Trent Alexander-Arnold

[red g]

Your right Kenneth.

Few put a ball 'in the mixer' better than him either.

But seriously what the **** is up? Were we all blinded with his attacking prowess over the last few years, I swear for all his attacking ability I thought he was 'ok' defensively once upon a time.

He is probe to several lapses every game now. Looks like he has never played RB most of the time.

[Fosterbloke]

Perhaps it's because VVD is on the start of his decline and therefore spends more time focusing on his game than guiding others through theirs.

[Fredo]

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.

You need to seriously ask yourself why you’d pick up on one of our own. He played well yesterday and apart from a few mistakes when he had to backtrack and do a bit of last ditch risky defending, he was good. He plays to his strengths and his strengths are passing and playing forward. The team need to offer him protection and as a team they need to work it better when we have situations when he is in a position to attack, and be a bit more protective with the ball or with our defensive positioning. But some of this stuff might be too complicated for some of you.

[Fredo]

Also at time, it was clear Spurs targeted that side trying to overload the position and having runners in behind while their left wing back stretching the play. Considering all that, I find it hard to believe no one sees that he’s done ok.

[Slinky Skills]

You need to seriously ask yourself why you’d pick up on one of our own. He played well yesterday and apart from a few mistakes when he had to backtrack and do a bit of last ditch risky defending, he was good. He plays to his strengths and his strengths are passing and playing forward. The team need to offer him protection and as a team they need to work it better when we have situations when he is in a position to attack, and be a bit more protective with the ball or with our defensive positioning. But some of this stuff might be too complicated for some of you.

That may be so but he doesn't help himself by ****ing around with the ball in stupid places, his first touch is woeful and he also does himself over by continously getting skinned every two seconds and then gives away stupid ****ing fouls. He's a defender first and foremost regardless of how good is passing range is. If he can't or won't defend properly then his position needs to be evaluated and he should be moved further up the pitch.

[Rafa Justice]

Your right Kenneth.

Few put a ball 'in the mixer' better than him either.

But seriously what the **** is up? Were we all blinded with his attacking prowess over the last few years, I swear for all his attacking ability I thought he was 'ok' defensively once upon a time.

He is probe to several lapses every game now. Looks like he has never played RB most of the time.

The CL final goal, the United goal, countless other times he's lost runners or been caught ball watching. He'd get away with these things if those games were won I'm sure. 18 PL/CL games this season and zero assists. His form has dropped off a cliff so of course he's open to criticism.

[Cerbie]

The CL final goal, the United goal, countless other times he's lost runners or been caught ball watching. He'd get away with these things if those games were won I'm sure. 18 PL/CL games this season and zero assists. His form has dropped off a cliff so of course he's open to criticism.

Opposition teams have really exploited his defensive weaknesses this season. There were 3 or 4 passes out of the right back position when we were under the cosh that went straight back to Spurs for them to maintain the pressure. All he had to do was pass it to a red shirt to give the defence a break.

I think the only reason Spurs didn’t have more joy down their left was that Konate was in full beast mode. He was even stepping up to RDM at times to snuff out any threats.

Credit to him tho, it was his switching of play that led to the first goal.

[baitman]

If you watch the harry kane goal, Trent was standing in the goal area watching the play on the right wing our left, and he was oblivious to another attacker who was coming in behind him. If kane's shot was a cross then trent would have been caught out yet again.
No one notices because it wasn't critical as kane scored anyway, but it shows how often trent is drifting through games and has little awareness of what's going on around him.
To expect our midfield to continually do his defensive work for him is adding to the pressure and lack of balance of our midfield.
It's not like trent was still upfield after making an attacking run, he's in the goal area and still can't look around and go and pick up a spare attacker.

The coaching team really need to be giving him a number 1 buzz cut and get his mind right asap!

[Venton]

I get that the tactics we use mean he's going to be out of position now and again. The benefits outweigh the risks most of the time because he is so good going forward. I don't mind that from time to time it's going to cause an issue. It's the basic defensive lapses that get me - losing his man easily, losing the flight of the ball, and most unforgivably for me turning his back on a shot and waggling his foot out to the side like he's doing some song and dance routine. That's really basic stuff and boils my piss massively.

I forgot sometimes he's a young lad and he's played a lot of football in the last few years. He's been given a step up in responsibility and made a senior member of the squad. Maybe he needs a bit of a break to recharge.

[Irishnev]

I get that the tactics we use mean he's going to be out of position now and again. The benefits outweigh the risks most of the time because he is so good going forward. I don't mind that from time to time it's going to cause an issue. It's the basic defensive lapses that get me - losing his man easily, losing the flight of the ball, and most unforgivably for me turning his back on a shot and waggling his foot out to the side like he's doing some song and dance routine. That's really basic stuff and boils my piss massively.

I forgot sometimes he's a young lad and he's played a lot of football in the last few years. He's been given a step up in responsibility and made a senior member of the squad. Maybe he needs a bit of a break to recharge.

It’s the (seeming) lack of effort - the defensive lapses can be worked on (ideally), positioning can be worked on…..but this lazy jogging/walking when we are under the cosh us infuriating. It’s like he doesn’t give a ****

[RichC]

I get that the tactics we use mean he's going to be out of position now and again. The benefits outweigh the risks most of the time because he is so good going forward. I don't mind that from time to time it's going to cause an issue. It's the basic defensive lapses that get me - losing his man easily, losing the flight of the ball, and most unforgivably for me turning his back on a shot and waggling his foot out to the side like he's doing some song and dance routine. That's really basic stuff and boils my piss massively.

I forgot sometimes he's a young lad and he's played a lot of football in the last few years. He's been given a step up in responsibility and made a senior member of the squad. Maybe he needs a bit of a break to recharge.

As that side gets targeted a fair bit I think he could also do with some more help, Elliott and Mo aren't going to be offering too much of that.

All season I've felt our right side was off but we're pretty light on options to try and shore it up at the moment.

[Doc_Piptorious]

I get that the tactics we use mean he's going to be out of position now and again. The benefits outweigh the risks most of the time because he is so good going forward. I don't mind that from time to time it's going to cause an issue. It's the basic defensive lapses that get me - losing his man easily, losing the flight of the ball, and most unforgivably for me turning his back on a shot and waggling his foot out to the side like he's doing some song and dance routine. That's really basic stuff and boils my piss massively.

I forgot sometimes he's a young lad and he's played a lot of football in the last few years. He's been given a step up in responsibility and made a senior member of the squad. Maybe he needs a bit of a break to recharge.

In previous seasons they most certainly did.

Zero assists and a lower chance creation per game so far this season says that so far this season that is not ringing true.

The midfield plays a part of course in some of the times he is left exposed but at the same time it is not the job of the midfield to constantly cover for the right back's defensive duties. He needs to be working with the players around him to create that defensive unit.

He is, imo of course, playing a bit like how Gerrard was before Rafa moved him out to RM for the guts of a season. Still trying to do the difficult stuff, still trying to pull off the long range passes but neglecting a lot of the basic warts and all side of the game.

Right now though his very much reduced attacking output is one of a number of issues the team appears to have. He is not the only issue of course, or even the main one imo, but at present he is one of a number who are adding to our defensive woes whilst not really adding a lot at the other end either.

Three points against Southampton next weekend (along with a win against Derby midweek as a bit of a bonus) and we can go into the six week break for the Sportswash cup with a chance for a number of players to recharge and the coaching staff getting a chance to reset hopefully.

[Fivex]

Remember we used to do that peripheral vision training with that mad machine?

Maybe it’s broken.

[el matador]

No doubt Trent is a very talented player but right back doesn’t feel like his position. His numbers are off the scale but in terms of assists is Robbo actually that far behind? With respect to Robbo he’s clearly one of the best left backs in the world but he doesn’t have Trent vision or range of passing but it pretty much level with him when it comes to assists.

So do our fullbacks get assists because of our system or it because of their individual genius. How many assists does Trent actually get because of his extra quality where you think that another fullback would struggle to replicate that?

Maybe two / three a season that another fullback wouldn’t get. Now look at the goals he costs us (maybe five or so a season) and think could another talented fullback in the Robbo mould be a better option for us.

Give us nearly as many assists without giving up the goals he does.

[Doc_Piptorious]

No doubt Trent is a very talented player but right back doesn’t feel like his position. His numbers are off the scale but in terms of assists is Robbo actually that far behind? With respect to Robbo he’s clearly one of the best left backs in the world but he doesn’t have Trent vision or range of passing but it pretty much level with him when it comes to assists.

So do our fullbacks get assists because of our system or it because of their individual genius. How many assists does Trent actually get because of his extra quality where you think that another fullback would struggle to replicate that?

Maybe two / three a season that another fullback wouldn’t get. Now look at the goals he costs us (maybe five or so a season) and think could another talented fullback in the Robbo mould be a better option for us.

Give us nearly as many assists without giving up the goals he does.

Think the list of RBs/RWBs who could give the sort of assist return TAA has given us the past three or four seasons is a very short list.

He has gotten double figures in assists in the league alaon in three of the past four seasons and the season he did not get double figures in the league he still got 7 assists.

That is rarified air for a full back in any of the top two or three leagues tbh.

Reece James for example has managed 9 league assists once in the past four seasons and no better than 2 in any of the other ones.


Cancelo got seven once in the PL and 3 in a season is his next best tally.


Only guy that I think would be a close to like for like replacement for TAA on form would be Hakimi on form as the latter has managed a good assist output from RB/RWB (and plays in sort of a similar quarter back role to TAA ) on a regular basis in the Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1