John Barnes Advises Klopp to Move Alexander-Arnold to Right-Back

John Barnes, a Liverpool legend, believes that the recent move of Trent Alexander-Arnold to midfield has not been as successful as many have made it out to be. Alexander-Arnold, who is one of the best right-backs in the world, has been praised for his attacking output but has often been criticized for being a defensive liability. This has been especially evident this season, with Liverpool struggling in the Premier League table and likely to miss out on Champions League qualification for the first time since 2016. In their last four games, Jurgen Klopp has deployed the 24-year-old in a slightly different role, starting at full-back but drifting into midfield to aid his side’s creativity. Alexander-Arnold has registered five assists in these games compared to just three in his 37 other matches this season. Many have praised both player and manager for this tactical switch, but Barnes is not convinced it has made much of difference and has suggested the England international should return to his more traditional right-back role. He believes that Alexander-Arnold’s number of assists will increase if he is playing as a right back because of his crosses, and that he creates more chances from that position rather than from midfield. Barnes also noted that Alexander-Arnold’s assist against West Ham was easy to get, as he passed the ball to Gakpo who then did all the work to get a goal. It remains to be seen how Klopp will utilise Alexander-Arnold in Liverpool’s next game at home against top four rivals Tottenham.