16 March 2023 , 12:05
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Jamie Carragher's scathing assessment of Trent Alexander-Arnold's defending has raised plenty of eyebrows but it is unlikely to change Jurgen Klopp's stance on the matter.
Liverpool were dumped out of the Champions League on Wednesday night following a 1-0 defeat by Real Madrid, though in truth the tie was lost in the first leg at Anfield where Los Blancos ran out 5-2 winners. Elimination from the competition marks another low in what has been a season full of them for the Reds and Carragher's comments make for difficult reading from a Liverpool perspective.
After the 6-2 aggregate loss, the Anfield legend was in no mood to mince his words as he took aim at Alexander-Arnold and his defensive ability.
"That can’t continue, what’s happened this season with him and the number of times he has been lacking defensively," Carragher told CBS after the full-time whistle in Madrid.
"Liverpool are at the point where they have got to go and buy a right-back. It’s Jurgen Klopp's decision in terms of how good that right-back is and how much he costs, but that lad needs serious competition.
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"He has been playing for five years at the top level, with no rest, and has won absolutely everything and won more than I could ever dream of. I’m so proud of him - a local lad coming through the ranks - but he needs help."
HAVE YOUR SAY!Is Carragher's assessment of Alexander-Arnold fair? Comment below
Trent Alexander-Arnold was well below his best in both games against Real Madrid (Manuel Reino Berengui/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)It is unclear how Klopp will respond to the defeat or whether he is pondering the idea of purchasing another right-back like Carragher has called for, but the Reds boss has leapt to the defence of Alexander-Arnold over similar claims as recently as the start of this season.
In the face of criticism towards the England international in September, Klopp hit back: "Now they say ‘defend better’, you cannot have everything. If you want to press, you have to have players in certain positions.
"It’s a risk we take, it’s not a crazy risk but in the one moment where we don’t win [the ball], people ask where is Trent? That’s a question I don’t understand, everyone who watches football that often and that long why would you then say ‘that is his main job?’ – I told him he has to be there [in high press].
"Every player in the league has these challenges but all the experts [say] ‘this situation you see it is a weakness’. I don’t get that part of it that we just accept a world-class talent gets judged by the one thing he is not as world-class as he is in other things.
"If he would not be a good defender he would not play."
Some may feel that Carragher is coming down far too hard on a player that has been integral to one of Liverpool's most illustrious chapters, but scrutiny on the squad is required if the Reds are to bounce back next season or they risk falling further behind their rivals.