5 months ago
136 
It’s a quiet time in Liverpool-related news, which is a good time to reflect on the sudden absence criticism for one Trent Alexander-Arnold.
When things slow down in Liverpool news, the folks here at TLO towers usually groan. This means that we’re often relegated to plumbing the dregs of news for anything to write about. Which, usually, is some variation of an outlandish transfer rumor filtered through three different foreign sources so as to be mostly unintelligible.
Quiet, though, can also reveal something new - like a subtle shifting of the winds. In this case, coming off of a season that saw him transition into playing more often in the middle of the park and becoming a (if not the) hub of creative output for Liverpool, Trent Alexander-Arnold is enjoying a bit of quiet from the more critical contingent of the football landscape.
While Trent is largely lauded among Kopites across the globe (with some exception, of course), it’s been an entirely different situation when it comes to his inclusion in the England National Team. Suiting up for the Lions, Trent has often found himself caught up in the converging forces of a fanbase that loves the minutiae of squad battles and being within a unique moment in the sport as a sort of Golden Age of Right-Backs emerged in England. Between TAA, Reece James, and Kieran Trippier, the position is incredibly stacked, creating the conditions for hyper-focused dissection of the players.
Trent’s role in the Liverpool squad as a creative savant has come with the implicit - though, increasingly explicit - critique that he was light on the defensive side of the ball. And, true, there have definitely been moments where Trent was caught out of position and the open space normally patrolled by a fullback was exploited. But, and this is important, in Jurgen Klopp’s set-up, this was a calcuated risk where the gaffer felt what Trent offered going forward is so special that he needed to work ways into the formation to ensure he could operate freely as a creator.
And even beyond the accommodation to Trent specifically, one would have to notice that in certain years - this past one really stands out - Klopp would tilt the field dramatically towards the attack as a means of dealing with teams intent to sit. This would put pressure on the entire defensive structure as big chances seemed an inevitability for Liverpool.
This season’s overall results may have felt a bit of a let-down given how high the lads flew during certain parts of the year. But what wasn’t obscured was how singularly important Trent was to functioning Liverpool squad. Yes, there was the tactical adjustment, but tactical adjustments aren’t just a means to hide the deficiency of a particular player, they’re also an acknowledgement of the gifts that player brings.
So, seeing Trent move from a question mark in the England set-up to a player that Gareth Southgate is making tactical adjustments in consideration of can only be seen as a validation of the young Scouser’s big year. The inclusion and implicit label as an integral player to England’s hopes in the 2024 edition of the Euros is an acknowledgement of what Liverpool fans have known for a long time: Trent is a special talent.
And that’s why this moment of quiet is a good thing. Because in the age of media churn where negative attention is still regarded as having value, it is nice to say that in this case, no news really is good news.
