Trent Alexander-Arnold is potentially one player with a question mark over his place in the England side after Gareth Southgate’s men were largely unconvincing in their 1-0 victory to open Euro 2024.
Some have suggested that Alexander-Arnold looked lost in the middle of the park, with the Liverpool man playing alongside Declan Rice.
Alexander-Arnold appeared to find a role which really worked for him for the Reds last season, playing as more of an inverted full-back that often drifted into midfield.
Adam Lallana shares he really liked what he noticed Trent Alexander-Arnold do in England win
So it was not entirely surprising that Southgate opted to deploy the 25-year-old alongside Rice against Serbia, but the decision did not appear to pay off.
However, speaking to The Times, Adam Lallana has defended Alexander-Arnold, and discussed some of the moments he noticed from him which could have easily gone under the radar.
“The beauty of playing one game after another in a set position is that you don’t think. You just play your best football. Overall, my view of Trent’s display was that he did what England wanted. I wasn’t interested in the 50-yard diagonal passes or the shots because you will always get that from him. That is his X factor. It was the other side of the game that caught the eye, swallowing up second balls and making the interception that almost led to a goal for Kyle Walker,” he said.
“I liked him talking to Bukayo Saka before a ball had been kicked and chatting with John Stones about the game. Those were little nuggets of information for me. He has said he has been spending time with the assistant manager Steve Holland, studying clips and learning about playing in midfield. As an England fan, I loved to hear that. It is a player taking pride in his work and doing everything he can to succeed.
“Yes, he gave the ball away once or twice and it led to a chance for Aleksandar Mitrovic but if you play in midfield, you are going to give the ball away or be dispossessed. Trent will understand that is simply what happens. It is what I would call an honest mistake. When you accept that, you do it less and less because you are freer in your mind.”
Gareth Southgate in danger of making mistake as Three Lions put one foot in knockout stages
The benefit of the current format at the tournament means that one victory sees a team put more than one foot in the knockout stages, so England are in a strong position for their final two group games.
That gives Southgate the opportunity to take a couple of risks, and that may include giving Alexander-Arnold another chance alongside Rice.
Many have suggested that Alexander-Arnold can do things on the ball that so few others are capable of, so it would be no surprise if he did, at some stage, have a major impact on this tournament.
It would be a shame if he found himself out of the team after one game, particularly as he is surely highly unlikely to feature at right-back as long as Kyle Walker stays fit.
