What threatened to be a woeful season for Trent Alexander-Arnold ended with him being given a brand new lease of life at Liverpool, in an intriguing position.
The fitting-back’s 2021/22 marketing campaign completed in disappointment, having not lined himself in glory for Vinicius Jr’s Champions League-winning objective in Paris.
It had nonetheless been a season to cherish total, nonetheless, as he as soon as once more confirmed why he’s Europe’s most original full-back.
There was no suggestion that Alexander-Arnold’s 2022/23 marketing campaign could be something apart from successful, however what adopted proved to be a wild and unpredictable experience.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, 2022/23
Began: 44 (All competitions)
On as an alternative: 3
Unused sub: 1
Objectives: 4
Assists: 10
General Season Score: 6
Large struggles at right-back
From the opening recreation away to Fulham in August, there have been indicators that Alexander-Arnold wasn’t at his greatest, as he allowed Aleksandar Mitrovic to go dwelling having been oblivious to him ghosting in on the again submit.
It was a poor efficiency by Liverpool usually, in addition to by the participant himself, and it was indicative of a giant chunk of the marketing campaign.
Too typically, Alexander-Arnold fell staggeringly under the extent we had turn out to be accustomed to since 2018, with a whole lack of effort seemingly on present for Jadon Sancho’s objective within the 2-1 defeat away to Man United.
Among the physique language he was displaying felt baffling, and whereas his perceived ‘poor’ defensive work had been lazily criticised up to now, there was each purpose to lambast it this time.
Amid a bunch of prime gamers performing badly, Alexander-Arnold probably stood out because the worst of the lot, even when there have been moments of predictable class thrown in.
Granted, the 24-year-old wasn’t being helped by a crew that was falling aside, being given so little safety by an ailing midfield, however his all-round recreation was nonetheless missing.
A World Cup call-up got here as a lift for him, however it solely realistically arrived due to an harm to Reece James and he performed simply 33 minutes of soccer in Qatar.
By the point April arrived, Alexander-Arnold had registered solely two assists within the Premier League – scarcely plausible for a participant of his capability – and he seemed like a participant in determined want of the summer season.
Then, Jurgen Klopp and his workers labored their tactical magic and realised that there was a doable method to salvage the Scouser’s season.
It’s a determination that would show to be a masterstroke.
A person reborn in hybrid position
With Actual knocking Liverpool out of Europe and a top-four end searching of the query within the league, Klopp had the license to attempt one thing new within the latter a part of the season.
Alexander-Arnold’s grim type for a lot of the marketing campaign had led to some calling for him to turn out to be a central midfielder – a job he typically took up throughout his youth crew days.
As a substitute, Klopp adopted a tactic that has been utilized by Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta with the likes of John Stones and Oleksandr Zinchenko, permitting Trent to float into midfield from his right-back place.
Whereas out of possession he remained pretty disciplined – completely having no one at right-back isn’t going to finish nicely – on the ball he vacated that space, permitting others to fill in.
What we witnessed within the closing six weeks of the season was an outrageously proficient footballer purring once more, trying so at dwelling in a hybrid place.
For a lot of video games, he seemed like probably the most gifted particular person on the pitch, getting on the ball and choosing out passes that few gamers on the earth are able to.
Liverpool’s much-criticised midfield instantly had an explosion of life, and their often-lambasted right-back was reborn.
He registered seven assists in April and Could mixed – it could have been extra if a few of his team-mates’ ending had been extra scientific – and the Reds seemed a significantly better crew due to it.
His common of shot-creating actions for these closing 10 video games of the season rose to 4.3 per recreation, per FBRef, up from 3.4 per recreation earlier within the marketing campaign.
The 4-4 draw with Southampton noticed him create 10 probabilities – probably the most he has managed for the reason that 3-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid in 2020, when he managed 14.
For all his points, Alexander-Arnold (25) nonetheless completed with the third-most huge probabilities created within the Premier League, behind Bruno Fernandes (32) and Kevin De Bruyne (31), and seventh within the help rankings.
Klopp’s males could have fallen in need of Champions League qualification ultimately, and deservedly so.
However the revival of their No. 66 was a significant constructive heading into subsequent season.
What subsequent?
There is no such thing as a query that main reinforcements are going to be made to Liverpool’s midfield this summer season, with Alexis Mac Allister, Manu Kone and Khephren Thuram all thought-about targets.
Assuming the Reds nail their switch enterprise in that space, there may be each likelihood that they may very well be title challengers once more in 2023/24.
However what does Klopp do with Alexander-Arnold?
There are some who need him in midfield completely, however there appears no sense in that, contemplating the incomings and the style during which he has excelled in his tweaked position.
Regardless of his sturdy send-off, this was nonetheless a season to neglect for Alexander-Arnold total – one which was actually dismal at one level – however there shouldn’t be considerations about him within the long-term.
He’ll all the time be overly criticised in comparison with others – James, Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier all have faults of their very own and don’t possess near the identical degree of technical capability – however Liverpool know his huge price.
At 24, Alexander-Arnold continues to be younger, and his defensive work can clearly enhance, however he ought to return from his summer season vacation re-energised and seeking to return to peak type.
Retaining him as a roaming right-back-cum-midfielder needs to be the plan, with the additional legs added to the midfield serving to negate the problem of him leaving his submit at right-back.
Trent 2.0 is upon us.
Greatest second: A surprising free-kick away to Leicester in Could.
Worst second: The dearth of effort for Sancho’s objective at Outdated Trafford.
Position subsequent season: Key man. Maybe crucial in Klopp’s 3-5-2.
