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Former England manager Sam Allardyce has claimed ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup that Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold has never been taught how to defend.
Alexander-Arnold has established himself as a key player for Liverpool since making his debut for them in 2016. He has helped the club win seven trophies, including the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League.
The 24-year-old has been widely praised for redefining the right-back position with his creativity. He has scored 15 goals and provided 62 assists from 245 appearances across all competitions for the Reds so far.
However, Alexander-Arnold has also been criticized for his defending, which often leaves a lot to be desired. The Anfield outfit have conceded 22 goals in 19 matches that he has played in this term.
Allardyce said that Alexander-Arnold is his fourth-choice defender for England. The former Three Lions manager also stated that the right-back has not been taught to defend properly.
Allardyce, though, acknowledged the Liverpool star's qualities, hailing him as an 'unbelievable player'. He went on to point out how defending is not as important as it used to be for full-backs. He said on the No Tippy Tappy Football Podcast [via HITC]:
“If they’re all fit, I have to go with how they’re playing now. Trent [Alexander-Arnold] isn’t playing great. I love him, he’s an unbelievable footballer, but nobody has taught him how to defend, I’ve said that before."
"It’s not as important as it was in our day, in our day it was the most important thing, but now it’s secondary."
Alexander-Arnold has 17 caps for the England national team and is expected to be in Gareth Southgate's squad for the World Cup in Qatar.
Liverpool have had an underwhelming 2022-23 season
The Merseyside-based club have had an underwhelming season so far relative to their lofty standards. They currently find themselves sitting eighth in the Premier League table after 13 matches.
Jurgen Klopp's side have only 19 points to their name, having won five, drawn four and lost four of their 13 matches so far. They also suffered a heavy 4-1 loss to Serie A club Napoli in the UEFA Champions League, although they managed to progress from their group.
Injuries to several players, including Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota, have not helped the Reds' cause. The likes of Alexander-Arnold struggling for form have also made things worse for them.
