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Liverpool Loan Watch: Kostas Tsimikas searching for rhythm at Roma
Some players drift quietly through football clubs. Others leave fingerprints on silverware. Kostas Tsimikas falls firmly into the latter category. Whatever the final chapter of his Liverpool story looks like, that winning penalty in the 2022 FA Cup final will forever be preserved in club folklore.
Now on loan at Roma, with just over twelve months left on his Liverpool contract, the so called Greek Scouser finds himself at a crossroads. This loan watch period is less about nostalgia and more about clarity.
Liverpool legacy still carries weight
Backup left backs rarely accumulate 118 appearances for Liverpool. Tsimikas did. Eighteen league appearances in a title winning season under Arne Slot is not a token contribution. It reflects trust, reliability and readiness.
Beyond the numbers, his personality resonated. Training ground accounts described a constant source of positivity. He settled in Formby, embraced local causes and became part of the fabric. That matters, even if it does not show up in data charts.
Yet football moves quickly. With Andy Robertson’s long term future uncertain and squad evolution ongoing, Roma presented an opportunity for regular football and a reset.
Photo: IMAGO
Roma role shaped by system and circumstance
At Roma, under Gian Piero Gasperini, Tsimikas has been deployed primarily as a wing back in a fluid 3-4-1-2. It is a role that echoes his earlier days at Olympiacos, high, wide and tasked with stretching play.
The reality, however, has been mixed. While he started five of Roma’s eight Europa League fixtures, his Serie A involvement has been limited, just 29 minutes across the last four league matches. Competition from €30m signing Wesley França has inevitably influenced selection, particularly with Roma pushing for a top four finish and boasting the best defensive record in Serie A with only 16 goals conceded.
The sample size, 367 minutes, demands caution. Still, the profile is revealing.
Data profile reveals uneven impact
Statistically, Tsimikas’ passing accuracy sits at 70.3 percent, low for an advanced wing back. Context is crucial. Gasperini’s system encourages direct, risk taking distribution into forward areas. A lower completion rate often reflects ambition rather than carelessness.
Where he remains effective is in deliveries into the penalty area. That trait has followed him from Greece to Merseyside to Rome. When he advances, the quality of his crossing still carries threat. However, key pass output and open play shot creation remain modest. The connection with Roma’s attacking options, including Evan Ferguson and Paulo Dybala, has not yet translated into sustained production.
Defensively, his numbers are steady. Possession adjusted tackles and interceptions sit in a middling bracket. A 40 percent success rate against dribblers suggests competence without dominance. Combined with a relatively high foul rate for the minutes played, it points to a player still calibrating timing within Serie A’s more tactical landscape.
Perhaps the most striking metric is the limited progressive carry distance. For a full back known for energy and forward thrust, reduced ball carrying narrows overall influence. Without those forward surges, the wing back role becomes functional rather than transformative.
Whether Roma seek permanence or Liverpool reintegrate him next season may depend less on sentiment and more on squad planning. What is certain is that his Anfield legacy is secure. What remains uncertain is where the next decisive kick of his career will land.
Upon his return to Liverpool, he could return to his role as a backup left-back behind Milos Kerkez, with Andy Robertson expected to leave in the summer. A decision will be made very soon, if it hasn’t already been agreed.