Trent Alexander-Arnold

[SB]

Agree to an extent but when we won every trophy going, then we had a lot more energy in the middle of the pitch. Fabinho was better. Henderson was better. Gini was there. Milner was a few years younger and could contribute more.

Now we have Thiago who can make it rain but in reality our midfield is easier to bypass and we are getting punished. In pretty much every single game.

So until we do change our personnel in the middle of the pitch, then it might make sense to play, say Virgil, Konate and Gomez as CBs....... With trent and robbo as essentially wingers.......

If our CBs spend most of the game camped on the half-way line anyway, then it might actually work out.

[wiw]

Agree to an extent but when we won every trophy going, then we had a lot more energy in the middle of the pitch. Fabinho was better. Henderson was better. Gini was there. Milner was a few years younger and could contribute more.

Now we have Thiago who can make it rain but in reality our midfield is easier to bypass and we are getting punished. In pretty much every single game.

So until we do change our personnel in the middle of the pitch, then it might make sense to play, say Virgil, Konate and Gomez as CBs....... With trent and robbo as essentially wingers.......

If our CBs spend most of the game camped on the half-way line anyway, then it might actually work out.

I agree with the first paragraph but I do think the problems in this area were compounded by injuries - we might have been low in energy after last season anyway, but it's even worse when you can't rotate. Things do seem to be improving on this front.

If we play an extra CB then where are we losing a body? Midfield? We also don't have enough centre backs to rotate

I think I read Thiago is top of our distance covered and tackles (?) but I may have just made this up

[baitman]

Trent has not gone **** because mane isn't here to lead the press

Even when trent doesnt need to tack back and he is already in his defensive position he still wanders around at walking pace, can't see anyone over his shoulder and really isn't arsed.

If he was up the pitch and attacking and we get hit on the break then that's where we expect team mate's to fill in and cover, but what is happening is totally on trent.

[Charly]

Yeah... the midfield is not helping him... But he is still playing like he has been smoking crack before the game.

He needs dropping. But we have almost zero options. Gomez cant play like a proper Klopp fullback. and a kid from the scottish league... Hopefully he will get some gametime against Derby

[Paul12]

Trent in Southgate mode = Barely crosses the half way line in 30 minutes, even though we are leading by 3 most of that time + Longest pass is a header!

[Fredo]

Trent in Southgate mode = Barely crosses the half way line in 30 minutes, even though we are leading by 3 most of that time + Longest pass is a header!

That’s how most of us here want to see him play no? At least he’ll not be out of position.

[Doc_Piptorious]

There is a difference between occasionally being caught out of position in a functioning team and regularly staying out of position when a stuttering team is being countered/targeted on his flank all game long.

[danperkins]

There is a difference between occasionally being caught out of position in a functioning team and regularly staying out of position when a stuttering team is being countered/targeted on his flank all game long.

[SB]

There is a difference between occasionally being caught out of position in a functioning team and regularly staying out of position when a stuttering team is being countered/targeted on his flank all game long.

Yep this

[Irishnev]

Not sure how to take this from Trent tbh - of course be can’t say “I’m lazy” but he could acknowledge the desire to get better etc. The stats clearly show his intensity is way down on normal levels.

Even when he speaks he looks so laid back…… :-)

[ame="https://twitter.com/talksport/status/1598367489699692544"]https://twitter.com/talksport/status/1598367489699692544[/ame]

[Kenneth]

Maybe it’s true that his defending is more under the spotlight and he’s now subjected to a higher standard. But that’s only come about because of **** defending.

[S-RED]

Not sure how to take this from Trent tbh - of course be can’t say “I’m lazy” but he could acknowledge the desire to get better etc. The stats clearly show his intensity is way down on normal levels.

Even when he speaks he looks so laid back…… :-)

https://twitter.com/talksport/status...67489699692544

**** it !!!! Jurgen says he's the best; so blinkers on, i am with the boss.

[baitman]

Prejudiced....

No, gone to **** lad

[Harv]

Gone to ****? Its never been good. Its been the one knock on him since early on in his career.

The excuse that he's out of position because he's so attacking doesn't fly either most of the time. You can tolerate that and our system is designed to support that, with the mids covering. But the majority of the time he is actually in position and is just totally oblivious that someone is coming in behind him. For someone so agile he's also an incredibly poor jumper. He looks like George Costanza sometimes when he's jumping

[calvoboy]

Gone to ****? Its never been good. Its been the one knock on him since early on in his career.

The excuse that he's out of position because he's so attacking doesn't fly either most of the time. You can tolerate that and our system is designed to support that, with the mids covering. But the majority of the time he is actually in position and is just totally oblivious that someone is coming in behind him. For someone so agile he's also an incredibly poor jumper. He looks like George Costanza sometimes when he's jumping

I agree. But what really, really ****s me off about all of this is that he's hardly being compared to Cafu or Roberto Carlos. His defending is the marginal weak-point of a world-class game, I can accept that. I can accept that, for example, he's weaker defensively than Kyle Walker if he was to be played at right back, though I'd argue Trent is infinitely better going forward.

But comparing him to Reece ****ing James, or Kyran ****ing Trippier? . Let's start analysing their games with the same level of detail and critical analysis that Trent gets from Neville and the Talksport cretins.

You don't win everything we've done, and get the consistent level of points in the league that we've got, with a glaring weakness at right-back. He's nowhere near as bad defensively as the hype would tell you, and is better than nearly all of the players that those criticising him would pick ahead of him.