Jurgen Klopp noted that he clearly sees his star fullback Trent Alexander-Arnold in a different light than England boss Gareth Southgate following the defender’s omission from the national team.
The 23-year-old’s form has been called into question of late after a handful of clear defensive mistakes were made at the start of the campaign, most notably in clashes with Manchester United and Napoli.
“We are fine here because it is completely different. Obviously I see it differently, that’s clear,” the German told reporters at his pre-match press conference, as broadcast on the club’s website. “There are stories out there that all the time people talk about him and say that he is not a good defender. That is not true, he is a good defender.”
That said, the general nature of the right-back’s style of play, in particular his range on the pitch, is a requirement ultimately set by the manager.
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It is clear that certain aspects of the English game simply cannot be questioned as direct tactical instructions.
In that vein, it’s frustrating to see Alexander-Arnold criticized so often for leaving space behind him at the baseline when supporting our press and using his creativity further up the pitch.
There are clear bugs that he needs to iron out of his game, of course, though he’s not the only one experiencing a rough start in 2022/23.
Liverpool’s big problem may already have been resolved after Merson noted the international break advantage.
