Trent Alexander-Arnold has just picked up his third player of the match award in four matches for England yet Roy Keane saw his performance against Finland as an opportunity to rip into our vice captain.
Speaking on ITV Sport, the 53-year-old said: “You give time to Trent, because his decision making and quality of passing is fantastic.
“But I still, honestly, I still can’t believe how bad he is defensively and against better teams of course he’ll be found out.”
There hasn’t always been a place for our right back in his national team but under Lee Carsley, he’s found a home and his new interim manager has been loudly singing our man’s praises.
It’s feels like a bizarre attack on the Scouser and especially after he played his first ever match at left back and was deemed the best player on the pitch for the evening.
Quite how a player can represent Liverpool for eight seasons, win every trophy available to him whilst playing solely as a right back and this season be part of the best defence in the league but still receive this criticism – is laughable.
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Trent’s ‘poor defending’ is a myth
It’s no secret that our No.66’s attacking and creative prowess is what has helped his presence in our team but there would be no place for him in the squad, or at least in our defence, if he was as bad as the former Manchester United man has said here.
The disrespect the 26-year-old receives is obscene but he can at least be safe in the knowledge that everyone at Anfield appreciates his game as a whole, not just the fact that he’s the best passer in world football who can score fantastic free kicks.
You can watch Keane’s comments on Alexander-Arnold (from 1:39) via @itvfootball on X:
"That's what he is capable of doing" 😍
1st for touches, passes, shots & crosses – Trent Alexander-Arnold put in another tidy performance for England 👏#ITVFootball | #FINENG | @IanWright0 pic.twitter.com/nSj7RHtaea
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) October 13, 2024
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