It’s looking increasingly likely that Trent Alexander-Arnold will play little to no role in this winter’s World Cup.
The Liverpool star has been away on international duty with the Three Lions for the last week, but was an unused substitute during Friday's 1-0 defeat to Italy and has also been left out of the England squad to face Germany.
He, along with Jack Grealish (suspended), Jarrod Bowen, Fikayo Tomori and James Ward-Prowse have all been dropped for the clash, although it’s perhaps he who’ll be feeling most despondent. Despite being such a key competent during Jurgen Klopp’s golden era at Anfield, he seems unable to forge even a bit-part place in Southgate's side.
There’s plenty of competition in England’s right-back area, with Reece James, Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier all vying with Alexander-Arnold for the number one spot. James got the nod on Friday night, and that’s proving too often to be the case.
Alexander-Arnold has featured in just eight of England's last 34 matches, with his last full 90 minutes for his country coming back in November in a 10-0 World Cup qualifying win over San Marino.
Southgate tried to play down scrutiny over Alexander-Arnold’s lack of game time this weekend, addressing the so-called “risks” of playing him: "I don't see risks. You can have a style of play and a way of playing, and a balance to the team, that, at Liverpool they find a way of playing that brings the best out of his attributes and that's what we're all trying to do with every team.
"You're trying to build a team that accentuates the positives, and within the group protects yourselves against how the opponents might come from you. He (Alexander-Arnold) does have a fantastic range of passing, we're blessed with different profiles of players in that position, if we play with wing-backs, Trippier and Reece James are also exceptional with the ball, in different ways, and we're always having to look at the full package with everything.”
Despite Southgate’s attempts to play down the issues, Alexander-Arnold’s lack of game time is glaring evidence of just how little he trusts the Liverpool man. Especially when you consider the issues in attack his team are currently facing, and the ways in which Alexander-Arnold could potentially help.
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England are without a goal in five matches, a problem that contributed to their Nations League relegation which was confirmed on Friday night.
For Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold is the club’s key creator. Last season, no wing-back could get near his shot-creating action average of 4.73 per 90. That average was actually the third-highest for any position across the Premier League, behind only Jack Grealish and Kevin De Bruyne. He’s started pretty much in the same vein this season, despite a sluggish start from Jurgen Klopp’s side, posting an average of 4.50.
Southgate’s reference to looking at the “full package” though does remind us that the defender’s most debated fragility, his defending, remains the facet of his game that continues to hold him back. Last season, his defensive duel success rate ranked 41st among the 47 Premier League right-backs who played over 500 league minutes.
The England boss clearly feels that for all his positives in possession, his weaknesses without it make him a hindrance rather than an advantage.
Something that’s regularly overlooked with Alexander-Arnold, though, is how Liverpool’s tactics often expose his defensive frailties, rather than help mask them. Jurgen Klopp’s men play with a back four and in an extremely aggressive manner, committing plenty of players forward in attacks.
While it helps them dominate the ball and territory against most opponents, the same also means they can be extremely vulnerable in transitions, with players often caught out of position and trying to defend on the run. Alexander-Arnold is one of those who suffer most as a result of this. He is regularly left in one-against-one battles and with very little support around him.
Yet this is actually an issue that could be minimised in England colours. Not only are Southgate’s men far less aggressive than Liverpool, but crucially the 3-4-3 structure the England boss favours would add extra support to Alexander-Arnold on the right side in defensive situations.
He’ll find himself in far less one-against-one moments, and can defend with the security of knowing there’s an extra centre-back behind him and ready to sweep should he be needed.
On the flip side, that extra security means he can attack with more freedom and perhaps bring the injection of innovation that England’s bland attack has been missing.
