Former Liverpool goalkeeper David James has issued a firm defence of Trent Alexander-Arnold and believes criticism of his form this season is premature.
Alexander-Arnold, like a number of his Reds team-mates, has struggled so far this season and has come under scrutiny for some of his recent displays. Liverpool’s Champions League defeat away to Napoli brought sharp focus on the defender’s shortcomings.
Questions also continue to be asked about his defensive capabilities and whether he can adjust his game. But James, speaking exclusively to the ECHO, believes Alexander-Arnold has been impacted by the injuries Liverpool have had to contend with this season and that Reds supporters will see the best of him once his side return to full strength.
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He said: “I think the key thing here, depending on who you want to listen to, and I like my own opinion quite often, and fortunately I am in a position to spread that opinion as opposed to just having to listen to other people.
“You go back to the fact there has been so many injuries in the team, that disruption, that flow from last season, and you are going to end up with negative perspectives in some cases.
“I think with Alisson, and the reason I mention him, not because of his form, but the fact Liverpool are conceding goals, this is Alisson clean sheet. I mean it is like he should change his name to clean sheet for what he has been doing with Liverpool.
“Everyone gets impacted by that. The fact the team is now getting their players back to fitness, then all of a sudden what you are going to see is normality, with goals not being conceded.
"Trent will be part of that defence and people will be looking at him in a different view. I don’t see a difference in performance necessarily, what I do see is goals going in, which allows people to be slightly negative.
“And I have to say, if I can say this? I was just out in Asia talking to Liverpool fans and the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson, three of the best defensive players in the Premier League over many years now, the levels that they have been playing at, for them not to be at their level is still better than most.
"I think that is the key here, we are not talking about players who have suddenly turned into bad players, the level they are still at is better than most of the defenders and most of the goalkeepers in the Premier League. It is never always going to be perfect.”
Liverpool have endured a frustrating start to the season, and currently find themselves nine points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, although they do have a game in hand on Mikel Arteta's side. But James believes the frustration shared by Reds supporters is down to the fact that so many players have suffered injuries so far this season.
And the former Liverpool and England goalkeeper is predicting that his old club will return to their best once their injured stars return. James cited the return of Thiago Alcantara as an example of how the Reds improved once he returned to their midfield.
“I think the frustration is the fact there have been so many injuries,” he told the ECHO when asked about Liverpool’s start to the season.
“But that in a positive way means when the injuries become fit again then Liverpool will be back to the team that is capable of challenging for titles.
“We saw with Thiago coming back into the side the positive effect he has, and that is not to say the players who are in the team are not good enough for Liverpool, I just think as with anything when you take such a large number of top level players out of any side it is going to have a slightly detrimental impact on it.
“But positively players will get fit, especially with the international break now. It is a bit of time where the sports science team and the medical staff can get people 100% fit and as close as possible for the next batch of fixtures."
David James was speaking to the ECHO at an event held by SC Johnson, Liverpool and the LFC Foundation at Anfield. The event was part of SCJ and LFC’s ongoing 'Goals for Change' partnership, and saw 400 Merseyside school children take part in educational activities that seek to improve sustainability and recycling practices, delivered via charity Ocean Generation’s 'Ocean Academy'.
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