The shocking decline of Trent Alexander Arnold

SilentWitness

ShoelessWitness
Staff
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
Messages
30,505
Supports
Everton
Shouldn’t play unless you have someone doing the Henderson role.
 

SAFMUTD

New Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2018
Messages
11,787
The ‘Trent can’t defend’ thread is locked (why?) so I came here to post that this guy is woeful. Give him another 3-4 years and his career will go the way of Delle Alli.
That's exactly what I thought, it's like watching Allis decline. Even with all the criticism he gets about his defending it's like he doesn't give a feck. He doesn't even put on the effort. I can easily see him changing teams going down and down.
 

Nero

Full Member
Joined
Dec 23, 2008
Messages
3,292
Did he actually decline, or was everyone just getting manipulated by his crosses and passing?
 

Enigma_87

You know who
Joined
Aug 7, 2008
Messages
27,648
Then what is he? Unless he’s a forward he’s expected to play some part in defending for the team. He’s just not very good
He’s closer to forward rather than a defender.

TAA was never a good defender. When the midfield and forward line had the legs for it this liability was masked and wasn’t exposed on regular basis.
In the current Liverpool team he’s diabolical and easily usually the worst player on the pitch for them. He would either be benched or given an attacking role.
 

Tarrou

Full Member
Joined
May 13, 2013
Messages
25,635
Location
Sydney
He needs to be Kimmich'd and put into central midfield, been saying this for over an year now.
he struggles with positioning at full back it would be fun to see him try midfield
 

GlasgowCeltic

Full Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2006
Messages
5,308
he shouldn’t play in the big games anymore, he’s such a low hanging fruit route to beating Liverpool, pathetic performance
 

PoTMS

Full Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2016
Messages
16,391
I'm still baffled Ten Hag did not release Rashford on him.
 

ZainCRse7en

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Oct 11, 2022
Messages
237
What in the world happened to him? He looked like a championship player out there ffs.
 

Baxquux

Full Member
Joined
Aug 19, 2022
Messages
1,199
Would he even necessarily be that greatly improved if moved to a more advanced role to get round the defensive issues ? He already gets forward a lot, and, based on current results, as a playmaker he'd just be a hipper, slimmer Charlie Adam (Liverpool rather than Blackpool) version ...
 

Sparky Rhiwabon

New Member
Joined
Jul 10, 2013
Messages
16,946
Wait, wait, does anyone remember when Liverpool fans were claiming that he was World class? :lol:
 

JPRouve

can't stop thinking about balls - NOT deflategate
Scout
Joined
Jan 31, 2014
Messages
65,890
Location
France
He needs to be Kimmich'd and put into central midfield, been saying this for over an year now.
I don't if Kimmich is an example. Kimmich is a center midfielder that started his career as a center midfielder, he was eventually used as a right back to cover for injuries and somehow made it work. TAA isn't a CM, he is a bad right back that can cross but has terrible positioning and workrate.
 

siw2007

Full Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2014
Messages
2,392
He’s still an excellent creator on the ball. Liverpool as a team and specifically their midfield have declined this year, Trent has always been underwhelming as a defender but their midfield always gave Trent the platform and cover he needed to play his game. This year it isn’t there so he is getting exposed more and more often (might be also an element that teams are getting used to playing Klopps Liverpool). Trent isn’t the only one struggling mind, their whole defensive game has struggled this season.
 

sullydnl

Ross Kemp's caf ID
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
34,063
TAA getting a lot of the focus but worth saying that Robertson was and has been atrocious too. Both their fullbacks having dire seasons.
 

RedStarUnited

Full Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
Messages
8,131
He let Grealish just wonder off for his goal. That's several times he's let players get away this season for goals.
And yet our manager decided not to play our best attacker against him.

ETH was overthinking that day.
 

Strelok

New Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2018
Messages
5,279
He needs to be Kimmich'd and put into central midfield, been saying this for over an year now.
There is a reason he was converted to a full back from a wide midfielder I think. If my memory serves me right he was a midfielder in their academy.
 

Bangor_Red

Full Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2006
Messages
731
Location
Bangor,NI
After that he ran into centre forward position and waved his arms around while city broke down the right again and made no effort to track back. I can see why Liverpool fans loved him when they had the quality to play without a right back but surely it's infuriating for them when they don't play that way and he allows players to stroll in to score with no attempt to close down
 

Fortitude

TV/Monitor Expert
Scout
Joined
Jul 10, 2004
Messages
22,806
Location
Inside right
I don't think you need to worry about positioning or even position on the pitch with him; mentally he looks like he's checked out as a footballer.

Speculation as to what's going on with him, but whatever it is, the guy is not applying himself as a footballer and if he had competition for his place, he would not see the pitch, and rightly so.
 

SilentWitness

ShoelessWitness
Staff
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
Messages
30,505
Supports
Everton
TAA getting a lot of the focus but worth saying that Robertson was and has been atrocious too. Both their fullbacks having dire seasons.
Robertson was really good for Scotland this break. I genuinely think the majority of what it comes down to is missing midfielders capable of covering for them. That was the main facet of the Liverpool system and with injuries and ageing players it’s all going Pete tong.
 

Oly Francis

Full Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2018
Messages
3,944
Supports
PSG
Wait, wait, does anyone remember when Liverpool fans were claiming that he was World class? :lol:
In the right setup (more as a wide midfielder) he was, he had superbs seasons. He's just not a world class "real" right back.
 

sullydnl

Ross Kemp's caf ID
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
34,063
Did he actually decline, or was everyone just getting manipulated by his crosses and passing?
Even then everyone knew he wasn't a good defender. It was just a case of playing in a system where that didn't partucularly matter while his excellent qualities were maximised. And Liverpool this won multiple major trophies with him performing to a world class level in that specialist role.

It's no particular suprise that once that team/system broke down his obvious weaknessss would be exposed more. I don't think people were manipulated into thinking that wouldn't be the case at the time. That's just the nature of a set-up like that, some players suit some systems. Put this version of TAA back in that peak Liverpool side and he'd look somewhat better again.

But on top of that, questions should be asked about his attitude at times and his actual lack of development since then. He was 20/21 when he was winning the CL/PL, with plenty of time to improve on his weaknesses. He's now 24. Has he got better at anything in that time? That's on him and probably also his club for having him play most of his career there with no real competition.

He has the air of someone who has been an unquestioned starter since he was 19 and wasn't driven to actually improve on his weaknesses. Now they're being exposed regularly as he's not being protected in the same way anymore, with a dollop of extra individual mistakes on top.
 
Last edited:

Zoo

Full Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2010
Messages
29,804
The ‘Trent can’t defend’ thread is locked (why?) so I came here to post that this guy is woeful. Give him another 3-4 years and his career will go the way of Delle Alli.
No idea why it was locked. Strange.
 

FrankDrebin

Don't call me Shirley
Joined
Aug 25, 2019
Messages
20,390
Location
Police Squad
Supports
USA Manchester Red Socks
Hag playing Bruno up against him at Anfield on the left will continue to baffle me.
 

KeanoMagicHat

Full Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
4,032
Could make a thread now 'The shocking improvement of Trent Alexander-Arnold' he's been sensational since around the time of this thread. As good as he was bad earlier in the season. I'd be kinda worried Liverpool have worked something that will really click next season in that half-back positioning for him.
 

K Stand Knut

Full Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2008
Messages
5,199
Location
Stretford End
Could make a thread now 'The shocking improvement of Trent Alexander-Arnold' he's been sensational since around the time of this thread. As good as he was bad earlier in the season. I'd be kinda worried Liverpool have worked something that will really click next season in that half-back positioning for him.
Along with the PEDs kicking in, I’d expect him to be world class again come August
 

Ole'sgunnarwin

Full Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2021
Messages
1,572
It's brilliant from Klopp, this new role allows him to have the ball more and do far less defending. He's one of the best passers in the league and it's worrying seeing how much he and Liverpool have improved.
 

spiriticon

Full Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2013
Messages
7,441
Honestly I don't know how many seasons it takes before teams finally catch on that he's the one making Liverpool tick. You mark him out of the game and Liverpool lose their best creative outlet.
 

Pexbo

Winner of the 'I'm not reading that' medal.
Joined
Jun 2, 2009
Messages
68,703
Location
Brizzle
Supports
Big Days
It's brilliant from Klopp, this new role allows him to have the ball more and do far less defending. He's one of the best passers in the league and it's worrying seeing how much he and Liverpool have improved.
They’ve been absolutely turd for weeks. They’ve been limping past opponents with the ref helping in three fixtures despite having a very easy run.
 

Abraxas

Full Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2021
Messages
6,055
He has been outstanding in this role. Every time I've seen them he has ran the game with ease. It's something I'd be seriously looking at if I was Southgate because it's what England massively lack in terms of buildup.
 

Red Star One

Full Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2017
Messages
5,205
Location
Barcelona
Has definitely rediscovered some form, written off by many way too soon
He's doing pretty great as long as he doesn't have to defend. There was never really any doubt about his passing/crossing ability and how much of a creative force he is for Pool.
 

Sylar

Full Member
Joined
May 15, 2007
Messages
40,462
It's brilliant from Klopp, this new role allows him to have the ball more and do far less defending. He's one of the best passers in the league and it's worrying seeing how much he and Liverpool have improved.
It took Klopp a long time to realise this didnt it?

Of course the one thing we havent seen is this against the better teams. In their run, its only been bottom half teams bar Brentford (1-0) and Spurs (who somehow threw away a 3-3).
The space is there (but its odd for me to say that as a United fan given ETH somehow thought putting bruno on the left, and rashford up top with Weghorst behind him was the way to hurt liverpool)