Regardless of being named Man of the Match for the third time in his final 4 video games for England, Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s defending was the main focus for Roy Keane.
Alexander-Arnold has been Man of the Match in each recreation it has been determined for beneath England’s interim head coach Lee Carsley, with none awarded in the course of the 2-1 loss to Greece.
Sunday evening noticed him mark one other spectacular show with a surprising free-kick on the way in which to a 3-1 victory over Finland within the UEFA Nations League.
He did so having been deployed in an unnatural function as inverted left-back, which paid off for Carsley as Alexander-Arnold was in a position to dictate play from deep.
In his post-match evaluation for ITV Sport, nonetheless, ex-Man United midfielder Keane opted to deal with the tiresome cliche that the Liverpool right-back can’t defend.
“That is what he’s able to doing” ?
1st for touches, passes, photographs & crosses – Trent Alexander-Arnold put in one other tidy efficiency for England ?#ITVFootball | #FINENG | @IanWright0 pic.twitter.com/nSj7RHtaea
— ITV Soccer (@itvfootball) October 13, 2024
“While you give time to Trent, his decision-making, his high quality of passing, is improbable,” he defined.
“However truthfully, I nonetheless can’t consider how unhealthy he’s defensively, and in opposition to higher groups after all he’ll be came upon.”
This got here after a joke from Keane earlier than kickoff when put to him that Alexander-Arnold had by no means performed left-back earlier than in his profession.
He replied: “When you noticed him the opposite evening defending, it appeared like he’d by no means performed right-back earlier than!”
It’s a ridiculously over-egged how Alexander-Arnold is seen as a legal responsibility in defence, no matter whether or not his major obligation is additional ahead.
Even in a extra orthodox function beneath new Liverpool head coach Arne Slot, there’s an accepted trade-off in that, if the No. 66 is relied upon as the principle artistic outlet, he can’t at all times be concerned in defence.
“I don’t there’s a lot he did defensively which you can take a look at and say ‘yeah, that’s the place he’s in all probability going to play fairly often’,” Ian Wright, sat alongside Keane within the ITV studio, added.
“However from a artistic perspective, you may see that Lee Carsley needs as many artistic gamers within the deep finish of his soccer staff [as possible] to create.
“Trent’s a type of that he believes [can do that].
“Yeah, he performed him on the left, I can’t see it being one thing will occur too incessantly, however on the identical time, offensively, his passes, it was his move that led to Angel Gomes doing his little bit of high quality [to assist Jack Grealish].”