Jurgen Klopp disagrees with Gareth Southgate over controversial England determination
Jurgen Klopp couldn’t fathom Gareth Southgate’s temptation to play Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield for England.
The Liverpool right-back was deployed in the middle of the park for the Euro 2024 opener against Serbia, a less-than-impressive 1-0 victory for the Three Lions. Alexander-Arnold was paired with Declan Rice in the centre, as Southgate aimed to take advantage of his exceptional passing skills.
There is a divide in opinion over whether Alexander-Arnold can effectively serve as a midfielder for the national team in the long run. It was far from the first time Southgate has moved him further up the field.
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During a qualifier against Andorra in 2021, Southgate abandoned the experiment after just 45 minutes, returning Alexander-Arnold to his more familiar position. At the time, Klopp didn’t hold back his thoughts on the matter.
“In this game, in a game where England are that dominant for example, or that we are that dominant that Trent could play in midfield, I would rather he was the six than in this case the eight,” the German said.
“That is possible but why would you make the best right-back in the world a midfielder? I don’t understand that really.”
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(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
By last season, Klopp seemed more open to the idea of Alexander-Arnold playing in midfield, although he remained firm that right-back was his strongest position. Short on midfielders due to injuries at the time, he said: “[A] possibility [that he could play in midfield], depends on the situation and the opponent, on a lot of things.
“We know he can play there but if we just put him there we lose one of the best right-backs in the world so we should not forget that completely. Of course, he is an option for that position.”
Alexander-Arnold had a mixed game against the Serbs but is set to keep his place in the middle alongside Rice for today’s game against Denmark.
