Trent Alexander-Arnold

[SB]

It’d be interesting to see how he goes without as much defensive responsibility because he is very attack minded.

[baitman]

Needs a proper hair cut and to get off the bong.

[Doc_Piptorious]

It’d be interesting to see how he goes without as much defensive responsibility because he is very attack minded.

Only way he would have less defensive responsibility playing in midfield for us would be if Klopp changed how we played and gave him a free roving AM role.

If he played in the most obvious CM position for him, the RCM role, then his defensive duties would go from being 180 degrees in scope to being 360 degree and he would be expected to track midfield runners as well as tracking runners on the right flank/helping the RB.

I think if you were forced to change his position then the obvious change would be to put in in a RM role with a high level RB behind him. That way you do not get to curb his attacking instincts but you make him the secondary defensive option on that flank rather than the primary one.

Still think he would lose a lot of his attacking effectiveness in an advanced role though. IMO a lot of why he used to get so many assists and created so many chances came down to him being able to arrive from deep on the right flank after Salah and others had drawn defenders and midfielders to them, allowing TAA to steam up the pitch and pick a pin point pass or cross.

Think if he were to play in a more advanced role be it in the middle or out wide, that he would not be as effective if he was on the receiving end of the same sort of double marking the likes of Salah gets.

For me the way to improve our midfield is simple. Don't move our right back to lay there and instead just buy a quality midfielder to play in midfield. Revolutionary right?

[SB]

Only way he would have less defensive responsibility playing in midfield for us would be if Klopp changed how we played and gave him a free roving AM role.

If he played in the most obvious CM position for him, the RCM role, then his defensive duties would go from being 180 degrees in scope to being 360 degree and he would be expected to track midfield runners as well as tracking runners on the right flank/helping the RB.

I think if you were forced to change his position then the obvious change would be to put in in a RM role with a high level RB behind him. That way you do not get to curb his attacking instincts but you make him the secondary defensive option on that flank rather than the primary one.

Still think he would lose a lot of his attacking effectiveness in an advanced role though. IMO a lot of why he used to get so many assists and created so many chances came down to him being able to arrive from deep on the right flank after Salah and others had drawn defenders and midfielders to them, allowing TAA to steam up the pitch and pick a pin point pass or cross.

Think if he were to play in a more advanced role be it in the middle or out wide, that he would not be as effective if he was on the receiving end of the same sort of double marking the likes of Salah gets.

For me the way to improve our midfield is simple. Don't move our right back to lay there and instead just buy a quality midfielder to play in midfield. Revolutionary right?

That’s the reasoning right there. Get a good quality RB behind him so we are more solid at the back but maintain utilising his attacking nouse . He may or may not be successful there but against a lesser side it might be worthwhile testing him out.

[Irishnev]

That’s the reasoning right there. Get a good quality RB behind him so we are more solid at the back but maintain utilising his attacking nouse . He may or may not be successful there but against a lesser side it might be worthwhile testing him out.

Jaco is on the money here, if we played 4-4-2 then this would make a lot of sense

[SB]

Jaco is on the money here, if we played 4-4-2 then this would make a lot of sense

But we have been toying with 442 , 442 diamond etc & Trent has been ordinary defensively im sure you’d agree. Hopefully having Ramsay fit might give him a wake up call.

[Doc_Piptorious]

But we have been toying with 442 , 442 diamond etc & Trent has been ordinary defensively im sure you’d agree. Hopefully having Ramsay fit might give him a wake up call.

Think what Nev is saying is that if we played 442 then putting TAA at RM with a quality RB behind him would potentially make sense rather than putting TAA at RB in a 442.

For me it as simple as said earlier. Put quality into CM, specifically RCM. Guys who are mobile, tactical, and capable of covering when we are on the back foot and pushing on when we are on the ball.

Take Laimer for example. He is a full backs dream to have in midfield. He covers his full back all game long, has that habit of getting a toe in to nick the ball away when an attack breaks, can chase all game long if he has to but also positions himself well enough that he does not have to be reactive. Compared him before to a prime Sven Bender albeit a bit quicker and that is how I still see him. He can play at DM or RCM as well.

Or if you want to go up a number of levels, put Barella at RCM. Really skillful, can drive play forward through force of effort, can do the silky skill stuff and create, but when his team is on the back foot he tracks runners through the middle and those on the right flank, he is tenacious, busts a gut to stop the other team and then argues the toss constantly with refs (something I think we are "too nice" at at times.

If midfield has issues, you fix the issues with midfielders and not go down the square pegs in round holes route.

[Charly]

He has played sucessfully there for 5 seasons. Its not like we have been suddenly worked out. He is just playing ****, like most of the midfield and the entire right flank

[Paul12]

He has played sucessfully there for 5 seasons. Its not like we have been suddenly worked out. He is just playing ****, like most of the midfield and the entire right flank

Most players in the squad are both out-of-form and looking leggy, and the lack of cover from midfield is showing defensive weaknesses up at the moment. Nevertheless, Trent gives the impression at the moment of not trying to work on the weaknesses that go beyond form and legginess; such as positioning, awareness of the attackers around him when he is defending, and even basic stuff like body position and side from which you tackle a player. His amazing talents have taken him far, but if he wants to push on he has to show a greater willingness to work on weaknesses. Simply moving him to another position on the pitch is not an answer if application is lacking.

[Fuzzy]

[ame]https://twitter.com/Biggies_MaIIs/status/1588630409696661504[/ame]

Let's not forget about this. From right back as well. He is an absolute treasure and I hope Klopp can figure out soon how the entire team could play more to his strengths.

[SB]

Think what Nev is saying is that if we played 442 then putting TAA at RM with a quality RB behind him would potentially make sense rather than putting TAA at RB in a 442.

For me it as simple as said earlier. Put quality into CM, specifically RCM. Guys who are mobile, tactical, and capable of covering when we are on the back foot and pushing on when we are on the ball.

Take Laimer for example. He is a full backs dream to have in midfield. He covers his full back all game long, has that habit of getting a toe in to nick the ball away when an attack breaks, can chase all game long if he has to but also positions himself well enough that he does not have to be reactive. Compared him before to a prime Sven Bender albeit a bit quicker and that is how I still see him. He can play at DM or RCM as well.

Or if you want to go up a number of levels, put Barella at RCM. Really skillful, can drive play forward through force of effort, can do the silky skill stuff and create, but when his team is on the back foot he tracks runners through the middle and those on the right flank, he is tenacious, busts a gut to stop the other team and then argues the toss constantly with refs (something I think we are "too nice" at at times.

If midfield has issues, you fix the issues with midfielders and not go down the square pegs in round holes route.

Obviously I didn’t explain myself well enough but yeah I’m agreeing that when we play 442 TAA at RM would require a dedicated RB behind him & thats maybe where he’d shine. Anyway it’s not gonna happen but it’d be interesting IMO.

[baitman]

https://twitter.com/Biggies_MaIIs/st...30409696661504

Let's not forget about this. From right back as well. He is an absolute treasure and I hope Klopp can figure out soon how the entire team could play more to his strengths.

Who did that diagram, Trents mum

[Cormack74]

Watching him defend (not defend) I can't help wondering what the coaches do all week?

[baitman]

In the 93rd minute when we were defending for our lives he is ball watching by Joe Gomez and leaves their left winger along out wide, the ball then gets played to the winger who puts in a good cross...
For all the "greatest of his generation" bollocks he has now become a serious liability and needs a serious kick up his big arse.

[Kenneth]

Nobody picks out a cross-field pass to a runner better than him though.