With a wealth of right-sided defenders at his disposal, the national team manager opted to cram the 22-year-old into the starting lineup for the World Cup qualifier against Andorra in a more advanced role. It was only a 45-minute trial until Liverpool star Alexander-Arnold was returned to his usual role. That is, where he appeared considerably more at ease and menacing.
Klopp has been obliged to use the academy graduate in midfield on a handful of occasions due to injuries in his squad, but not since May 2018, and he had no plans to do so again.
And, speaking ahead of Liverpool’s Sky Sports Super Sunday match against Leeds, Klopp believes Southgate blundered against Andorra in more ways than one.
What The Liverpool Manager Went On To Say About The Trent Alexander-Arnold Situation?
“In this game, in a game where England, for example, is so dominating, or if we are so dominant that Trent could play in midfield, I would prefer he was the six than the eight. It is feasible, but why would you turn the world’s best right-back into a midfielder? I am not sure what you are talking about. As though the position of right-back is not as essential as the others. People who say that makes me wonder how you could think like that.”
Alexander-Arnold is an important part of Liverpool’s offensive possibilities, as evidenced by his statistics since establishing himself as the first-choice right-back at Anfield.
In 132 Premier League games, he has eight goals and 34 assists, although the majority of those (32) have come in the previous three seasons, and only Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne created more goals in the club’s title-winning season of 2019-20.
“If you watch our games, you will notice Trent’s position has already shifted. Not in every game, but in those where it is conceivable, so there is no need to convert him to a midfielder right now. It is a little bit of a pity that we are still talking about football in 2021. Ones, especially skilled players, maybe seen playing anywhere.
What The German Manager Concluded By Saying On The Matter?
“Trent, who was playing on the right-wing, was already all over the field. Some believe he would be more impactful if he played 10 yards higher up the field. It is difficult to be more important than Trent Alexander-Arnold over the last. I do not know, how many years he has played for me at Liverpool.”
“It would need a thorough search in order for me to locate someone. We adapt and try to exploit his abilities to the fullest, but in the end, the right-back is the one who protects the right side, which he does really well. The rest of the time, when we have the ball, we make the most use of him.”
Well, the Liverpool main-man does know where to use the player best. He has already won a Champions League and Premier League title, to say the least. There have been many other titles that the team has won. That too, with Trent playing as a right-back and not in midfield. So we wonder, why Klopp would actually feel that it is his best position. Wonder why so? But then, understanding some of the things that Gareth Southgate does is totally impossible!!
