If TAA can’t make it into a squad of 23... England must be very, very good
YOU can debate the merits of his defending forever, you can argue his skill set is particularly suited to his club’s style of play, you can highlight the intense competition for places in his favoured position.
But one thing is beyond question, one thing is indisputable.
If Trent Alexander-Arnold cannot make it into a squad of 23 footballers, it must be one hell of a squad. Simple as that.
Yet for this blue-chip fixture – and, regardless of its Nations League irrelevance to England, Germany at home is a bluechip fixture – Gareth Southgate deemed Alexander-Arnold to be of no use to him.
“We’ve got a big squad with us and we’ve got four rightbacks with super quality and Kieran Trippier is playing exceptionally well and Reece James has been one of the outstanding players in the league this season,” said Southgate ahead of this match.
“Trent is a very good footballer and that’s why we’ve picked him in the squad.”
And there you have it. This was not just a simple selection issue, this was a statement from the manager.
Liverpool’s AlexanderArnold, named in the Champions
League Team of the Season, is his FOURTH-CHOICE rightback. And Southgate, who once gave Alexander-Arnold a 45-minute run-out in midfield, clearly does not consider the Liverpool man to be versatile enough to play anywhere else.
When Southgate handed him that spin in the middle of the park against Andorra, it was almost as though the England coach wanted to prove to Trent’s backers that he could NOT play there.
The midfield experiment was too brief to be of any significance. If he wants an international slot under Southgate, it will have to be at right-back. And when the man in charge uses his preferred backthree system, the right wingback position belongs to James. The Chelsea player is very much a Southgate favourite and acquitted himself halfdecently against the Germans, although he was caught in possession on more than one occasion. The idea that James is defensively superior to Alexander-Arnold (below) is dubious, to say the least.
Kyle Walker, despite his mistake in Milan on Friday night, is probably defensively superior and his flexibility makes him a shoo-in.
When John Stones pulled up lame late in the first half, Walker took his place in the back three.
And Southgate is right when he says Trippier has been playing well – so well that, if a back four became a starting formation for England, Trippier might well be favourite to start at right-back.
The Newcastle United defender also hits a mean setpiece but no meaner than Alexander-Arnold hits (or, for that matter, Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse, who was also banished from this match-day squad).
Look, even if you think conventional defending is not Alexander-Arnold’s strong point, then start with someone who you think is safer but have the adventure of Trent at your disposal should it be needed.
The irony is that Southgate likes to select defenders who can defend but the opening goal at Wembley last night came courtesy of a defender who has simply forgotten how to defend... yet still the England boss sticks by him.
His back line may be wobbling but Southgate shows great loyalty towards Harry Maguire yet has never been an advocate of AlexanderArnold’s from day one. Which is a terrible shame. But at least England fans can take comfort from the fact that if Alexander-Arnold cannot get into this match day squad, Southgate must have one hell of a squad...
And, you never know, sooner or later they might win another football match.