Jurgen Klopp was ready to defend Trent Alexander-Arnold in front of the media, after a turbulent week with England, and he spoke honestly about his abilities as a right-back.
Speaking with the press ahead of the Brighton game, the 55-year-old said: “All the time people talk about him and say he’s not a good defender. That’s not true, he is a good defender. He doesn’t defend always good – that’s true as well.
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“That’s what we are working on, he is a young player. He’s 23 and there is space for improvement, definitely. But I think really we only discuss it on the level we discuss it because his offensive impact is so extreme for us”.
It was an honest assessment from the German and, when you watch the full press conference, it’s clear that he had a lot more to say about Gareth Southgate’s questionable managerial tactics.
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Despite the slight criticism, it must make our No.66 feel great that his club manager has his back – no matter what.
You can watch Klopp’s thoughts on Alexander-Arnold’s defending (from 2:26) via Liverpool FC on YouTube:
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