The shocking decline of Trent Alexander Arnold

calodo2003 said:
This cat is another contender for being immediately inserted into the General after promotion.

Thankfully we will have a long time before that occurs.
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Mods please note (as i said before) i don't want to be a full member.

3 posts a day is enough for me.
Cheers.
 
sullydnl said:
Last season he finished second to KDB in terms of assists, breaking the record for assists by a PL defender. A record that was previously held by himself. Because he's a player who got 30 assists in his first 93 PL appearances.

That's probably why people say he's class. Because he repeatedly found his man and created goals. Not because of a curvy cross.

For the sake of future-proofing opinions and threads, it's probably best to stick to criticising his defensive frailties.
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This thread doesn't need to be future proofed though. It's a forum. He's been awful in an attacking sense this season, and probably gave the ball away most tonight. There's been a few games this season where he's broken records for giving the ball away, mainly due to him spaffing crosses to the oppo defence.

From an attacking sense, he's been dire this season.

It goes back to my original point that he was way overhyped to begin with.
 
He’s a brilliant talent who went through a tough patch. I’d easily have him in our team and find a way to make him fit in. Even if it meant transforming him into a midfielder or a wing back role. In terms of creativity there aren’t many better.
 
Chief123 said:
He’s a brilliant talent who went through a tough patch. I’d easily have him in our team and find a way to make him fit in. Even if it meant transforming him into a midfielder or a wing back role. In terms of creativity there aren’t many better.
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He would be rubbish for us. We don't create space for our FBs. Shaw has to do a lot to get assists. When was the last time him or Robertson beat a man to set up a goal? The rest of the Liverpool team created the space for them. Now its not happening as much this season and they are suffering.
 
calodo2003 said:
You’re in luck. I wouldn’t worry about ever being promoted.
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I have a few times thanks, I'm an OG of the forum (on and off), but to answer your question if some of the half-wits on here (and yourself doing a quick search on your posts) can get promoted, my cat could randomly walk on the keyboard and get promoted too.

I don't mind posting here now and again, but don't want to spend too much time here, I'd end up coming off it thicker.
 
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SirMarcusRashford said:
I have a few times thanks, I'm an OG of the forum (on and off), but to answer your question if some of the half-wits on here (and yourself doing a quick search on your posts) can get promoted, my cat could randomly walk on the keyboard and get promoted too.

I don't mind posting here now and again, but don't want to spend too much time here, I'd end up coming off it thicker.
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Smart cat you've got there, mate. What's his name? Trent, Mo, Stevie?
 
SirMarcusRashford said:
I have a few times thanks, I'm an OG of the forum (on and off), but to answer your question if some of the half-wits on here (and yourself doing a quick search on your posts) can get promoted, my cat could randomly walk on the keyboard and get promoted too.

I don't mind posting here now and again, but don't want to spend too much time here, I'd end up coming off it thicker.
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You should probably post how gutted you are that Liverpool lost over on Rawk though
 
SirMarcusRashford said:
I have a few times thanks, I'm an OG of the forum (on and off), but to answer your question if some of the half-wits on here (and yourself doing a quick search on your posts) can get promoted, my cat could randomly walk on the keyboard and get promoted too.

I don't mind posting here now and again, but don't want to spend too much time here, I'd end up coming off it thicker.
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Such brilliance here. I could only imagine the idiocy that would spew forth if you were promoted.

Don’t worry, your thickness is already apparent, OG. I can only imagine what you were banned for in the past.
 
His form will improve a lot next season after taking the summer off.
 
Incidentally, if Southgate picks someone like Trippier over this guy then he's an idiot.
 
sullydnl said:
Incidentally, if Southgate picks someone like Trippier over this guy then he's an idiot.
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Why?

Trippier has had an excellent season for Atletico. And TAA has never taken his club form to internationals. He'll have plenty of opportunities to stake a place in future tournaments.

It is funny that TAA chose the game against us to show his quality again. This rut was always just a rut.
 
Any defensive frailty is worth his passing, especially for a side who want to win things and will be on the attack for the vast majority of their games.
 
sullydnl said:
Incidentally, if Southgate picks someone like Trippier over this guy then he's an idiot.
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It's a crazy level of depth England has in that position though

TAA who made the FIFpro world team of the year last season
Walker who is the starter for arguably the best club side in the world
Trippier who has had a great season in Spain and could be a champion there soon
James who is young and learning but getting lots of minutes in the postion for a Champions League finalist
AWB who is proably the best defensive full back about and improving all the time going forward

Then you have the likes of Lamptey, Aarons and Justin who are impressing. One of the best youngsters at Chelsea at the moment Valentino Livramento is also a right back, he's been on Chelsea's bench the past couple of games. He's a massive talent.
 
MyOnlySolskjaer said:
Silenced half this forum who had the nerve to doubt him, have to rate it.
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Speaks volumes in a game where Wan Bissaka had a decent performance both defensively and offensively that no comparison is being made with TAA's dominance last night.
 
Dumbstar said:
Speaks volumes in a game where Wan Bissaka had a decent performance both defensively and offensively that no comparison is being made with TAA's dominance last night.
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That’s because Southgate hasn’t given AWB any chance of a call up despite his impressive form and he’s more likely to play for DR Congo going forward.
 
adexkola said:
Why?

Trippier has had an excellent season for Atletico. And TAA has never taken his club form to internationals. He'll have plenty of opportunities to stake a place in future tournaments.

It is funny that TAA chose the game against us to show his quality again. This rut was always just a rut.
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The stats they flashed up last night on TAA suggest it wasn’t even that much of a rut, he’s been the most creative player for Liverpool this season. Obviously that’s a relative assessment but the relative assessment is important; he’s doing significantly worse because his team mates are providing significantly worse support.

In most games he still makes passes only a handful in the league can. I’m surprised how easily that’s overlooked. Even if last season was a dramatic over performance, those core skills can’t be fluked.
 
Brwned said:
The stats they flashed up last night on TAA suggest it wasn’t even that much of a rut, he’s been the most creative player for Liverpool this season. Obviously that’s a relative assessment but the relative assessment is important; he’s doing significantly worse because his team mates are providing significantly worse support.

In most games he still makes passes only a handful in the league can. I’m surprised how easily that’s overlooked. Even if last season was a dramatic over performance, those core skills can’t be fluked.
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It's a weird season to assess. For the first third, we were unlucky on a lot of critical occasions and still top of the league. Robertson was easily the best fullback in the world, Mane still looked good, Salah was more clinical than impressive.

Then the injuries hit, our collective form fell off a cliff, Robertson morphed into the full back version of Stewart Downing and even when TAA came back from covid, he was dreadful in all ways. It was weird - how was he getting caught high up the pitch so often when he wasn't ever near the opposition box either. Like a fullback version of a drunk Jan Molby. And Salah was literally the only player performing at a top level to earn us any points.

At some point during that run, TAA found form and was basically carrying the creative burden singlehandedly in a dreadful team. Then made the headlines a bit later for being dropped by Southgate, then had a few dreadful games after that and has been doing much of the same since.

Taa is the least of our worries to my mind. The fact that he found form at a time when no one else did is promising to me. The question is to what extent we can recover collectively. The dent in collective confidence this team has taken is massive. Have to hope that van dijk, Gomez and Henderson back in will give the team as a whole a lift. Still not sure if Firmino and Mane will ever be the same again though.
 
According to the athletic, he's still not in Southgate's plans. He's got three other right backs he'd rather take.

It's genuinely bizarre. On form, he's one of the best players in the squad, let alone streets ahead of the other right backs.
 
B20 said:
According to the athletic, he's still not in Southgate's plans. He's got three other right backs he'd rather take.

It's genuinely bizarre. On form, he's one of the best players in the squad, let alone streets ahead of the other right backs.
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I'd take Trent if it was up to me, but he's never been brilliant for England and England aren't struggling for options at RB either.
 
B20 said:
According to the athletic, he's still not in Southgate's plans. He's got three other right backs he'd rather take.

It's genuinely bizarre. On form, he's one of the best players in the squad, let alone streets ahead of the other right backs.
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At crossing maybe, not defending though
 
B20 said:
According to the athletic, he's still not in Southgate's plans. He's got three other right backs he'd rather take.

It's genuinely bizarre. On form, he's one of the best players in the squad, let alone streets ahead of the other right backs.
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It’s absolutely mental. England should be building a side around him based on the things he does well rather than the things he doesn’t. It probably just highlights Southgate’s innate conservatism. I could maybe understand if he was particularly disruptive or might not be a good tourist but there no sign of that.
 
Southgate always has had his favourites and he will go with his safe options. None of them are particularly bad mind.
 
B20 said:
According to the athletic, he's still not in Southgate's plans. He's got three other right backs he'd rather take.

It's genuinely bizarre. On form, he's one of the best players in the squad, let alone streets ahead of the other right backs.
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Ternt isnt needed going forward if the RW isnt tucking in like Salah. They have world class attackers, Southgate just needs to keep the door shut behind them and Trent isnt very good at that. Its stupid to take more than 2 RB anyway.
 
The other point to note is that Southgate has been using wing-backs mostly in recent times. Trippier has played that position all season for the side on the verge of winning the Spanish league. James has played the position this season for Chelsea this season. Walker and James can also play as a centre back in the back three.
 
Classical Mechanic said:
The other point to note is that Southgate has been using wing-backs mostly in recent times. Trippier has played that position all season for the side on the verge of winning the Spanish league. James has played the position this season for Chelsea this season. Walker and James can also play as a centre back in the back three.
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If anything, TAA would be better suited to a wingback position.
 
B20 said:
If anything, TAA would be better suited to a wingback position.
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He's not really tested in the position. You get little time to prepare for international tournaments so experiments are risky. Trent has seldom turned up for England, has very high quality competition, has no positional versatility and hasn't played in the system being employed by England at club level.

All that said there are also rumours that Sancho and Grealish will be missing out so I'd wait for the actual squad to be announced.

I do get the feeling that he'll call up Trippier, Walker and James though.
 
Classical Mechanic said:
He's not really tested in the position. You get little time to prepare for international tournaments so experiments are risky. Trent has seldom turned up for England, has very high quality competition, has no positional versatility and hasn't played in the system being employed by England at club level.

All that said there are also rumours that Sancho and Grealish will be missing out so I'd wait for the actual squad to be announced.

I do get the feeling that he'll call up Trippier, Walker and James though.
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He'll be sacked within minutes of going out with the decisions he looks to be making.
 
I think it would be a shame if he didn't make the squad, I like Reece James but I'd have TAA in over him. The only RB that I think definitely should be ahead of him in the pecking order is Walker.
 
With Trippier, James, Walker, TAA and AWB we have massive depth at RB. So no surprise at all if TAA misses out.

two of those RBs are playing in the CL and one is on the verge of winning La Liga.
 
B20 said:
He'll be sacked within minutes of going out with the decisions he looks to be making.
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If he left out Sancho and TAA then it would be fodder for detractors if England failed but then most England fans are cognisant of the fact that neither have turned up for England. The days when Sterling could play terribly in every game for England but not get dropped are over because of increased competition. You could look at it as sending out a message that the players have to be really on it at all times to get in the squad (unless you're a GK, CB or CM!).

I think if England flop then Southgate should be gone regardless of who he selected at right back.
 
B20 said:
At football
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Give over.

You think good ol Trent is streets ahead of Kyle Walker at right back? Ok. He’s not streets ahead of any of them at defending, or football whatever that means.
 
cyberman said:
Ternt isnt needed going forward if the RW isnt tucking in like Salah. They have world class attackers, Southgate just needs to keep the door shut behind them and Trent isnt very good at that. Its stupid to take more than 2 RB anyway.
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I agree with that, people in here talking about him as if he’s a right winger and the assist king England need, forgetting that England are actually overloaded with attacking talent and actually just need a defender, something they have about 3 players better than Trent at actually doing.
 
Trent should be in the England squad, forget RBs, there aren't many English players who can pick passes like he can.

It's tricky for Southgate as Walker is better defensively and gives good balance and Trippier plays well for England. So he might have to take 3 RBs.
 
MyOnlySolskjaer said:
Silenced half this forum who had the nerve to doubt him, have to rate it.
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I'll admit I was one. Still think his defensive capabilities are suspect in comparison to other RB options England have. But you have to say his contribution to attack is just astonishing, Southgate has a really tough decision.
 
If Rice and Henderson/Phillips aren’t enough to allow one of your best footballers to do what he does best then what’s the point of them playing
 
B20 said:
It's a weird season to assess. For the first third, we were unlucky on a lot of critical occasions and still top of the league. Robertson was easily the best fullback in the world, Mane still looked good, Salah was more clinical than impressive.

Then the injuries hit, our collective form fell off a cliff, Robertson morphed into the full back version of Stewart Downing and even when TAA came back from covid, he was dreadful in all ways. It was weird - how was he getting caught high up the pitch so often when he wasn't ever near the opposition box either. Like a fullback version of a drunk Jan Molby. And Salah was literally the only player performing at a top level to earn us any points.

At some point during that run, TAA found form and was basically carrying the creative burden singlehandedly in a dreadful team. Then made the headlines a bit later for being dropped by Southgate, then had a few dreadful games after that and has been doing much of the same since.

Taa is the least of our worries to my mind. The fact that he found form at a time when no one else did is promising to me. The question is to what extent we can recover collectively. The dent in collective confidence this team has taken is massive. Have to hope that van dijk, Gomez and Henderson back in will give the team as a whole a lift. Still not sure if Firmino and Mane will ever be the same again though.
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The returns from injuries and the return of fans could be big catalysts but I just don’t see that path back to a high-energy, all-action team. They’ve been totally drained. I’d completely give up on Firmino but Mane’s a tougher one. I could see him rebound and his value doubling in a season, maybe if another attacker came in to revitalise the front three?

Would be ridiculous to leave TAA at home. He’s so much better than Reece James I’m amazed it’s even a contest.
 
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