Trent Alexander-Arnold

[Exiled_red]

As crazy as it sounds I'd have Bradley ahead of Trent for the RB role.

And given our huge midfield creativity upgrade there's less requirement to have Trent in there too.

Which is all a bit daft considering TAA's ability but for the sake of the team, he'd be on the bench for me.

Hes a really conundrum, probably one of our best players. But doesnt fit anywhere if he doesnt want to play RB. Bradley is better defensively, but Trents game was so much more than that.

This is the issue for me, he is probably one of our best players technically, but in terms of fitting in a role in the current side it feels like there are currently better options.

I think he would probably be best suited to a Xabi Alonso type role the deep lying play maker. You think about Xabi he had a proper DM next to him (either Hamann or Mascherano) shich I think TAA would need in there. Problem is at the moment we don't play that way. In current midfield he could play the 6 role, maybe he could play one of the 8 roles but he probably stays deeper than the players who play there now.

I feel that his future very much depends onbtge new manager and how he wants to play, my feeling is new manager either builds a team around him or he moves on...

[Norbs]

Nope.


Everyone fully fit and my starting team, based on form and how balanced the team looked with them in it, would be

I agree with that team witg one exception, albeit now just hypothetical. I'd have a fit Matip ahead of Konate


-------------------Alisson---------------
Bradley----Konate------VVD------Gomez
-------------------Endo-------------------
-----MacAllister---------Jones-----------
Salah-----------Darwin-----------Jota



Darwin and Jota are pretty much sharing both the LW and ST spots and interchanging over and over throughout games in my line up. Was really impressed with how well they did that every time they were in the team together.

Bradley and Gomez take the full back slots as I think the back line is far more balanced with them there even though I think TAA and Robertson are more talented and/or more technical.

MacAllister providing some cover for the right flank when we are countered on that side, Jones doing the same for the left flank when needed. So an attack on the right when Bradley is in an advanced position, Endo shuttles right, Mac drops back. Rinse and repeat using Jones for the left.


When attacking Mac or Jones can supplement the right or left flank in attack and Endo pushes up into the position of whichever one has moved into a wider position. Probably Jones that would do this most often as he was doing it last season and again this season before his injury.

Endo/Mac/Jones I think is our best midfield trio and one that brings everything be it on the ball or off the ball.



That starting XI fully fit takes any team in the league for me.




Then come the summer bring in Tchouameni for the DM role , and Alphonso Davies (yeah gazzumping any move he has lined up with Real ) for LB using some of the 150m we got for TAA going to Real and we then rule the PL and CL.

[Angryred]

Maybe the new manager doesn't want someone else's problem so may get rid!

[Charly]

TAAs situational awareness fell apart last season. Its not that he was caught forward too often, but when he was back he would completely lose his mark on many occassions.

The midfield didnt help, as Hendos running stats were shocking. But the inveryed role didnt help as the attackers often got in behind. It was basically a **** season for Trent.

Previous he would be targeted but the times he got caught were more than offset by the atracking advantage he gave.

This season we persisted with the inversion, and perrsonally dont see that it is more effective than the advanced fullback. Indeed I think this is apparent when Bradley has played.

With better cover, it comes down to tactics to get the best out of TAA. Arguable whether this is the case.

[Cerbie]

TAAs situational awareness fell apart last season. Its not that he was caught forward too often, but when he was back he would completely lose his mark on many occassions.

The midfield didnt help, as Hendos running stats were shocking. But the inveryed role didnt help as the attackers often got in behind. It was basically a **** season for Trent.

Previous he would be targeted but the times he got caught were more than offset by the atracking advantage he gave.

This season we persisted with the inversion, and perrsonally dont see that it is more effective than the advanced fullback. Indeed I think this is apparent when Bradley has played.

With better cover, it comes down to tactics to get the best out of TAA. Arguable whether this is the case.

I thought they only started the inverted role in the Arsenal game at Easter?

100% agree Bradley has shown how effective the advanced fullback can be - especially when they are willing to bust a gut to get back.

[baitman]

I thought they only started the inverted role in the Arsenal game at Easter?

100% agree Bradley has shown how effective the advanced fullback can be - especially when they are willing to bust a gut to get back.

we saw how effective the full back role was when trent was a world class footballer.

[Cerbie]

we saw how effective the full back role was when trent was a world class footballer.

Why did we need to switch to the inverted fullback? Trent was doing his thing on the wing and we were being targeted down that side.

[Big-Red-Ed]

Gomez has been playing inverted in Trents absence but from the left side. So it looks like this is our new playing style and not something designed for Trents weaknesses and/or strengths. Also Bradley has been coming inside on a similar vein.

YNWA

[Charly]

Why did we need to switch to the inverted fullback? Trent was doing his thing on the wing and we were being targeted down that side.

Because Henderson wouldnt track back to cover him when he got forward. If you look at his running stats compared to the previous season, it was pretty rough.

And I think Elliott was making more tackles and interceptions by a margin iirc.

[The_weatherman]

Wait, are we like seriously discussing releasing our home grown, freakishly creative, vice captain?

[kingfunk]

Trent will be here next season, I have no doubt. Unfortunately my gut feeling is that Virgil won’t. I think he will want to try LaLiga for the last couple of years of his career.

[rudedog]

The motd analysis showed how Bradley was getting done by their winger early on, but in the second half he got tighter to the winger and snuffed him out completely.
Trent would still have been wandering around, having a little jog now and again, unaware of anyone behind him as usual

Wow, Trent now getting bashed for games he doesn’t even play in - where does this extreme dislike for the lad stem from?

[Doc_Piptorious]

Wait, are we like seriously discussing releasing our home grown, freakishly creative, vice captain?

He is entering the final 12 months of his contract soon, so yeah it will be and is a topic for folk.


Easiest way for there to be no conversation would be to have a new contract signed, but the "We will be discussing a contract soon" comments have been pushed out for the past 18 months now. Bit similar to how Michael Owen spent almost two years saying he would discuss a new contract soon, only it turned out that new contract was with Real Madrid.

And the Klopp is gone and he is waiting to see who the new manager is, is no real excuse as the talking about how he would get into contract talks soon was being said when we all thought Klopp had a few years left at the club.

If he has not signed a new contract by the start if June then we are in a position where he either goes in the summer or can sign a pre contract with a non PL club come January.

So the club and new manager would need to know by June 1st whether he is someone that can be included in long term plans or if he is someone that is just going to run down the remaining months of his contract and leave.

Him being local and super talented means nothing to Liverpool FC if he has it in his head that he is leaving on a free in just over 12 months.


The afore mentioned Owen was close to being a local and he left us in the lurch. McManaman was another local lad who walked on a free too after lots of talk about how he would look into a new contract soon and it got messy between him and the club when he hit the 10 month remaining stage with the club accepting bids for him and him just hanging around to see out his contract instead so he could go on a free.


Would much prefer if TAA has it in his head to leave that he says so to the club and tells them that he would be open to a move this summer or that he intends to just see out the final 12 months and then walk on a free. That way the club and manager could plan the team without factoring him in as a big part from this summer.

He signs a contract between now and the summer and all that goes away.

[danperkins]

It's interesting to see how Bradley develops, it's too small a sample size as yet to see if he is the answer to who's the future in that role. He had looked outstanding there though which must give us food for thought. Trent is incredibly talented but he also has lost a yard and isn't a great defender. Ideally sign a new contract, so if Bradley is the real deal, at least we'll get big money for Trent if he leaves.

[Doc_Piptorious]

It's interesting to see how Bradley develops, it's too small a sample size as yet to see if he is the answer to who's the future in that role. He had looked outstanding there though which must give us food for thought. Trent is incredibly talented but he also has lost a yard and isn't a great defender. Ideally sign a new contract, so if Bradley is the real deal, at least we'll get big money for Trent if he leaves.

He is poor defensively as a midfielder, but as an attacking (not inverted) right back he was not poor defensively imo.

An odd time he would get caught out of position when in his old role but that is something that happens to every attacking full back.

What he was in his old role he was good defensively and great offensively.

Bradley might go the other way I suspect in the RB role. Good offensively but potentially excellent defensively. I could even see Bradley in the future develop into an attacking RB that plays in a manner similar to Frimpong at Leverkusen or with a few tweaks similar to Hakimi.