Speaking on the LadBible TV YouTube channel, Alan Shearer has been having a debate with Jamie Carragher about the England team.
The England squad has been announced, and one of the most contentious spots in the team is at right-back.
Indeed, the likes of Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all vying to be England’s starting right-back, and according to Carragher, Alexander-Arnold should start the opening game against Iran.
As a weaker team, Iran are expected to sit deep against England and defend for their lives, and Carragher believes that Alexander-Arnold is the perfect player to unlock a defence like that.
However, Shearer raised a good counter-point, stating that if Alexander-Arnold has a good game against Iran, it will be tough to drop him in a game where England need to be more defensively resolute for a player like Walker or Trippier.
Alexander-Arnold conundrum
Shearer and Carragher discussed the tough choice at right-back.
“I agree in terms of Kyle Walker, but if we’re talking about the Iran game and breaking a team down I think it has to be Trent,” Carragher said.
“What about if you play Trent and England win four or five nil and Trent sets three goals up, how are you going to leave him out of the next game then?” Shearer asked.
“I don’t see a great deal of difference between Trent and Trippier in set-pieces. He’s a better defender and as an all-round package I think Trippier is better than every one of them,” Shearer said.
Manager’s job
This is where Gareth Southgate needs to show his man-management skills.
He needs to sit his three right-backs down and tell them exactly what their roles are and where they’ll be needed.
With Alexander-Arnold it may be a case of telling him he’ll be used in games where England are expected to dominate, while Walker may be more likely to be used in games where the Three Lions will be sat back, with Trippier acting as something of a balance between the two.
Dropping Alexander-Arnold after a good game against Iran won’t be as difficult as Shearer makes out so long as his role is perfectly communicated to him.
Southgate needs to be clear with all of his players in the coming weeks.
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