Jurgen Klopp has said that he had a word with Trent Alexander-Arnold about his passing during Liverpool’s win over West Ham United on Saturday.
The Liverpool manager told BBC Sport (2mins 27secs) that he wasn’t happy with how Trent was using the ball as his team protected a 1-0 lead in the last minutes of the game.
“We could have done better, there was a situation where we had a little word with Trent,” said Klopp.
“It was exactly in front of me and we just try to find the gap, but there’s five free players, it was like three and a half minutes into extra-time already so pass the ball there and we keep it,” he continued.
“But they had then still after that I’m pretty sure a set-piece or whatever. We have a lot of space for improvement.”
It was a nervy end to a tricky game for The Reds. West Ham made life difficult for Klopp’s team and arguably had the better chances to level or even win the game.
The three points were still on the line right up until the final moments. In a season where Liverpool haven’t always protected leads, it’s clear that Klopp wants more from his players in these situations.
Perhaps it explains why he so often feels the need to introduce James Milner’s experience late on in games. The 36-year-old was again utilised here, with just injury time to play.
Room for improvement for Trent
There aren’t many parts of his game that Alexander-Arnold needs to improve. Passing certainly isn’t one of them. In fact, he was probably Liverpool’s best player against West Ham.
But Klopp’s words serve as a reminder that this incredible footballer is still only 23-years-old. Given his importance to the side and that he has been a first-team player for so long, that’s easy to forget.
It’s a frightening prospect that the Scouser is yet to reach his ceiling. He is already arguably the best right-back in world football and is on his way to redefining the way the role can be played.
But having a manager who constantly pushes him to be even better is a large part of what has made Alexander-Arnold the player he is.
It also goes to show how strong his mentality is. Trent is maturing into a real leader for Liverpool and if he keeps displaying the same qualities, he is surely a future captain.
But for now, Klopp feels he can do even better.
His high-risk, high-reward passes often lead to goals being created for The Reds. As he so often does, he claimed the assist for Sadio Mane’s winner on Saturday night. His 11th Premier League assist of the season.
But there’s a time and a place to attempt those kind of balls. The manager obviously feels that isn’t when you’re 1-0 up with seconds remaining!
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