The FA have announced that Gareth Southgate is staying on as England manager, much to the delight of many of the Three Lions’ players.
Say what you will about Southgate tactically, you can’t deny that he is one of the most well-liked managers England have ever had.
All of his players seem to love him and he’s cultivated an atmosphere within the England camp that was once thought unimaginable.
The club cliques have vanished and the team is performing better than ever before.
However, there is one Liverpool player who may not be too impressed by the news that Southgate is staying on.
We’re talking about Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Southgate’s defence-first approach has seen Alexander-Arnold’s international minutes limited, and sadly, that probably won’t change for as long as the current England boss is in the dugout.
Southgate, quite clearly, prefers Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier to Alexander-Arnold, and while the clock is ticking on their international careers, Reece James is waiting in the wings to take up the mantle.
Alexander-Arnold is, arguably, the most talented right-back of the bunch, but unfortunately, his attributes don’t quite fit into the system that Southgate wants to implement with England.
Alexander-Arnold is too attacking for Southgate at this moment in time and until a more adventurous manager is handed the key to this castle, the full-back may have to settle for being a bit-part player at international level.
It’s a shame because Alexander-Arnold can make a real case for being the best right-back on the planet, but in the modern game, fitting a specific system is more important than innate talent.
Southgate staying on may be a good thing for England, but sadly, it could be bad news for Alexander-Arnold’s future at that level.
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