Henry Winter 🤖Few players could conjure up a cross as Trent Alexander-Arnold did for Kylian Mbappe against Bayern in the Bernabeu. Few could see the perfect place to put the ball for Mbappe let alone execute the pass. Alexander-Arnold could. Vision and technique. Other countries would celebrate such a talent. He’s won the Premier League and Champions League with Liverpool. He now starts for Real Madrid. Yet can’t make a 36-man England squad for a couple of friendlies. Neither of which England won.
Alexander-Arnold did show why the watching Thomas Tuchel has concerns about him defensively. Few expect England’s head coach to pick him in his World Cup 26. Reece James, fitness permitting, and probably Tino Livramento are Tuchel’s right-back picks. But Alexander-Arnold showed the huge reward that goes with occasional risk. His dead-ball delivery and crossing are world class.
Can Tuchel really leave such a game-changing talent behind? He probably will. And there will be crunch moments in the knockout stages, late on in tight games against far more testing opposition than England swanned past in qualifying, perhaps even in a penalty shootout, when England will regret not having Alexander-Arnold's right foot to kick-start their recovery.
His club-mate, Jude Bellingham, showed at the Bernabeu why he has to start at 10 for England at the World Cup. Big-game player, came on and brought more menace to Real. His strong personality, technical and physical qualities are needed in pressure situations. Tuchel has exceptional options at 10, and Morgan Rogers is a Tuchel favourite, but Bellingham is world class. He has to start. #ENG #RMCF #RMABAY
fussballdaten
.:\dGh/:.
Chris @ 🦣
Peter Coles 🏳️🌈 🏳️⚧️ 🇮🇪
Zbigniew 'Emill' Pławecki ♿️🎮
BillSaysThis
Resurrected Unicorn
Goalimpact