Arne Slot has addressed the topic of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s position within the Liverpool team on the eve of the Premier League season.
The Dutchman is preparing for his first campaign in charge of the Reds, and his use of some players over the next few months will be compelling.
The past 18 months have seen plenty of debate and discourse as to where the vice-captain is at his strongest on the pitch, with the 25-year-old alternating between right-back, central midfield and even a hybrid role with elements of the two.
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Speaking at this morning’s press conference ahead of Liverpool’s trip to Ipswich on Saturday, Slot remained coy as to where he sees Trent within the team.
The head coach said (via Liverpool Echo): “A position is always related to the team. Trent is known as a right full-back all his life and as a midfielder as a youngster. You see him going into midfield at times and in midfield at the Euros, so he is capable of playing really well in both positions. It is up to me to decide.”
Trent has come in for criticism over his defensive work when deployed at right-back, while he was also a target for pundits when he played in midfield during England’s first two matches at Euro 2024.
Jurgen Klopp and Gareth Southgate have both tried to maximise his phenomenal use of the ball by granting him licence to go forward, although the 25-year-old’s travails in Germany a couple of months ago could see him restored to a right-sided defensive role by Slot for the game against Ipswich.
As much as the vice-captain poses a dilemma, he also presents an opportunity. If the Liverpool boss wishes to use him in midfield, Conor Bradley is on hand to come in at right-back, where he’s excelled for us since the start of the year.
Significantly, we saw in pre-season how players in the Dutchman’s team frequently interchange positions during a match, which indicates that Trent won’t strictly be pigeon-holed into one area of the pitch, but rather having the freedom to adapt within a fluid system.
We could well see Slot trying him out in a few different roles over the coming weeks as the new head coach attempts to figure out how best to get the most out of a top-class talent.
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