A transfer to perennial Champions League winners Actual Madrid was imagined to afford Trent Alexander-Arnold a brand new begin, and but slightly over three months after departing Liverpool, acquainted questions are being requested of probably the most brilliantly esoteric proper again on the planet. Is he a greater slot in midfield than in protection? What ought to his function be with England?
That latter difficulty has reared its head as soon as extra with Thomas Tuchel opting towards calling up Alexander-Arnold for England’s World Cup qualifiers at residence to Andorra and away to Serbia. This was not an outright meting out with the Actual Madrid man, with Tuchel at pains to border this much less as a dropping and extra as “the second for him to settle and discover his rhythm” within the Spanish capital. The England supervisor had acknowledged that calling Alexander-Arnold into the June worldwide camp underestimated the non-public {and professional} challenges that had been confronted by a participant making the primary switch of his profession. Tuchel stays “an enormous fan of Trent.”
England vs. Andorra viewing info
- Date: Saturday, September 6 | Time: 12 p.m. ET
- Location: Villa Park — Birmingham, United Kingdom
- TV: FS2 | Stream: Fubo (Strive at no cost)
- Odds: England -3300; Draw +1800; Andorra +12500
All that may be true, however latest proof suggests that he’s additionally grappling with precisely how Alexander-Arnold matches into his aspect when the largest video games come round. Over the course of a home season, Alexander-Arnold has confirmed that the defensive weaknesses in his recreation are greater than offset by what he creates in possession. Over the 5 Premier League seasons previous to this one, solely Bruno Fernandes bettered Alexander-Arnold by way of anticipated assists. Nobody throughout the whole competitors accomplished extra passes into the attacking third. Jurgen Klopp and, to a barely lesser extent, Arne Slot constructed their ball development and probability creation plans round their proper again, shifting him upwards and inwards as a result of they knew he would give them extra targets from there than the opposition would declare by attacking the areas he vacated.
In knockout soccer, the calculus needs to be slightly completely different. Tuchel, a supervisor outlined by a cautious possession fashion, is aware of from expertise with Chelsea that in case your start line in a serious event is that you’re the crew who retains probably the most clear sheets, you’ve got an excellent probability of profitable. And so for all of the encouragement that he provided Alexander-Arnold final week, the German’s most telling feedback appear to have come earlier than the summer season video games the place he most well-liked Kyle Walker and an out-of-position Curtis Jones.
“This main affect that he had for Liverpool over so a few years … if he desires to have this affect within the English nationwide crew, then he has to take the defensive half very, very critically,” he mentioned. “As a result of after we are speaking, particularly about qualifying soccer, after which event soccer, the one defensive error, the one second the place you aren’t 100% awake, will be decisive. It may be the second the place you pack your suitcases and go residence.”
It has occurred to Alexander-Arnold earlier than. He was good in Liverpool’s run to the Champions League last in 2022 however fell asleep on the again put up halfway by the primary half, permitting Vinicius Junior to ghost previous him and rating the sport’s solely purpose. Would Tuchel flip to him in Serbia subsequent week, not to mention when it is infamy or glory subsequent summer season? The reply to that query is likely to be fairly completely different when England even have a revitalized Reece James and Tino Livramento accessible to them. Ben White’s England exile has additionally ended; had it not been for an harm suffered with Arsenal, he may nicely have entered the body this month.
Related challenges face Alexander-Arnold on the Santiago Bernabeu. Already, he has felt the sting of being dropped from the beginning XI, however is that basically a trigger for shock when Madrid’s different proper again is membership captain Dani Carvajal? There isn’t any nice trigger for concern over Alexander-Arnold’s long-term future — he carried out impressively on his return to the beginning XI towards Mallorca, denied an help solely by a VAR offside from Kylian Mbappe — however the England worldwide’s adaptation is already a speaking level within the Spanish press. He was labelled “timid” on his residence debut and his choices decried as “conservative.” As early because the Membership World Cup, questions had been being requested about whether or not the brand new signing’s long-term future is likely to be in central midfield, a dance as previous as Alexander-Arnold’s profession, regardless of that it appeared to be largely answered by his difficulties within the place at Euro 2024.
His supervisor, Xabi Alonso, has carried out loads to chill any points, insisting final month that having Carvajal and Alexander-Arnold vying for one spot is “wonderful for bettering the extent of the squad” and subsequently stating that he would make choices primarily based on the suitable skillset for every recreation. With doubtlessly 60 video games to play on the again of a Membership World Cup summer season, it is smart that many positions within the Madrid squad is likely to be fluid. That’s all of the extra true when Alexander-Arnold hurtled again from an ankle harm final season for his Liverpool farewell earlier than going straight into worldwide responsibility, a summer season event and a shortened summer season break that will have been crammed with the practicalities of shifting from Merseyside to Madrid.
Then once more, Alexander-Arnold will wish to change that. He has spoken about his ambitions to win the Ballon d’Or, and in a latest interview with GQ Spain, he mirrored on his “need to check myself in a brand new context.” He’s definitely getting that problem early on, however he will not be capable to win the largest particular person prizes within the recreation on a job share.
What can he do to make himself an undisputed starter for membership and nation? A step ahead defensively would probably assist, lessening the standard that Carvajal has over him and easing Tuchel’s doubts over how he fares within the largest worldwide video games. To his credit score, Alexander-Arnold did enhance final season when deployed in a extra conservative trend by Slot.
For now, nevertheless, final season has not modified the temper music round Alexander-Arnold. When the actions of the England supervisor recommend he shares the view of many skeptics, it’ll be arduous for Alexander-Arnold to reply some very acquainted questions.
