Sam Allardyce has spoken out emphatically about one Liverpool player who he believes could save the club a fortune in the transfer market.
The veteran ex-Premier League manager addressed the qualities of Trent Alexander-Arnold on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast and was adamant that the 25-year-old must now be considered primarily as a midfielder.
The former Bolton, West Ham and Leeds boss said of the Reds’ vice-captain: “Anybody that says it [midfield] shouldn’t be his permanent position I think is barking up the wrong tree. It also saves Liverpool a lot of money buying a midfield player with that quality.
“What I like about his range of passing, most of the time he looks 30, 40, 50, 60 metres first, not five or 10 metres. He looks 20, 30, 40 metres on, can he play somebody in, and he has the capability of playing that long pass and breaking defences with just one ball.”
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It’s been clear to even the more casual observers of Liverpool over the past year that Trent has taken up a midfield position with increasing regularity, even if it continues to be in a hybrid role for the most part.
The England international’s near-unparalled range of passing has been instrumental in helping the Reds to unlock opposition defences, something with which they struggled for most of a difficult 2022/23 campaign.
For now, the 25-year-old is combining a more advanced berth with his right-back duties, although his current injury layoff has presented a window of opportunity for Conor Bradley to stake a claim for the latter position on a prolonged basis in Jurgen Klopp’s team.
As Allardyce says, if Liverpool can facilitate transforming Trent into a fully-fledged midfielder, it might save them the need to spend big on an alternative who could offer similar ball-playing qualities.
The debate as to the vice-captain’s true position within the Reds’ line-up will continue for now, but don’t be surprised if his days at right-back – even in a hybrid role – come to an end in the foreseeable future.
does anyone actually care what fat sam says?
More than what you say you insulting twat