Liverpool

Liverpool

Premier League • England

Liverpool struggler in danger as Gary Neville drops brutal World Cup verdict along with ‘trust’ claim

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jordan Henderson, Liverpool, October 2022

Gary Neville has revealed he thinks Trent Alexander-Arnold would do something rash in the World Cup and he will not be trusted.

Alexander-Arnold has long been seen as one of the Premier League’s best creative players. Indeed, he has provided 45 assists in the English top flight since the 2017/18 season.

He has also shown he has an eye for goal, too. The right-back has scored 11 goals in the league, and 15 overall for Liverpool.

His attacking qualities are clear to see, and those have never been a problem. What has been more problematic, though, are his defensive abilities.

Those have come under question time after time during his professional career. Indeed, the Englishman is seen as a liability in Liverpool’s back line.

Earlier this season, Jamie O’Hara described Alexander-Arnold’s defensive abilities as “League One” standard.

While Liverpool were playing free-flowing, dominant football, they could get away with carrying a passenger at the back.

However, this season, when they have come under the cosh more often, the right-back has been caught out a fair bit.

Neville thinks Alexander-Arnold can’t be trusted

With the World Cup coming up, the Liverpool right-back will be hoping for a space in the England squad. Indeed, he has played 17 times for his country, some of those games in qualifiers for the tournament.

However, former England right-back and pundit Neville does not think his World Cup chances are great.

“His brilliance going forward is out of this world but we are talking about knock-out football and it will come down to a moment,” he said on Sky Sports.

“I can’t see how Gareth Southgate would go into a knock-out game of a World Cup playing Trent.

“He does rash things and I think he is giving away a penalty in a World Cup. I don’t think Gareth will trust him in a knock-out game and he already has four brilliant right backs.”

Indeed, Reece James and Kieran Trippier both look to be ahead of Alexander-Arnold at present. If Kyle Walker is fit, he will also likely be ahead of the Liverpool man.

It may be the case that Alexander-Arnold does not find his way into the squad. If he does, he might find it tough to displace any of the other right-backs and get a game.

Neville wants star to succeed

Neville admitted he wanted the best for Alexander-Arnold, but, even at club level, he looks to be a liability.

“I want him to be the greatest right-back of all time because he has that ability but at times today, he looks like he could cost Liverpool dearly,” he added.

If that is the case in a Premier League game, then in a World Cup, with higher stakes and better players, the result could be much worse.