Liverpool £180k p/w Star Is Performing Well In New Position
Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold is showing ‘encouraging signs’ in his new role under Jurgen Klopp, says journalist Pete O’Rourke.
What’s the latest news involving Trent Alexander-Arnold?
Alexander-Arnold has been used in an inverted full-back role against Arsenal, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest for Liverpool recently, enabling him to step into the midfield area and influence play, resulting in the 24-year-old claiming four assists in his last three matches, as per Transfermarkt.
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As per The Liverpool Echo, Reds manager Klopp spoke to the media about his usage of Alexander-Arnold in this position, saying:
“In each position he played for us, Trent was always a super-important player. This now slightly advanced role suits him in the moment really well.
“It’s good, it’s a challenge for everyone else to cover the spaces when we lose the ball theoretically, but with him there we didn’t lose that many balls, which was helpful as well.”
WhoScored has shown the impact of the positional switch on his performance levels, as Alexander-Arnold has recorded a match rating of 7.88/10 vs Arsenal, 8.47 vs Leeds United and 7.44 against Nottingham Forest, respectively.
The £180k-a-week ace has adapted well to the tactical tweak by Klopp and has impressed his Liverpool teammate Virgil van Dijk with his ability to foray into central areas.
As cited by The Liverpool Echo, Netherlands international stated: “It’s a work in progress but we all like it. We all have to be able to change in times and sometimes Trent has to drop, whereas sometimes he has to go higher.”
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist O’Rourke thinks that the change in role for Alexander-Arnold can only have a positive impact at Anfield moving forward.
O’Rourke said: “So this new role looks like it might suit him, it gets him further up the pitch where he can maybe create things for other people as well. It’s still a work in progress, I think.
“Obviously, it’s pretty new to Liverpool and obviously to Alexander-Arnold. A lot of time still to perfect it as well. Encouraging signs for Jurgen Klopp and everyone connected with Liverpool.”
Should Trent Alexander-Arnold be deployed in this role for the foreseeable future?
It’s hard to argue against the possibility of Alexander-Arnold being utilised permanently there for the foreseeable future, given that his license to roam has afforded him more frequent opportunities to express his creative qualities.
There has been a lot of criticism directed at the defender’s ability to actually defend this season but his quality going forward has been undeniable with over 3.7 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (via FBref).
Furthermore, when done correctly, you only need to look at reigning Premier League champions Manchester City to see how successful operating with inverted full-backs can be.
Of course, there is an adaptation process to get used to that can go wrong if the left and right flanks aren’t appropriately covered from a defensive perspective; nevertheless, playing in this style also helps to isolate attackers one-on-one with the opposition defence, which isn’t a position many would feel comfortable in against the likes of Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo or Luis Diaz, for example.
With Klopp seemingly in a mood to test drive new tactical theories ahead of next term, he may have found one that could be massively beneficial to Liverpool in the long run.
