EX-ENGLAND defenders Jamie Carragher and Ashley Cole blame Trent Alexander-Arnold’s shock Three Lions’ axing on his poor BODY STANCE.
Carragher virtually took to DANCING in the CBS Sports studio to suggest the Liverpool wing-back turns too slowly as he fails to bend his legs – while Cole says Alexander-Arnold must improve his “foot patterns”.
Both pundits believe the fast-raiding 22-year-old struggles to pivot quickly enough when defending one-one-one.
And that’s a huge weakness when wideman attack him – as in Real Madrid’s 3-1 Champions League win on Tuesday night.
Reds’ legend Carragher invited 140-cap ex-Lionesses’ right-back Alex Scott onto the “dance floor” to illustrate how he feels Alexander-Arnold should stoop to conquer.
With Scott posing as a winger, crouching Carra said: “He’s in position, one vs one defending, he comes out and there’s no bend in the leg.”
Continuing his demonstration, Carragher explained his solution: “When you get out there you are low… If you try and go past me I can push off, go forward, go this way or that way…and you are defending properly.”
And returning to Alexander-Arnold’s current posture, he added: ” I always see him stood like that (upright) – you can’t change direction…
“He doesn’t have that intensity in his legs and the focus to defend – ‘this guy’s not going past me’.
“It’s like he feels like defending is not really his job.”
Scott agreed “100 per cent” – then Cole replied to the CBS clip with his own stark analysis.
The former Chelsea and Arsenal left-back said: “The area he can improve would be his feet patterns – movements which allows him to turn and match his opponents run or dribble.
“If you can’t move them quick enough it doesn’t matter how fast you are you will get beat.
“Foot patterns will get you in defensive positions to turn quick.”
Carragher’s CBS colleague Micah Richards suggested Alexander-Arnold was under pressure to keep reproducing his electric attacking.
The-ex England and Manchester City defender said: “We always say about the greatest full-backs that can go forward and a lot has been taken out of the full-back role.
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“He should do better but… it’s been drilled into him for three seasons and he’s performed at such a high level.”
Carragher, though, insisted attacking too much is NOT the problem Alexander-Arnold has.
He said: “He’s not out of position. he’s in position – now he’s got to defe.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
