Trent Alexander-Arnold has excellently explained why he and Andy Robertson play so many cross-field balls to each other.
According to the young Scouser, recently named as the world’s 19th best player in the Ballon d’Or voting, they do so because as fullbacks, they know how irritating it is when other teams to do it to them!
“The reason me and Robbo switch the ball across the field that much is because as full-backs you understand how it feels when teams do that so quickly to you,” he told the Daily Mail.
“Having to shift so much is exhausting. There is so much running involved, an extra 30 or 40 yards to try and close it down. It creates space. That’s the idea.”
Liverpool’s fullbacks, arguably the best right-back and left-back on the planet, are as pivotal to us now as our mesmeric front-three.
Trent’s passing especially is like nothing we’ve ever seen from a ‘defender,’ in 30 years of watching football – while Robbo’s tenacity, positioning and energy down the left is equally as impressive.
The only problem is the drop-off between the pair and anything we have in reserve, but we imagine that’s simply what happens when you deploy the two best in the business on your flanks.
Jordan Henderson could probably do a decent job at right-back, but we do think there’s scope for another left-back at some point to bolster the squad.