Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler has revealed his choice between Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kyle Walker for England’s upcoming Euro 2024 match against Slovakia.
Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler has expressed that England manager Gareth Southgate should have chosen Trent Alexander-Arnold as the right-back instead of Kyle Walker for England’s round of 16 match against Slovakia at Euro 2024.
Alexander-Arnold has found it difficult to secure his place in the England team over Walker in his usual right-back position.
Southgate took a bold approach at the start of the tournament by positioning the Liverpool player in midfield alongside Declan Rice for the opening games against Serbia and Denmark.
This strategy didn’t quite succeed, as Alexander-Arnold struggled to execute his trademark long-range passes due to being positioned too far up the pitch.
Alexander-Arnold was subsequently left out for the third group stage match against Slovenia, but England continued to struggle, indicating that deploying Alexander-Arnold in midfield wasn’t the problem.
In an interview with Sunday Mirror, Fowler expressed his opinion that Alexander-Arnold should be selected over Walker for the game against Slovakia, citing his greater attacking presence compared to the Manchester City right-back.
“The time for trying major experiments and taking major risks isn’t during a major tournament. That’s what the friendlies are for,” he said.
“England have been unable to access the flanks because Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka both instinctively come inside so they can get onto their strongest foot.”
Fowler added: “If [Gareth] Southgate is going to persevere with that formation, then he has to get Alexander-Arnold in the team to provide natural width and an attacking threat.”
“No, Trent isn’t as good as Kyle Walker defensively. But the quality of crosses and his passes alone are worth a place in his team.”
With Walker getting the start, it’s most likely that Alexander-Arnold will come off the bench, as he did in the final minutes of the game against Slovenia.
Thought
Walker has been Southgate’s top choice at right-back for years, so barring an injury, it’s unlikely he’ll switch to using Alexander-Arnold in that position.
Unfortunately for Liverpool fans, they’ll likely have to get used to seeing Alexander-Arnold on the bench for England throughout the rest of Euro 2024.
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