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Trent’s England Performance Raises Pros and Cons in Midfield

It can often become a very tricky conversation between differing factions of the Liverpool fanbase, regarding Liverpool’s vice-captain, Trent Alexander-Arnold, as he continues to push his claim to be a full-time midfielder. The common placed deficiencies within the 25-year-old’s defensive game have been set aside by Gareth Southgate (for the time being), as he avoids the issue which has kept him on the fringes of the international scene for so long, by placing him into a midfield triangle. That trio comprises two other elite level players, Declan Rice, and Jude Bellingham. In essence, this is a sensational group that on paper offers a dynamic to emphatically tick most boxes. It would be hard to argue that Arsenal’s £105m signing of last summer, Rice, has not been one of the Premier League best midfielders in his debut campaign. The former West Ham skipper most certainly deserves to be in the conversation alongside the likes of Rodri, Alexis Mac Allister, and Bruno Guimarães, as out and out midfielders that have excelled for their clubs in the past season. My main concern (when it comes to the reservations swirling around the reds academy graduate), is not what he can offer on the ball, but the limitations and lack of pedigree he possesses off it.

Where Does England’s New Number Eight Lack as a Midfielder…?

Clearly, when the ridiculously talented and sublime performer is in possession of the ball, the ceiling is just about limitless in terms of what he can offer as a playmaker. In a midfield three where the dynamic is slightly altered, however, I could absolutely get on board with seeing the Merseyside hero alongside a ferocious ball winner, as well as a controlling midfielder. In the current iteration of England’s midfield, the Three Lions lack that both an out and out ball winner and a controlling entity, which will become a real issue against better sites. In the opening group stage game of England’s tournament, England’s new playmaker faced off against an ordinary Serbia side and despite putting on a good and eye-catching display, the 26-cap international was still guilty of giving up possession on the edge of his own box, something which may prove costly against a more clinical adversary.

Concerns About Off-Ball Awareness

It is the off-ball awareness and intelligence which worries me the most, especially when these tournament events could lead to the player championing middle role at Anfield next term. If Arnie were looking to build a new system (adjusted from his preferred 4-2-3-1 shape), it would demand a tackling machine placed at the heart of the midfield, to thereby allow Trent to push box to box, whilst the Argentina World Cup winner, Mac Allister, controlled the game-state. Such an eventuality would allow the Hungarian skipper, Dominik Szoboszlai, to move into the more offensive line as the potential Luis Díaz replacement.

The Challenge of a Double Pivot

In the likely event that the former Feyenoord head coach was to stick with his midfield double pivot, there is absolutely no way that Trent could play with either Dominic or Alexis as a pair. Any proposal from the Englishman (based upon these international performances) needs to have carefully prepared answers and a means of garnering what is best for the team, as well as the player. I suspect a resolution will be found and links to more robust left sided defenders will allow an actual possession based back three to release the vice-captain.

Preseason Preparations

In a few weeks, the club will open its doors once more for preseason training, where the new man in charge will have to manage the egos of certain players, including the home-grown hero, Trent Alexander Arnold.

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