Liverpool boss Arne Slot has admitted that Trent Alexander-Arnold’s defensive flaws are due to concentration rather than his ability as the Dutch coach continues to try and bring the best out of the Reds star.
Alexander-Arnold has started the current season in impressive fashion under his new boss and bagged his 83rd assist in a Liverpool shirt during Saturday’s 3-0 win over Bournemouth.
There have never been any questions over the England international’s ability on the ball as the 25-year-old is one of the best in the world in his position, however, the defensive side of his game has often come under the microscope.
Alexander-Arnold’s defensive frailties have often been blown out of proportion but there is a bit of a weakness in the right-back’s game when Liverpool do not have the ball.
Ahead of Liverpool’s clash with West Ham on Wednesday in the EFL Cup, Slot has been speaking about his full-back and has stated that the 25-year-old’s defensive issues in the past are a result of concentration rather than his ability.
“It’s difficult for me to judge how it has been in the years before but the only thing I know is we are talking about a player that won the Champions League and the league title so it’s clear to me that he has been a good defender all his life,” the Reds boss said via The Guardian. “But because he is so special with the ball, the main emphasis goes on him doing special things with the ball.
“I think with him it is not about if he is capable of doing things, it’s more can his concentration rate constantly be in 100% focus? So this is what we talk about a lot, that he has to stay active in every situation of the game, even if the ball is further away from him. But it’s not that we or I taught him to defend in the last three months; he’s won the league and he’s won the Champions League. It’s just getting him to understand all of what is necessary to play the best possible game.”
Liverpool need to sort the future of Trent Alexander-Arnold
If Slot can improve the defensive side of Alexander-Arnold’s game, the 25-year-old could be on course to become one of the greatest full-backs of all time, as the Englishman has already shown to be a generational talent in his position.
The defender has already featured 316 times in a Red shirt and has accumulated a total of 19 goals and 83 assists for the Merseyside club.
Alexander-Arnold is out of contract at Anfield in 2025 and his situation is one Liverpool need to sort out quickly as clubs such as Real Madrid are keeping an eye on the full-back. The Premier League outfit cannot afford to let one of their best players leave for free, especially when Slot continues to bring the best out of the right-back.