Trent Alexander-Arnold

[Baltar]

He was magnificent. I didn't think he'd cope in such a big game against a world class opponent but delighted to be proven wrong. Would love him to keep that level of consistency, he could become a hell of a player in a few years.

[Numero Veinticinco]

Brilliant.

[magicrat]

Zero to hero.  He's 19 years old and stepped up brilliantly last night but I daresay he will have off days again the future. Just hope we don't get the OTT reaction when that happens,  This lad is a great talent and along with Robbo can finally ensure we have 2 first class FB's going forward. Another CB and possibly keeper and our defence is looking very solid. 

[Rotpeter]

What’s his natural position?

 

He was playing in midfield at the academy.  Him and Critchley worked out there were too many midfielders in front of him to be able to realistically break into the first team.  So they decided if he wanted to be in the 1st team it would need to be somewhere else.  So they put together a plan for him to transition to right back where he'd get more opportunities.

 

Bravo TAA and Bravo Critchley and Bravo Klopp for making it happen.

[moof]

He's a right back, he's played every match for the first team at right back and he looks good at right back.

He’s gonna look even better at centre mid in a few years.

[Manny]

Weirdly I wasn't that worried about him last night, as most of the "targeting" of him hasn't necessarily been of him in particular, it's more the space that's vacated when his nearest CB goes for (and loses) an aerial duel with a big grock - quick players can take extreme advantage cutting in from there. Man City don't have a big grock forward who can win all the headers though, so he was less likely to be having to react to off the ball movement into big spaces (which he's struggled at a little) and more likely to be having to stand up against a winger one vs one.

 

I think he's always been good at that, but fuck me - he did it better and then some last night against one of the top couple of dribblers in the league. And he did it all under immense pressure in an absolute cauldron. What a fucking player.

 

The way we play with full backs basically owning a flank, and being the only players who routinely cross the ball, I see no reason why he couldn't become our first choice right back for years to come. Just imagine him when he fills out and gets a bit more experience. Woof.

[Aventus]

Bit of pointing, and a bit of passion.

 

Good lad.

[Grinch]

Still can't believe how easily he man handled Sane.  The latter didn't even want the ball near the end of the match.

[Ne Moe Imya]

Trent's performance last night was excellent, and I hate to pour cold water on anything to do with him when he's been that good ... but I have to say, I think people are going over the top with it a bit.

 

For me, the biggest difference between Alexander-Arnold against United a couple of weeks ago and him against City last night was the assistance he received. Against United, you saw what happens when you put a fullback "on an island" one-on-one with a pacy attacker. What happens is he's going to get beat, no matter how good he is. Lovren was miles away from him that game, and Henderson and Can were giving him nothing at all.

 

Last night, I think Klopp went into the game saying "whatever else happens, get over to support Trent." Guardiola practically sacrificed their whole game plan, everything that makes them good, just to get Sane in one-on-one against Trent. And if we'd supported him the way we did against United, he'd probably have been beat 3-4 times, they'd have scored a couple of goals from it and it would have worked a dream for Pep.

 

Instead, you saw Oxlade-Chamberlain in particular, but Hendo too on a couple of occasions, just IMMEDIATELY get over in support whenever the ball went out wide to Sane. That meant Trent could face up to him secure in the knowledge that he just had to push him either back into the centre or into his teammate, and that made all the difference.

 

Don't get me wrong - Trent still had to stand strong and make it happen, and he absolutely did. It's just that he was never one-on-one with Sane, unlike how he was against Rashford, and thus when he played well our system just shut them down.

 

The best part was that given how Guardiola had been licking his chops at the prospect of that matchup and had shut down their whole team to make it happen as much as possible, once it was clear he wasn't getting any joy they just had nowhere to turn. So by all means, we should give Trent massive credit, but for me Oxlade-Chamberlain (and to a lesser extent Jordan) should be sharing that credit as well.

[LFC 6 Times]

Fucking came of age tonight, that is the moment that the boy became a man, The best fullback performance by a Liverpool fullback I've seen in my lifetime, City's whole game plan revolved around targeting Trent and I lost count of how many times Otamendi hit Sane on the left and Trent didn't give him a sniff. Well in Lad.

[Jay86]

Clearly targeted him with a shit load of balls switched from left to right, he gave Sane hell all night, well in!

 

People saying his criticism was over the top, no it wasn’t and in a way it’s testament to him that lots of people pulled him up on his mistakes and didn’t use the ‘he’s young‘ card because he’s no longer viewed as a youth player he’s a proper first team member. He’s made two telling fuck ups lately and then made it up to everyone with his performance yesterday, he was MOTM for me.

[Mathewbet1]

A young Steven Gerrard in my mind very similar.

[Jose Jones]

He’s gonna look even better at centre mid in a few years.

In 2030 when he's captained us to our 10th league title in a row all from right back, I'm going to bump this thread and you will look very silly.

[Tourt]

Paul Joyce wrote in today's rag that in January, when Liverpool were pushing to bring forward Keita's transfer from Leipzig, the German club responded with an offer of their own.

 

If we sold Trent to them, they would release Keita early.

Liverpool declined the offer.

 

If true, that's some tribute.

[Numero Veinticinco]

Paul Joyce wrote in today's rag that in January, when Liverpool were pushing to bring forward Keita's transfer from Leipzig, the German club responded with an offer of their own.

 

If we sold Trent to them, they would release Keita early.

Liverpool declined the offer.

 

If true, that's some tribute.

I'd have sold Trent to them. In two years. For 100m. Per leg. Money up front.

[Gym Beglin]

Can't wait to see what he's got in his locker as a CM, because apparently he's better there than at RB.

 

 

Fair fucks to the lad, he had a nightmare against Palace, looked like his head had gone, but he drove the team against City, a la Gerrard. Fairytale stuff. Real deal.

[Gym Beglin]

Bet 365, there is a market called 'to be in Finals squad', and it's a list of England players and their odds of getting picked.

 

Injuries not withstanding, it's free money in some cases, like:

 

Oxlade Chamberlain 1.10

Henderson 1.12

 

But can't help but notice Trent Alexander Arnold is at 6.00 (aka 5/1) to be picked.

 

Which seems patently redicolous, especially considering that Gomez is injured.

[Aventus]

Can't wait to see what he's got in his locker as a CM, because apparently he's better there than at RB.

 

 

Fair fucks to the lad, he had a nightmare against Palace, looked like his head had gone, but he drove the team against City, a la Gerrard. Fairytale stuff. Real deal.

There we go then, for the second leg slot Clyne in at right back, put Trent in midfield to replace Henderson.

 

Laughing.

[chrisbonnie]

Can't wait to see what he's got in his locker as a CM, because apparently he's better there than at RB.

 

 

Fair fucks to the lad, he had a nightmare against Palace, looked like his head had gone, but he drove the team against City, a la Gerrard. Fairytale stuff. Real deal.

I'm not for 1 minute saying this lad is the new Steven Gerrard.

 

But his path has been behind similar.

 

I'd actually go as far as saying at 19, tent is ahead of where Gerrard was at 19.

 

Here's hoping the trajectory stays the same [emoji7]

[Gym Beglin]

Feels like Trent needs to fill his shirt a little bit before he can have a midfield role, but maybe he's just wearing a baggy shirt...

 

Also, I'm not totally convinced that his best position is in the middle of the park, because he's got great stamina and pace, and he really thrives when he's got grass ahead of him to run into, which he wouldn't get in midfield.

 

But get on that 5/1 price. He's being talked about a lot now, and Southgate is a big fan of using the U21 players, I think him and Walker are great choices for that RB role.

[El Rojo]

Clearly targeted him with a shit load of balls switched from left to right, he gave Sane hell all night, well in!

 

People saying his criticism was over the top, no it wasn’t and in a way it’s testament to him that lots of people pulled him up on his mistakes and didn’t use the ‘he’s young‘ card because he’s no longer viewed as a youth player he’s a proper first team member. He’s made two telling fuck ups lately and then made it up to everyone with his performance yesterday, he was MOTM for me.

Good analysis.

 

He was rightly criticised for some abysmal defending, but he’s responded in the best way possible by completely nullifying the best attacker in the country (on current form) who doesn’t play for us in our biggest game in years.

 

Now he needs to keep it up.

[Aventus]

 

 

Good analysis.

 

He was rightly criticised for some abysmal defending, but he’s responded in the best way possible by completely nullifying the best attacker in the country (on current form) who doesn’t play for us in our biggest game in years.

 

Now he needs to keep it up.

Had me going for a second there, halfway through that.

[El Rojo]

 

Had me going for a second there, halfway through that.

Haha! I buried Sane in a riddle there.

[Kevin D]

I'll tell you what, though, Arnold will be waking up knowing he was in a game last night.

 

That bloke Silva and that fella Sane gave him a real go, credit to them.

[ZonkoVille77]

I like him very much. Well played, TAA