England will have left Liverpool more confused than every over Trent Alexander-Arnold. The player will soon return from the World Cup.
England exited the World Cup this weekend as France beat them 2-1 in Qatar. It was a blow to the Three Lions, of course, who had a legitimate chance of winning the competition.
They bow out in the quarter-finals, though, having failed to find a second equaliser on Saturday. And we think that might just leave Liverpool confused – and possibly bitter.
The Reds had two players in that squad. Jordan Henderson was the first, who forced his way into the XI and rightfully earned praise from all corners. The other player, Trent Alexander-Arnold, didn’t come close to doing that.
But the Scouser played just a few minutes in this competition as Gareth Southgate never turned to him in any meaningful way. Which begs the question: why did he take him?
England refuse to use Trent Alexander-Arnold
This was always going to be a difficult season for major clubs. Most of their star players would disappear halfway through the campaign to play the most intense football possible. Then they’d return and try to complete the second-half of the season. It’s not just adding games to an already-packed season, it’s adding even more intense games.
Liverpool, though, had remarkably few players head to Qatar. They could make a competitive team out of players not going, in fact – and are the only club on the planet that could do so.
But in an ideal world, Liverpool would have had everyone stay at home and get rest. The only ‘positive’ of someone going is that they’d get the invaluable experience of playing at a World Cup.
Only, Alexander-Arnold didn’t get that. He only played a few minutes as his role in the squad wasn’t exactly clear. And after England lost to France without him playing, it’s even less clear.
The idea of taking the Scouser was surely that he was your best option when chasing a goal. Alexander-Arnold is, after all, statistically the most creative player in that squad. Only Gareth Southgate never turned to him – so why bring him? Did he by into the idea that Alexander-Arnold can’t play knockout games?
That has confused Jurgen Klopp before, with the Liverpool boss responding to those claims by pointing out how his right-back has won many finals. More than anyone in that squad but Henderson, in fact.
Saturday, with England needing a goal and controlling the ball, was absolutely the best possible time to throw Alexander-Arnold in. The fact that Southgate didn’t suggests he couldn’t trust the right-back to play knockout games or against Kylian Mbappé (despite him having played the Frenchman before and won).
But he didn’t use him in the group, either – so what was he waiting for? Why did Alexander-Arnold go to Qatar to sit on the bench, when he could have rested up with the likes of Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson?
Liverpool have every right to be more confused than ever after this one. Alexander-Arnold is a world-class player who has achieved incredible things with the Reds. England don’t seem to realise what they have, though, and they’ve ended up wasting his time this winter.
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