Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s latest performances in midfield for England have as soon as once more opened up the talk about his greatest long-term place at Liverpool.
The 25-year-old grew up as a midfielder within the membership’s academy and operated in quite a lot of completely different roles earlier than making it into the primary group as a right-back.
He has made 287 appearances for the membership and has change into top-of-the-line gamers on the earth in that place, however questions have at all times lingered about whether or not his attributes may very well be put to make use of additional ahead.
Alexander-Arnold’s personal feedback final week indicated that he feels his strengths lie in midfield, suggesting that he can reveal his “talent set” when afforded extra freedom.
David Lynch (@dmlynchlfc), Sam Millne (@sam_millne) and Adam Beattie (@beatts94) are right here to present their verdict on the way forward for Liverpool’s supremely gifted No. 66.
Southgate utilizing Trent in midfield introduced the talk to the desk once more, what are your ideas on the thought of him taking part in there for Liverpool?
DAVID: I feel he ought to undoubtedly be an possibility there for Liverpool.
It’s a place he excelled in coming by way of the academy earlier than being moved to defence out of necessity, so I’ve by no means understood the consensus that fashioned round him solely being able to working in midfield when he drifts there from right-back.
ADAM: I’ve at all times been eager to see how it might look – even when it have been only for a number of video games – however till Klopp absolutely commits to him there in a pre-season I’m unsure how possible it might be as a long-term chance.
Klopp did spring the hybrid position on us earlier within the 12 months once we wanted to combine issues up and it has broadly been successful, however we’d want a top-quality right-back to exchange him so it undoubtedly wouldn’t be an in a single day job.
SAM: I feel he has the flexibility to play there, however having the greatest right-back on the earth in Liverpool’s system may be simply as influential as having a fantastic midfielder.
The opposite situation is the truth that, aside from Conor Bradley, Liverpool haven’t any good choices at right-back, so you’d be creating one other downside there.
What did you make of Trent’s personal feedback about his position final week?
SAM: He’s proper when he talks about having the skillset to play in midfield.
Enjoying centrally opens up angles he didn’t use earlier than and, as we’ve seen when he has modified position for Liverpool, that is very laborious for opposition groups to cope with.
Nevertheless, it additionally makes defending harder as gamers can assault from all sides and you’ve got to pay attention to who’s behind you extra typically.
ADAM: I assumed they have been actually attention-grabbing, however maybe not all that shocking while you cease to consider it.
He’s grown up as a fan idolising Steven Gerrard and has clearly proven he has the entire strengths to excel within the center. I dare say he’s a bit bored of the unnecessary and tiresome scrutiny round each facet of his defending, too!
DAVID: On the face of it, it appeared like he was contradicting Klopp, however I truly assume they agree that Trent is greatest working in central areas the place he can dictate play.
He is probably not beginning video games within the centre, however he spends a lot of the video games there on the directions of his supervisor.
If he was to maneuver, the place would you see him becoming into this present midfield?
ADAM: Proper now, the apparent slot can be at No.6. Purely due to the depth of high quality now we have in entrance of that and the shortage of recognised defensive midfield choices.
With England, it seems as if he’s been extra of a No. 8 and I don’t doubt he’s bought the standard to try this.
But when we’re taking him away from right-back, it doesn’t really feel as if we essentially want any extra choices additional ahead.
DAVID: We bought a glimpse of him within the holding position in pre-season and he can undoubtedly try this job however I’m satisfied he’d be a very good match for the right-sided eight.
After all, that’s the place Dominik Szoboszlai operates, so it’s not one thing I can see the supervisor being determined to check out.
SAM: My intuition can be to say on the proper aspect of midfield, however Szboszlai appears to swimsuit that position completely as David says.
The place that may very well be open is in holding midfield, and I don’t actually really feel like we’ve seen a lot of him there correctly. Maybe, his likelihood might come up this season.
What are the professionals and cons to taking him out of the right-back place?
DAVID: I feel the most important professional can be that it might finish the nonsense debate round Trent being unable to defend, however that’s not one thing that needs to be on Klopp’s radar as a result of it simply isn’t true.
By way of the cons, it’d be the truth that you’d be losing one of many good choices Liverpool have in midfield by benching a present starter.
SAM: As talked about, there’s the difficulty of who truly performs right-back for Liverpool if he strikes. Joe Gomez is a centre-half actually and Bradley is unproven.
The constructive is clearly the attacking output he would produce, however does this outweigh the negatives given he can have already got some impression from right-back?
ADAM: The professionals are that he can undoubtedly do it, he’s proved it to a level within the hybrid position and additional ahead with England – so I’m advised!
The flip aspect is that it might require much more surgical procedure to the squad. As talked about earlier, we would want to get a top-class right-back in to exchange him and he would take up one of many slots in an already aggressive midfield, as David alluded to.
Lastly, should you might solely play him in a single place for the following 5 years, the place would you set him?
ADAM: It nonetheless needs to be right-back for me, it feels reactionary to say anything.
In an excellent world we’d get Bradley and Calvin Ramsay as much as health and velocity to permit Trent to change into an possibility within the center, however that’s so far as I’d go proper now.
DAVID: For me, it’s nonetheless right-back. Liverpool have gained each honour obtainable with him taking part in there – why the desperation to maneuver him?
SAM: I’d should say right-back too, particularly provided that he’ll nonetheless solely be 30-years-old in 5 years.
If Liverpool can add or produce a high quality holding midfielder, then there’s no purpose to recommend he can’t be influential in trophy-winning seasons over the following few years.
