The environment in which a player is being asked to perform in is just as important as the players performance within said environment. The environment Trent is being asked to perform in is not conducive to protecting him and getting the best out of him. This article will seek to provide a more comprehensive outline of the situation on the pitch for the Liverpool right back and hopefully, try to point out a few nuances.
Firstly, Trent isn’t being tasked with pushing high and wide like he used to be. His role as a right-back has become a quite conservative one and you’ll often find him behind the ball when Liverpool are attacking. Ready to help the team defend. Usually, he is either the 3rd CB (3–2) or the 2nd midfielder (2–3), reasons as to why this has come to be vary but one reason is because of Trent’s ability to beat a press with one pass, something Liverpool do not have when building out from the back. Trent’s ability to find runners from deep or players between the lines can be exercised in the deeper positions.
What is the significance of Trent playing deeper and how does it make him more exposed than he usually is? Trent generally being deeper when the team is attacking means he is apart of the rest defence, this means while Liverpool are attacking, he is apart of the players who are tasked with stopping counter attacks and transition in the event the team loses the ball. This is important to point out because this destroys the rhetoric that he needs midfielders to track back for him while he goes up to attack, Trent is apart of the subunit of players that are tasked with controlling transitions. He is the cover.
Liverpool have been considerably worse at keeping the ball this season than ever before. Not only that but they aren’t as good at winning the ball back too. This is very significant because it means that Liverpool are losing the ball more frequently and are taking even longer than usual to win it back in comparison other previous seasons, which means they are having to defend more frequently, for longer periods of time. This not only means more transitions and counterattacks, but it also means teams are finding it easier to force Liverpool into a low-block and sustain pressure, which in itself is another way for teams to hurt Liverpool.
What does this all mean for Trent? Well simply put, he has to defend more frequently, for longer periods of time. Trent is constantly having to defend more 1v1 situations, teams will also purposely overload his side in attacking situations to create promising situations, all of which is out of his control. Trent has come leaps and bounds when it comes to defending 1v1s, however undoubtedly this is one of his weaknesses and team have continuously played on this fact. To counteract this Liverpool must find ways to keep the ball for longer periods and also press more effectively to minimise the amount of transitions Trent and co have to defend.
Trent being asked to be behind the ball when Liverpool have the ball is also almost definitely hurting Liverpool’s attacking dynamics. Though Trent has the ability to beat a press with one pass, he can often be too vertical and when pressed in a manner that limits his more favourable angles his composure and passing variation leaves much to be desired. Naturally a safer and composed passer is preferred in deeper areas, this conundrum ties into the collective problem Liverpool have with losing the ball too frequently, not only that but they are losing it in deeper areas too. So though Trent is a capable passer from deep he doesn’t quite possess every attribute needed to play deeper. Trent must be flexible and try to play ahead of the ball as much as he is behind it, Liverpool must find ways (players) of lessening their over-reliance on the right back for progression. Trent is often the player in the Liverpool team you want playing the final pass, he needs to be put in situations where he is doing more of that.
Conclusions that can be drawn from this piece are as follows:
· Trent is not playing the way he used, he mostly plays deeper either as the 3rd CB or 2nd midfielder, alternating between a 2–3/3–2 shape. The reason for this is because of his passing prowess, his ability to hit runners from deep and find players between the lines is something Liverpool lack.
· Teams are keeping the ball longer and Liverpool are taking longer to regain the ball after possession because of this they are being forced to defend for longer periods of time in a low block. This is where team start to play on Trent’s weakness:1v1 defend. Overloading one side of the pitch to create 1v1 situations has been a regular occurrence for teams against Liverpool this season.
· This season Liverpool’s rest defence are being asked to defend transitions and counterattacks at a regularity and intensity they’ve never seen before. Individually Trent is recovering the ball the most for his team, he has often been in the right position to deal with transitions and counterattacks however collectively the system he is being asked to play in is exacerbating his weaknesses, he is being asked to defend too many 1v1s and transitions.
· Because of his role, Trent being a part of the rest defence when Liverpool are attacking means although he is a capable passer from the deeper positions, he can often sometimes be too vertical and this is often exacerbated when he is constantly pressed in a manner that limits his passing options, this is all again, doesn’t bode well for Liverpool when they need to be keeping more of the ball. His temperament is not fully one of a natural deep playmaker with an understanding for rhythm, he still instinctively wants his every pass to be an assist.
As you already know, discussing Trent Alexander Arnold in general is a tentative task and it is impossible to cover all bases, but I hope this article has provided value in providing an outline on the specificity of his role and profile and how the 2 do not always go hand in hand.
