If Trent Alexander-Arnold couldn’t defend then he wouldn’t play for Liverpool, asserts Jurgen Klopp
Trent Alexander-Arnold
|Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has hit out at the criticism about Trent Alexander-Arnold’s defending and revealed that if the right-back couldn’t defend, then he wouldn’t be playing for them. The 23-year-old has been a creative lynchpin for the Reds, contributing to 72 goals in just over 200 games.
Over the last few years, few defenders have been as consistent and lethal in the final third as Trent Alexander-Arnold has with the right-back thriving for Liverpool. That includes even during the Reds’ 2020/21 season, where an injury hit Liverpool side barely finished third on the table. But yet, the 23-year-old managed to contribute to 11 goals across all competitions and help the Reds finish third, with him contributing to 36 goals over the two seasons prior to that.
However, Alexander-Arnold’s form, offensively, has only picked up this term with 18 goal contributions in just 32 games for Liverpool. Not only that, the full-back has improved across all facets of his game and that includes defending, which has seen Jurgen Klopp defend him amidst criticism. The Liverpool boss believes that the full-back is a good defender and also admitted that “his defending is not a problem” the club has to solve.
“Absolutely, I don’t understand that, that’s true, but I don’t think I will change that with whatever I will say. But if he couldn’t defend, he would not play here – at least not that in that position. He improved in all departments and defending of course as well, but he is so young that he can improve and has to improve, but yes, his defending is not a problem we have,” Klopp said, reported Goal.
