Roy Keane discussed the Liverpool player in the most recent Stick to Football podcast episode from The Overlap.
Particularly when it comes to his offensive contributions, Trent Alexander-Arnold is having a fantastic season with Liverpool.
With two goals and nine assists in all competitions so far, the 25-year-old has made an impact.
The full-back has benefited greatly lately from Jurgen Klopp allowing him to roam freely into midfield.
Nonetheless, Roy Keane is the most recent expert to weigh in on what he perceives to be Alexander-Arnold’s weakness—the defensive aspect of his game, which continues to be a source of criticism.
Trent’s “how bad” defensive play leaves Keane speechless.
When Jamie Carragher was asked who he thought was the player of the year thus far by Gary Neville on The Overlap, Carragher answered.
The legendary player for Liverpool stated, “I believe Trent Alexander-Arnold would be close to the top.”
“It is astounding how poor he is at defending,” Keane shot back. For a player with a lot of experience, it appears as though he has never played the position previously.
The number of people that simply walk by him is astounding. He’s brilliant when he has it.
Alexander-Arnold does occasionally struggle defensively, there’s no denying it. He may have defensive shortcomings, but they are greatly outweighed by his attacking-third contributions to this Liverpool team.
Though he is now flourishing in that inverted role, there have been suggestions for Klopp to employ the full-back in midfield.
We believe that Alexander-Arnold’s defensive ability isn’t quite as lacking as many commentators would have you believe.
Naturally, he finds it difficult to handle crafty wingers, particularly in one-on-one matches. But he also does a great job of getting the ball back for Liverpool in risky situations.
It wouldn’t be shocking if he eventually switched to a midfield position. He has, however, been a major contributor to Liverpool’s outstanding season opening half and is currently flourishing in his new role.
