Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has responded to Gary Neville’s criticism of right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold’s defensive performances.
The Liverpool man has been named in the final 26-man England squad alongside Manchester City’s Kyle Walker and Newcastle’s Kieran Trippier.
The right-back has received a lot of criticism for his defensive prowess, especially this season, in which he’s off to a pretty shaky start by his standards.
Among the critics has been Gary Neville. The former Manchester United full-back turned pundit recently said that England manager Gareth Southgate will not be able to trust Trent when the World Cup reaches the knockout stages. He told Sky Sports (via Daily Mail):
“It’s really difficult because his brilliance in the future is out of this world.”
‘How is England going to win or lose the World Cup? It will all come down to a moment, and right now, I can’t see how Gareth can get into a World Cup knockout game with Trent.
“I want this player to be the best right-back of all time, but today it looked like it might have cost Liverpool.”
“I think in the World Cup, he’s giving away a penalty. I don’t think Gareth trusts him in a knockout game and that may influence his decision to go or not.”
And Jurgen Klopp has now fired back at Gary Neville for his rather harsh criticism of the Trent. Of all the right-backs traveling to the World Cup, the Liverpool man has had the most experience in knockout matches at the highest level defending against top-class opponents and the Liverpool manager made sure to remind the Sky Sports pundit of that. . He said in his pre-match press conference (via Daily Mail):
‘I heard Gary Neville said something (about Trent). But he now he is 24 years old and he won quite a few finals, big games where you have to defend against world-class players.”
He was always there, defending well. I don’t know why we have this discussion.
“Trent is very laid back and plays the football he plays and tries to get better.”
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