Trent ALEXANDER-ARNOLD: 2024/25

I have been thinking, yes I know that is rare.

Looking at Trent’s attributes, brilliant on the ball and see’s passes other can’t see and also has tremendous crossing ability.

These are more attributes what you see in a midfielder, i.e De Bruyne and I feel that pushing him to play at right back, when most of his time in the academy had been as a midfielder, has been the issue, as his weakness in defending is amplified. Maybe if he had stayed in midfield and learned in that role it would have been more beneficial in the long run.

I say all this knowing what we won and that at times Trent has been the best right back in his own way, but I feel that maybe he could have developed and been a better midfielder than a RB.

@sweeting did you see much of Trent in the academy sides when he was a midfielder and if so what are your thoughts

Hahahahaha, I can feel the seething anger in this!

In the la liga, there are probably at most 3-4 teams that can give it a good go at RM…The rest are a bit piss poor tbh…

I feel for Trent it is a hard decision for him and I think one of the guys on redmenTV said the best thing Trent could have said right at the beginning is “I will make a decision at the end of the season” and that’s both to LFC, Real Madrid and us. Then he could have concentrated on his football and there would be less of a backlash from his performances.

I just worry that if he has decided to go to Madrid that he will hold back and not give his all so that he doesn’t get injured, which appeared the case today from his performance.

Arne should be hauling him into the office tomorrow morning and telling Trent that he’s dropping him until a decision has been reached.

The only problem is that Conor has been injured, but he can build his match fitness in the two cup games before we play Forest.

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I have to agree but does that solve the problem, because if he has decided to leave and that then affects his performances, aren’t we better off accepting a fee now from Real Madrid?

I said it in Conor’s thread that we have to manage his minutes to build up his match fitness as hamstring injuries do tend to repeat themselves.

Definitely. I’d rather have the money than a player who isn’t giving his all.

Obviously, we would then have to buy our next RB, unless we recall Ramsay as Conor’s backup… but he hasn’t shown anything yet.

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There’s a big difference between a performance where the individual player has been shit and what Trent served up today.
I’ve seen any number of poor displays in the 50 years I’ve watched this team but that was fucking unacceptable in terms of attitude, effort and application.

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More weaknesses in his game than not, ever since the likes of Fab and Hendo could no longer cover for him (something which he takes for granted with his deplorable attitude), he looks a shadow of his former self. I’m in full support of the decision to let him depart in the summer.

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Trent , defensively this season , has been very good (barring the shitshow the last match)

I’m alright with him leaving for Madrid. But doesn’t take away anything from what he’s done this season.

He will get the treatment from Slot and he will come back better the next match.

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I know Arne mentioned Gravenberch not helping Trent positionally, but what about Mo, he never tracked back once, I know his output at the other end is important but compared to our left side attackers he is getting a free ride defensively.

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Mo was occupying their left CB which leaves Trent 1 on 1 with Diogo Dalot…Guess who won the battle of the wingbacks yesterday?

However, Trent was 2 v 1 and on many occasions Dalot was engaging Mo and also running off him with no effort from Mo to track back.

When you are struggling defensively everyone should be helping out especially when two thirds of their attacks were down our right.

Although Trent was poor I think Slot got our shape and tactics wrong

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Yeah, atrocious, I mean he didn’t improve or show how he can play defensively at all through most of the other games he played this season, did he?

The sentiment has absolutely nothing to do with the rumours around Real Madrid, I"m sure.

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The most disgraceful thing is really fans not admitting that the Real Madrid rumours are unsettling them not the player.

As I said in the post-match thread, if the big news of the week was him signing a six-year contract, and this performance still happens, there wouldn’t be half this overreaction. So many people are just acting like someone who thinks their partner is going to leave them and starts imagining every single action as a slight against them.

Get a grip.

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my daughter brought it up that around the halfway point of the second half trent ended up in the hoardings in the attacking end ( we thought it was a corner, but it was a goal kick to UTD) and he grabbed his face, then he had the look in his face of someone who had been slapped…maybe hes hit his head?

i havent watched the game again but i dont remember really thinking he was stinking the joint out until the last twenty or so…

maybe theres something in that?

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You can’t demand to be the third highest earner and not be trusted to close out games like this. Those kinds of salaries should be reserved for irreplaceable players. Salah and Van Dijk are those kinds of players but Trent isn’t.

He’s still a good player who is contributing to this season’s success, but other players are far more impactful than he is. If he stays that’s great, but if he goes he can be replaced.

Well, he’s getting them out of the woodwork at least.

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I wonder how he compares in this aspect to his previous seasons but taken in isolation, this doesn’t paint a pretty picture of his defensive ability.

I’ve been saying for a while, he’s not been at his best since 2021/22 finished. There are multiple reasons for that, known or unknown to us, but I’m desperate for him to be the best he can be for Liverpool and end his career a one club man, so that English media can shut their trap.

That performance last night, though… I can remember only one that was worse by a Liverpool defender and it was Lovren’s at Tottenham in 2017. It was also a culmination of months of poor or at least inconsistent form that led to Van Dijk’s signing.

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I was at that game, in the Spurs end with my Spurs supporting brother

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You’re correct, the Madrid rumours have absolutely nothing to do with it.

I’ve had issues with TAA’s defensive abilities for over 18 months. Before a ball was kicked this season I said I’d start with Connor Bradley at RB.
Things have come to a head, unless AS addresses the problem it will cost us dear as teams continue to waltz through our defence down the right hand side.