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Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s response to the post-Fulham clamour for his everlasting use in midfield might nicely have been thought of sturdy sufficient to settle the controversy.
As Liverpool earned victory over Sheffield United of their very subsequent outing, the 25-year-old produced an help and 7 key passes from the hybrid position he has made his personal.
And all of this whereas the midfield forward of him had been being utterly squeezed out of the sport, as Alexis Mac Allister‘s 13 first-half touches can attest.
But nonetheless the argument over the place he is perhaps finest used raged on, with a late transfer right into a central place in opposition to Crystal Palace serving to throw additional gasoline on the fireplace.
Nonetheless, even the supervisor’s extra frequent flirtations with Alexander-Arnold in midfield shouldn’t be taken as conclusive proof that he should begin video games from that place.
It’s, for apparent causes, fairly straightforward to get caught up within the romance of an Adidas Predator-wearing Scouser rising because the heartbeat of the crew.
Nonetheless, if Liverpool’s goal is to shun romance and maintain exhibiting the form of kind that wins the Premier League, then it’s laborious to make a case for shifting him out of his present position.
For starters, the Reds are one of the best crew within the division since Alexander-Arnold first tried out his new place when Arsenal visited Anfield in early April, with neither the Gunners or Man City having picked up as many factors.
What’s extra, the knock-on results {that a} transfer may need on the steadiness of the squad as a complete should not insignificant.
He might have been used within the holding position now and again, however Alexander-Arnold isn’t any specialist in defending these areas when in comparison with Wataru Endo and even the bettering Mac Allister.
That would depart the choice of utilizing him as a right-sided No. 8, which might solely occur on the expense of the good Dominik Szoboszlai.
A everlasting change would additionally go away Joe Gomez, who will certainly be wanted within the center, and the inexperienced Conor Bradley as choices at right-back, which looks like a slight step down from a participant who has gained each honour obtainable in that place.
It’s this mix of potential drawbacks that has former captain Phil Thompson satisfied {that a} change shouldn’t be rushed into.
He advised This Is Anfield: “I’m combating in opposition to lots of people who need to put him in [central midfield]!
“What works from a training perspective is him arriving in there. It’s a numbers sport, the numbers that folks have in midfield to mark our midfield three.
“Trent coming in is a little bit of a shock aspect, individuals don’t decide him up so he’s free. If he goes and stands in there, it turns into a totally completely different outlook on the sport.
“I believe there’ll come a time the place Jurgen, as with England, will need to attempt it and it’d work, it won’t work.
“However in the intervening time, issues are going alongside alright, it’s working. If it’s not damaged, don’t try to repair it!”
As Thompson factors out, it’s the specter of man-marking limiting Alexander-Arnold’s affect – for instance, creating six possibilities from right-back at Selhurst Park – that makes essentially the most compelling case for him not for use centrally.
That will not have been an issue when each Fulham and Crystal Palace ceded house to Liverpool’s midfield late in video games to try to shield leads, however in most fixtures will probably be.
So within the quick time period a minimum of, it’s most likely finest that Klopp sticks with what he is aware of and the system that has unexpectedly thrust Liverpool right into a title race.
And even then he’ll all the time have the break-glass possibility of Alexander-Arnold in midfield to tug the Reds out of a sticky scenario.
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