Alexander-Arnold seeks to tackle 'can't defend' critics
The Independent|September 23, 2024
Liverpool star has asked his manager to dish out tough love
RICHARD JOLLY
Alexander-Arnold seeks to tackle 'can't defend' critics

If it seems that Arne Slot is picking on Trent Alexander-Arnold in the Liverpool dressing room, it is not because of a problem between them. Quite the opposite, actually.

Because the right-back had an unusual request. He wanted his manager to criticise him, sometimes in front of his teammates. He asked him to mention every time a forward beat him and to brand it unacceptable. It is a punishing approach designed to make him better. He feels that Slot, with his attention to detail and track record of improving players, can help.

There is an understandable focus on their relationship. Alexander-Arnold represented one of the great triumphs of Jurgen Klopp’s management: first his decision not to buy a rightback because he knew of a teenage talent in the ranks, then as an extraordinary creator who reshaped Liverpool’s tactics as the full-backs attacked more than the midfield, and finally as the vice-captain who inverted into midfield.

It did not escape attention that Slot substituted AlexanderArnold in each of his first three games or that the 25-year-old was unhappy to be taken off against Brentford. It is a cause of some concern that Alexander-Arnold is in the last year of his contract at Anfield. Yet if mentions of his future can involve talk of a free transfer next summer, Alexander-Arnold voiced his own ambition: to become the toughest defender to encounter in Europe.

Esta historia es de la edición September 23, 2024 de The Independent.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición September 23, 2024 de The Independent.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE THE INDEPENDENTVer todo
The five UFC fights fans.most want to see in 2025
The Independent

The five UFC fights fans.most want to see in 2025

Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall tops the wishlist for the year ahead

time-read
3 minutos  |
January 02, 2025
The many problems facing Tuchel as England manager
The Independent

The many problems facing Tuchel as England manager

If 2024 took England to the brink of the trophy that has eluded them since 1966, 2025 brings the arrival of a manager with the track record of winning silverware that Gareth Southgate lacked.

time-read
4 minutos  |
January 02, 2025
Gunners fire back with win to stay in touch in title race
The Independent

Gunners fire back with win to stay in touch in title race

Arsenal scored two goals in three second-half minutes to complete a 3-1 comeback victory at Brentford to move back up to second in the Premier League.

time-read
2 minutos  |
January 02, 2025
TWIST AND DOUBT
The Independent

TWIST AND DOUBT

Another cast of mild eccentrics enter the Traitors castle for a game of deception that's feeling familiar

time-read
3 minutos  |
January 02, 2025
The joke is over - get Mrs Brown's Boys off the BBC
The Independent

The joke is over - get Mrs Brown's Boys off the BBC

As time goes on, Brendan O'Carroll's sitcom remains the same: tedious, small-minded and unfunny

time-read
3 minutos  |
January 02, 2025
The Independent

'It felt way out of my depth'

Jim Swire's quest to find the truth behind the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 has inspired a new series starring Colin Firth. Ellie Harrison hears the actor's thoughts on the role

time-read
6 minutos  |
January 02, 2025
Love, the old-fashioned way
The Independent

Love, the old-fashioned way

As many plan to swerve dating apps, Olivia Petter shares tips on how to hit on someone in real life - without being a creep

time-read
5 minutos  |
January 02, 2025
Which domestic routes are popular from Heathrow?
The Independent

Which domestic routes are popular from Heathrow?

Q Which are the most popular domestic routes to and from London Heathrow?

time-read
2 minutos  |
January 02, 2025
How the keto diet's five-day meal plan can reboot your body and mind this January
The Independent

How the keto diet's five-day meal plan can reboot your body and mind this January

Ready for a health reset? Hannah Twiggs learns about the benefits of keto and a new, easier approach to cutting carbs

time-read
8 minutos  |
January 02, 2025
CONNECTION LOST
The Independent

CONNECTION LOST

Technology's complexity keeps growing and those showing us the way, such as Elon Musk, are now our leaders but what happens when innovation slows down, asks Andrew Griffin

time-read
4 minutos  |
January 02, 2025