Topic: Trent Alexander-Arnold

[PIPA23]

If we win the title this season, he's won the league and CL before he's 22. So yes.

for Stevie it took more than trophies to get his legend status...he stayed with the club during very dark years also... lead us to many great memories...

as for the potential, he can get to the very top in world football if he continues in his development.

[Eeyore]

for Stevie it took more than trophies to get his legend status...he stayed with the club during very dark years also... lead us to many great memories...

as for the potential, he can get to the very top in world football if he continues in his development.

What dark years ?

01 when we won the UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup, 03 when we won the League Cup, 05 when we won the Champions League, 06 when we won the FA Cup, 07 when we reached the Champions League Final. 09 when we finished runners up with 86 points or 13/14 when we again almost won the League.

There were no dark years. Anyone who suggests otherwise needs to get a grip on reality.

[Eeyore]

I thought Trent was absolutely outstanding today. His range of passing was incredible but he also combined that with driving the team forward and refusing to admit defeat. He was Gerrardesque.

My favourite moment was watching how upset he was after his free kick was deflected over shortly followed by a corner that Mane nodded in at the death. You get plenty of technically gifted players and you get plenty of driven players who play as if their entire being depends on the outcome of every challenge. Under Klopp we happen to have a whole host of players who combine the two.

[trimore]

I have incredible fondness for Rafa's team from 07-09, so it will be tough for me to think Trent as an individual can definitively surpass Alonso and Gerrard, though he can easily match them.

I will say at the time I never thought a trio of non-forwards could have so much influence over a team as Alonso, Gerrard and Masch. Forwards by default having the most influence in most teams due to the valuable nature of goals in this sport, it was quite spectacular to see a midfield have so much prevelance over its team's fortunes.

But Jesus motherfucking Christ, the trio of Van Dijk, Trent and Robbo has in my mind clearly surpassed Masch/Alonso/Gerrard as the greatest non-forward group in the history of this club. Some cosmic football is being played by two fullbacks and a centerback. Never in my wildest dreams could I have believed this was possible. Klopp is a literal God.

[harleydanger]

Someone get me a gif of that 70 yarder with cut spin into Robbo’s path, I need a wank.

[stevensr123]

He is a world class midfielder playing right back. 20 fucking 1 years old. And he is creating more chances than anyone in the league.

[christofu]

I thought Trent was absolutely outstanding today. His range of passing was incredible but he also combined that with driving the team forward and refusing to admit defeat. He was Gerrardesque.

Agreed. He really took responsibility to set the tone & tempo today throughout the whole 95mins. Very impressed

[Knight]

I've been in the 'we don't need to move him forward' camp for ages and I think it's true. But given his current rate of improvement when he was brilliant already it's entirely possible the elements of his game that perhaps make him more suited to RB than a De Bruyne style 8 will cease to be relevant as he rounds out. Then we've got a decision to make. If he's good enough to take over a whole game it'll be perhaps easier to do that as an 8 than as RB. Someone mentioned Bale earlier which is an interesting comparison. If a player becomes so productive in a goals/ assists perspective that forcing them to do (much) defensive work is a waste, why not move him up the pitch? Of course at the moment, our system is designed to give our fullbacks as much attacking freedom as possible so if Trent did move forward we'd probably see our system shift. 

[jymbojetset]

I have incredible fondness for Rafa's team from 07-09, so it will be tough for me to think Trent as an individual can definitively surpass Alonso and Gerrard, though he can easily match them.

I will say at the time I never thought a trio of non-forwards could have so much influence over a team as Alonso, Gerrard and Masch. Forwards by default having the most influence in most teams due to the valuable nature of goals in this sport, it was quite spectacular to see a midfield have so much prevelance over its team's fortunes.

But Jesus motherfucking Christ, the trio of Van Dijk, Trent and Robbo has in my mind clearly surpassed Masch/Alonso/Gerrard as the greatest non-forward group in the history of this club. Some cosmic football is being played by two fullbacks and a centerback. Never in my wildest dreams could I have believed this was possible. Klopp is a literal God.

I think you need to add a certain goalkeeper in the mix also.

What a quartet though 👌

[alonsoisared]

Went from the Carragher thread where someone said he'd have been playing for Tranmere in our heyday to here where we're talking about Trent surpassing Stevie's legendary status if we win the league. We're weird sometimes 

[trimore]

I think you need to add a certain goalkeeper in the mix also.

What a quartet though 👌

Well it's not fair to compare 3 vs 4 players And I also think goalies will always be their on thing. They will always be playing their own individual game with different levels of team support on top of it. But that's a discussion for another time. Reina was pretty good during those years as well, so it doesn't make much of a difference.

[Rainbow Laces]

I heard an old song yesterday for the first time in a while, I don't particularly like the song but as soon as I heard it I heard Trent's name in there and reckon this could be a great song to use for him. "Message in a bottle" by The Police. It really fits and has a great stand-friendly rhythm to it as well. Have a listen to the song with these words (or similar) in place of the original, and imagine it on the kop:

"He whips the crosses in from the right, he whips the crosses in from the right,
I hope that someone gets my, I hope that someone gets my, I hope that someone gets my...
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Trent Alexander-Arnold."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObL3L6MRvN4 (relevant part from 0:32 by the way)

Yes, yes. Trent is ace. Now...the song. Get on it.

(P.S: As an aside: I can't be the only one that really hates it when someone gets a rendition of their song and someone else, who has just done something massive, doesn't get a peep. See the end of the game yesterday as an example, when Sadio had just got an assist and then a winner and we're singing the Origi song because he kept the ball and wona  free-kick (nothing against you big Div, love you too). It makes it feel like Sadio is unappreciated, although I know he isn't. I'd like to see him get a proper song too; him and Trent deserve them, massively).

[Jon2lfc]

I thought Trent was absolutely outstanding today. His range of passing was incredible but he also combined that with driving the team forward and refusing to admit defeat. He was Gerrardesque.

My thoughts exactly.

MOTM for me without a doubt.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

He's got a long way to go before he surpasses Gerrard, short memories and all that. But he's a world class player already

[OneTouchFooty]

He’s getting better and better. He’s surpassed my expectations already and I always thought he was brilliant. It wasn’t just the pinpoint long range passing and crossing, those 40-50 yard bursts coming inside, opening up the pitch, going past a couple of players were great to see, shows the confidence of the lad right now.

[TSC]

Given this Liverpool team usually play on the front foot and dominate possession with FB’s pushing on he is effectively playing as an extra right midfielder/right winger, and doing a great job at both.

Obviously Gerrard started as a right back so can understand the reference to Gerrard.   Trent seems to get better each game.

[Sangria]

Given this Liverpool team usually play on the front foot and dominate possession with FB’s pushing on he is effectively playing as an extra right midfielder/right winger, and doing a great job at both.

Obviously Gerrard started as a right back so can understand the reference to Gerrard.   Trent seems to get better each game.

Beckham might be a better comparison in playing style, although Trent is more rounded and is a better person.

[stockdam]

Brilliant crossing performance yesterday.

[RobbieRedman]

SABU hops promise Singh childe prospectus Master Ten Daleks Underarm-Hold   don’t go the weigh off so many  Blight Yung Finks and blunder kids that have tick held the fancies e.g Andoni Le Telly, Florin Cinnamon Pongo (or “The Germs” as Long-Ball Sartre the Jeer Old Haulier called ‘em), Annie Patchy Co,  Potato Diarrhoea, Wretched Porridge, Sir Bastion Lido, Question Nebworth, Che S Perrin, Nil Melon, Jonas Semaphore, Sack “Fatima” Wet Bread, Dim Ian Plassy,  Entre Wisden “Colostomy of the Futre”, Genome Sink Lair, Conan Coyote, Pet Row Shrivelled Fella,  and cetera (not Peter).

[farawayred]

Fucking miss Sabu!

[na fir dearg]

Ten Daleks Underarm-Hold   

[Asam]

I've been in the 'we don't need to move him forward' camp for ages and I think it's true. But given his current rate of improvement when he was brilliant already it's entirely possible the elements of his game that perhaps make him more suited to RB than a De Bruyne style 8 will cease to be relevant as he rounds out. Then we've got a decision to make. If he's good enough to take over a whole game it'll be perhaps easier to do that as an 8 than as RB. Someone mentioned Bale earlier which is an interesting comparison. If a player becomes so productive in a goals/ assists perspective that forcing them to do (much) defensive work is a waste, why not move him up the pitch? Of course at the moment, our system is designed to give our fullbacks as much attacking freedom as possible so if Trent did move forward we'd probably see our system shift.

You get more time on the ball from full back, in midfield he will need to have much better awareness of what's around him, at right back the game is in front of him- I'm not saying that he can't play in midfield as he's not an alien to that position but the transition will not be straightforward and if you compare him to what Ox can offer us as an 8, Even if Trent is better than our best #8, who is good enough to replace him as our #2? Isn't the team is weaker overall even if his best position is in midfield? Ox and Trent might get a similar number of assists and goals from midfield but we lose 10 assists and 3-5 goals from right back...

[RedForeverTT]

Our team went to shits the moment we sold Alonso. I cannot imagine if we had let Gerrard go.

TAA as good as he is now, is not quite at their level yet. I think he wouldn't reach Gerrard's level because it is a freak achievement what Gerrard could do. It is inconceivable that any player could have reached his level.

Neither am I convinced that TAA is an Alonso type of player until we have seen him play in midfield to do a fair comparison.

[royhendo]

People wrestling with where his career might go. Meanwhile the staff will find ways to put him in space and cause damage. Meanwhile he seems to be working on his left foot. Zoinks.

[Magix]

His left foot is starting to have the passing range of an average EPL midfielder. I dunno where he stay at rightback or not, but I'll defo laugh my head off if Neco Williams and Hoever emerge as Trent-lite options at fullback.

[SerbianScouser]

His transition to midfield is inevitable.

There's a lot of resistance to this idea here but it's only a matter of time before it happens. Once his domination reaches another level in this position don't think many would look back and wish for him to return to RB. In my mind as an 8 once he settles there he's scoring and creating a tons of goals which at least in terms of goals is more than what he can offer as RB.

Especially now that we practically have no goals, creativity and penetration at AM it would make sense to try him out there and if we do find that player we lack now - whether it's Ox or somebody else - we can always push Trent back if needed.

[Clayton Bigsby]

I think Gerrard is the ultimate so I don't see anyone surpassing him in my eyes for a long while yet but TAA is special. No way should he ever be moved from RB. Not in a Klopp team anyway.

[Roger Federer]

His transition to midfield is inevitable.

There's a lot of resistance to this idea here but it's only a matter of time before it happens. Once his domination reaches another level in this position don't think many would look back and wish for him to return to RB. In my mind as an 8 once he settles there he's scoring and creating a tons of goals which at least in terms of goals is more than what he can offer as RB.

Especially now that we practically have no goals, creativity and penetration at AM it would make sense to try him out there and if we do find that player we lack now - whether it's Ox or somebody else - we can always push Trent back if needed.

Who plays at right back then? It’s not like it’s easy or cheap to buy for that position. Inferior players such as Cancelo and Walker cost 50million+.

[SerbianScouser]

Who plays at right back then? It’s not like it’s easy or cheap to buy for that position. Inferior players such as Cancelo and Walker cost 50million+.

I present you James Milner.

[jillcwhomever]

I present you James Milner.

It’s not going to happen while Klopp is here.

[SamAteTheRedAcid]

His transition to midfield is inevitable.

There's a lot of resistance to this idea here but it's only a matter of time before it happens. Once his domination reaches another level in this position don't think many would look back and wish for him to return to RB. In my mind as an 8 once he settles there he's scoring and creating a tons of goals which at least in terms of goals is more than what he can offer as RB.

Especially now that we practically have no goals, creativity and penetration at AM it would make sense to try him out there and if we do find that player we lack now - whether it's Ox or somebody else - we can always push Trent back if needed.

I think your wish to have TAA in midfield is driven by a fundamental misunderstanding of the way we play, coupled by an underrating of Henderson and Gini. If we wanted more creativity there, Klopp would already be playing Ox and Keita every game. But he doesn't.

Why would you seek a possibly small improvement on our 'uncreative' AM for a 90% dropoff in creativity from RB by moving Trent, when our fullbacks are the best pair in world football? The fullbacks do create enough for the system we play - from where they already are. Our midfield move all over, just look at Henderson going wide right late on against Villa, and most importantly, they cover for the fullbacks who do most of the attacking. If you put Clyne in at RB and TAA for Gini or Henderson or Ox, you lose massively all over the park. So unless you have a cloning machine for Trent, forget it. It's about balance. Also - must have missed all those times Dani Alves got shifted into midfield...or were Barca/Juve/PSG perfectly happy to have a brilliant creator at RB?

I think people who want to break up Robbo and Trent are terrible readers of the game, myself. I think Klopp would already be making these moves if he thought it was to our benefit. But...err...he's not.

[SamAteTheRedAcid]

I present you James Milner.

It's not two years ago. Milner isn't best employed at fullback. He's an option to plug a gap there. Not a 'better than Trent' solution. And if he's not better, why change it?

[SerbianScouser]

Why would you seek a possibly small improvement on our 'uncreative' AM for a 90% dropoff in creativity from RB by moving Trent, when our fullbacks are the best pair in world football?

It wouldn't be a small improvement it would be gigantic improvement. Gini and Hendo have 0 assists between them this season.

We wouldn't lose all over the park - things would even themselves out. What we would lose at RB we'd gain massively at AM plus you'd have Milner who'd have tons to offer as replacement. Also the idea that Klopp wouldn't want more creativity in midfield is one of the silliest notions I've read in a while. He doesn't play Naby and Ox more because currently he doesn't trust them enough not that he doesn't want more creativity.

[Magix]

Hendo is already more of the fullback in his dynamic with Trent. He goes wide and provides the overlap at times while Trent either slips into that midfield groove or dictates play from where he's at.

If Trent shifts to midfield, it'd be a whole new dynamic with whomever the rightback is.

[Roger Federer]

I present you James Milner.

I don’t see the benefit of playing TAA in midfield and Milner at right back, instead if the other way round or start Chamberlain/Wijnaldum/Keita/Henderson/Lallana instead of Milner in midfield.

Alexander-Arnold’s greatest strenght is passing and crossing from deep, and his stamina and ability to dominate the flank for 90 minutes. You get a slower and just less capable version of him with Milner there, and I’m not sure Alexander-Arnold’s qualities in a more central area (awareness, short passing, setting the tempo, attacking runs) stand out that much in comparision to our other midfielders. If you want to maximise the attacking output, playing Alexander-Arnold at right back and using Keita or Chamberlain in midfield seem better to me than moving TAA ahead of Milner.

[Roger Federer]

It wouldn't be a small improvement it would be gigantic improvement. Gini and Hendo have 0 assists between them this season.

We wouldn't lose all over the park - things would even themselves out. What we would lose at RB we'd gain massively at AM plus you'd have Milner who'd have tons to offer as replacement. Also the idea that Klopp wouldn't want more creativity in midfield is one of the silliest notions I've read in a while. He doesn't play Naby and Ox more because currently he doesn't trust them enough not that he doesn't want more creativity.

Robertson scores and assists more than Wijnaldum. You think changing their starting position would benefit the attack as well? If not, why not? The same argument you use for the right hand side, could surely be applied to the other flank as well?

[SerbianScouser]

Alexander-Arnold’s greatest strenght is passing and crossing from deep, and his stamina and ability to dominate the flank for 90 minutes. You get a slower and just less capable version of him with Milner there

You don't know that -nobody does - until you get to see him playing there for a while.

Having somebody this talented and creative in our right half-space would push us onto a higher level. He can shoot, cross, carry the ball and dribble - yes there would be growing pains initially but just like KdB he can always move wider to make those whipping crosses across the face of the goal that are so hard to defend against - especially attacking in combination with somebody as intelligent as Milner who would know when to underlap to help Trent out. People who see him play below his par at any position underestimate how freakishly talented this kid is.

[Knight]

Now this isn't going to happen but fun to speculate... given how Henderson and TAA are playing on the right I think there is a case for putting Henderson as RB and TAA as 8. Henderson effectively covers TAA anyway at the moment, why not just formalise that and force TAA to worry about what's behind him less.

[SamAteTheRedAcid]

It wouldn't be a small improvement it would be gigantic improvement. Gini and Hendo have 0 assists between them this season.

We wouldn't lose all over the park - things would even themselves out. What we would lose at RB we'd gain massively at AM plus you'd have Milner who'd have tons to offer as replacement. Also the idea that Klopp wouldn't want more creativity in midfield is one of the silliest notions I've read in a while. He doesn't play Naby and Ox more because currently he doesn't trust them enough not that he doesn't want more creativity.

And if Trent spent all his time harrying and closing down passing lanes instead of rampaging down the flanks, he'd have less assists too. It's a different skillset in our midfield and there's absolutely no guarantee he would do better. His ball retention in that position might be no better than Ox - who isn't trusted, as you yourself say - so where is the indication that TAA there is what Klopp wants?

And you gain by having Milner on the pitch, true, but you lose hugely by not having Trent at RB. Which is why he plays there.

If these things just even themselves out, people would be swapping positions all over the park. It's nonsense. It's about finding a balance - which we already have, as league leaders and European Champions. But rip it up eh. Because...you have a hard on for the idea that Trent is De Bruyne in AM. A totally unproven idea.

[SerbianScouser]

Robertson scores and assists more than Wijnaldum. You think changing their starting position would benefit the attack as well? If not, why not? The same argument you use for the right hand side, could surely be applied to the other flank as well?

No because Trent and Robbo are a lot different in many ways with a lot of differences in their skillsets. To illustrate it  I see Trent soincredibly similar to the likes of Gerrard and Kdb - Robbo and a lot of other similar overlapping fullbacks , not so much.