Alexander-Arnold the Liverpool and England right-back, who has been criticized for his defensive flaws, says playing in a particular position is “like playing with shackles on.”
Like Jurgen Klopp’s team as a whole, the 24-year-old has battled with form in the early stage of this season. On Sunday against Arsenal, he sustained an ankle injury.
In their first eight Premier League games, Liverpool has allowed 12 goals, and they have also let in goals in European competition.
Due to an ankle injury, he sustained during Liverpool’s 3-2 loss at the Emirates, he was taken off at halftime.
Alexander-Arnold is likely to be out for two to three weeks as a result, which would put his World Cup hope in doubt in November.
Recently, Alexander-Arnold broke his silence and described how he sees himself fitting into the Liverpool system.
However, Alexander-Arnold discussed his thoughts on his position on the field in an interview with GQ magazine ahead of the World Cup in Qatar.
He stated, “I never like to play the position; I play the game.
“You are constrained by the position you play. It’s like having chains on while playing.”
Jurgen Klopp’s 4-3-3 formation, which allows the full-backs to advance high up the pitch, has been quite effective for Liverpool.
However, Alexander-Arnold’s dedicated defense has come under scrutiny as a result of their recent defensive troubles.
Teams have begun to focus on Alexander-Arnold’s shortcomings, and because of Liverpool’s poor performance, his defensive flaws have been more exposed.
“I’ve always believed that playing the game, getting into situations that can affect the opposition, and doing the necessary defensive effort at the same time can be done with a clear head”, he said.
“Play the game as it should be played, as it is more.”
Alexander-Arnold believes England can win the World Cup, and he opposes FIFA’s proposal to change the World Cup’s frequency from every four to every two years.
“No, it just gets a little too routine. And that unique World Cup sense is lost,” he remarked.
“Teams wouldn’t change, and circumstances wouldn’t alter significantly.
“Whereas every four years, the squad goes through a completely new evolution. It merely takes a long time for things to happen, giving young players a better chance to succeed.”
If Alexander-Arnold wants to make Gareth Southgate’s England selection for the World Cup, he has a lot of work to do.
In England’s six UEFA Nations League games, he made only one start, and he didn’t even make the matchday squad for the 3-3 draw with Germany at Wembley last month.
His situation hasn’t been helped by a challenging start to the season with Liverpool. Before this Sunday’s home match against Manchester City, they are now in 10th place in the Premier League table with just two victories from their first eight games and 14 points behind the leaders.
Liverpool presently sits 14 points behind Arsenal at the top of the table, therefore Klopp has acknowledged that Liverpool is out of the title race.
