‘Highest-rated’ England player shrinks at first sign of midfield pressure

Gareth Southgate ought to reconsider his selection of Liverpool midfielder Trent Alexander-Arnold in light of the star’s performance against North Macedonia. On Monday, he appeared every bit the novice that he is.

Ahead of the match in Skopje, the Trent Alexander-Arnold midfield peddlers will have been pleased to learn from WhoScored that the Liverpool star has the highest rating of any England player in Euro 2024 qualifying. After three starts, he had amassed an exceptionally remarkable 8.08. No other player for England came close.

However, it would be challenging to characterize Alexander-Arnold as a crucial factor in England’s advancement. The classification is misleading as he did not participate in the match against Italy or Ukraine, who were their true rivals for qualification. His three appearances were on the road and against North Macedonia and Malta, both at home and away. In the face of mediocrity, Alexander-Arnold flourished.

It was justifiable that Gareth Southgate singled him out for praise alongside another player following Friday’s victory over Malta. When given time and space with the ball, Alexander-Arnold will invariably have the ability to dictate play by selecting a pass. However, the England manager himself admitted that his squad “did not exert themselves” because it was unnecessary. Trent was inadequate in contrast to the occasion they visited North Macedonia at Old Trafford, where the opposite was true.

“Because I haven’t had much experience in that position, I’m still learning on the job,” Alexander-Arnold said of his transition to central midfield this week; Monday made that abundantly obvious. At the first significant indication of duress in the role he hopes to be selected for Euro 2024, he demonstrated why, given his current academic standing, he probably shouldn’t be in Germany’s squad. He performed as a novice would.

Five times did he lose possession of the ball, which was three more than any other England player and the most of any player on the field. It appeared as though he had no idea where he was meant to be after he lost possession, and he offered Declan Rice little assistance when North Macedonia broke in large numbers.

As his frustration increased in the second half, he once reached deep to collect the ball from Jordan Pickford, scuffed a crossfield pass to the opposition, regained possession moments later, and then lost it again within 15 seconds of play, to cap a forgettable performance in his midfield evolution. Shortly before being substituted, he discarded the ball and received a yellow card, possibly out of rage over his own performance as well as the referee’s decision against him.

Alexander-Arnold’s development should not proceed into a major tournament on the basis of this performance. Upon the early next month draw, whichever teams are united with England, they will all be superior to North Macedonia. Furthermore, England would undoubtedly fare better with James Ward-Prowse as an alternative to a right-back manning the midfield against those superior opponents.

Having Ward-Prowse instead of Alexander-Arnold in charge of the set-piece delivery would have ensured its success. Furthermore, the Liverpool star’s performance in dead-ball situations was subpar on Monday, perhaps more so due to the pressure he felt in open play; England scored from the first corner he failed to take after three of his efforts failed. While Alexander-Arnold’s crossing is undeniably exceptional, Phil Foden is merely one of several players who could serve as a more than adequate substitute.

With the exception of Rico Lewis, whose figures were significantly skewed by the waived penalty, no player on Monday had a rating lower than Alexander-Arnold’s 6.1. From highest to lowest at the first sign of duress; Trent should play right back if he is to travel to Germany.