical period after the international break.Simply having Wirtz available again is cause enough for celebration for Slot as a huge Champions League trip to Galatasaray now awaits them.