It’s difficult to come to any other conclusion beyond the increasingly clear reality that Gareth Southgate simply isn’t a fan of Trent Alexander-Arnold (perhaps through a lack of understanding of what he offers).
Speaking about his selections for the England squad, the Three Lions boss admitted that performances at club level would have a say in influencing his decision-making ahead of the Qatar World Cup.
That’s perfectly reasonable on its own and, on that basis, our No.66 shouldn’t necessarily be at the top of the pile, though it raises the question as to why his last few stellar campaigns were apparently not taken into consideration.
Helping Liverpool a Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup – all whilst utterly revolutionising the fullback position – we can’t understand what the 23-year-old could have possibly done more to help his chances of selection for England.
You can catch the clip below, courtesy of @footballdaily:
🗣 "There are some really tight calls in certain positions. How they do with their club gives them an opportunity to influence that thinking."
Gareth Southgate on the tough decisions he's had to make selecting the England squad pic.twitter.com/j2PuuuoW5f
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) September 27, 2022
why play trent if he cannot defend
Trent has been fantastic over the past few years, but at the present time, he is not performing defensively on a high enough level.
I think him bulging up, has not done him a favour in the running game. He looks like he´s to heavy to running up and down all the time, as before. Therefore he looks lacy. Him and Joe Gomez, are not a good pair on the right side. Joe also looks lacy in some situatuations.
Maybe Trent missing out on the World Cup, is a blessing for Liverpool. Sometimes you need a knock down, to pick you up again, and refocus.
His bodytransformation has not helped his role at right back. His brilliant passing ability, makes him perfect for midfield. Get a new right back with better defensive quality, and let Trent express himself in the middle of the park.