On Friday, September 30, reporters asked Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp about Trent Alexander Arnold’s poor defending while on international duty with England, Klopp responded by pushing back the question.
The criticism that Trent Alexander-Arnold isn’t a decent defender has been largely ignored by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who has stated that the “world-class player” would always be in his team.
The Reds right-back is highly respected at Anfield, where he has won every trophy available by the age of 23. However, he is England’s fourth-choice defender.
With manager Gareth Southgate having made it apparent that Chelsea’s Reece James, Manchester City’s Kyle Walker, and Newcastle’s Kieran Trippier are ahead of the Liverpool man, questions have been raised as to whether or not Alexander-Arnold will make the final list for England’s 26-man World Cup squad.
The Reds right-back was overlooked once again by Gareth Southgate, who did not play him in either of England’s most recent matches.
Alexander-Arnold was a healthy scratch against Italy and then did not play at all against Germany.
With Southgate favoring a few other possibilities over the 23-year-old, the latter is understandably nervous about making the team for the World Cup.
The defender has rejoined his club and his club’s manager who knows how to get the most out of him after his disappointing experience with the national team.
Alexander-Arnold should return to the Liverpool lineup for this weekend’s game against Brighton at Anfield.
Although Klopp implied that the prevailing opinion concerning his player was inaccurate, he did confess that they were actively attempting to improve his already impressive consistency.
Southgate will be naming his 26-man squad for the World Cup in Qatar next month, and it remains to be seen if Alexander-Arnold will be cut off despite his heroics for Liverpool.
The England manager said earlier this week that Kieran Trippier’s all-around performance was better than that of his competitors for a starting position.
People continue to point out Alexander Arnold’s defensive shortcomings, but Klopp claims they are misinterpreting the situation and attributing them to Alexander-Arnold personally rather than the team as a whole.
Jurgen Klopp revealed during a pre-match interview that: “Since you guys always make such huge headlines out of these things, we can talk about the selections up until the World Cup begins.
“If I were completely honest, that would be front-page news. Typically, a manager will choose a squad. If I could do it over, I would change my mind.”
Klopp continued: “All of us are perfectly fine here; it’s an entirely new situation. My perception of Trent has changed. He is a good defender, despite what some may say, Arnold, doesn’t always play the position properly. He’s 23. It’s on our to-do list.”
