Roy Keane offered a harsh assessment of Trent Alexander-Arnold's defensive work after England's clash with Finland.
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Keane hammers Alexander-ArnoldEngland right-back's defending criticisedDefender scores as England beat FinlandFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Keane hammered into Alexander-Arnold for his defending in England's shock 2-1 defeat against Greece on Thursday. The right-back has often faced criticism for his defensive work, despite his attacking worth. The Liverpool player has struggled to hold a consistent place in the England set up, often deployed in midfield under Gareth Southgate, but has responded with a stunning free-kick against Finland after starting at left-back for the first time in his career.
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After it was raised that Alexander-Arnold had never played left-back for England or Liverpool previously, Keane said: "If you saw him the other night [against Greece] defending, it looked like he'd never played right-back before."
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Keane continued to lay into the 26-year-old's defensive qualities after England's 3-1 win. "I still can't believe how bad he is defensively and against a quality team he's going to get found out," the former Manchester United midfielder said.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
While his attacking output has never been questioned, Alexander-Arnold is consistently scrutinised for his defensive work. Whether at Liverpool or with England, the defender is constantly criticised for his weaker work at the back. This has not stopped Real Madrid from courting their interest in Alexander-Arnold though and they may look to pounce with the defender's contract expiring next summer.
