Arne Slot could be praised for many things, but his uncanny ability to identify the richest vein of fluency and grasp and sustain it at Liverpool has worked wonders.
Rotation is not enforced freely this season. While Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo regularly jockey for stardom on the left wing, and Kostas Tsimikas is enjoying minutes at left-back, the Dutch tactician has refrained from making sweeping changes thus far – despite the congested nature of Liverpool’s fixture list.
On the opening day of the season, Jarell Quansah was handed a significant show of faith when placed alongside Virgil van Dijk at Ipswich Town, but he was replaced by Ibrahima Konate at half-time, with Slot frustrated by a (collective) lack of success in the duel. Someone had to go. Konate has started every Premier League outing since.
Now, against Southampton, who Liverpool meet in the top flight on Sunday after the November international break, the Reds might be forced to ring a number of changes, for injuries, while not severe, are starting to slide wintry tendrils into the squad.
The biggest concern would probably be Trent Alexander-Arnold, who pulled out of England duty after injuring his hamstring against Aston Villa two weeks ago. Slot has confirmed that he will be absent, and may miss the midweek Champions League clash against Real Madrid too.
Who then should replace the one-of-a-kind defender on the South Coast tomorrow?
1
The Obvious Choice
Conor Bradley
Maybe we got a bit carried away. When Conor Bradley burst onto the scene last year, it felt for all the world that Liverpool had plucked a prodigy capable of dominating at right-back from the offing.
The thing is though, Alexander-Arnold is a generational talent and Bradley, though exciting and sparkling with potential, would be hard done by if expected to play that role with regularity, to the same degree, should the Reds’ vice-captain leave next summer.
Still, though, Bradley’s not exactly a bad prospect. He’s endowed with a balanced skill set but has an “eye-catching” attacking approach, as The Athletic’s James Pearce noted, that lends itself to success in Slot’s system.
He’s not like Alexander-Arnold, though. While both are creative and high-level attacking outlets, Bradley’s pace and dribbling serves as the nuts and bolts of his style; he drives forward, penetrating lines and fizzing balls inward to the likes of Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez.
Trent Alexander-Arnold vs Conor Bradley (past 365 days) | ||
|---|---|---|
Stats (per 90) | ||
Goals | 0.10 | 0.08 |
Assists | 0.20 | 0.24 |
Shot-creating actions | 4.42 | 2.66 |
Progressive passes | 7.76 | 3.84 |
Progressive carries | 1.72 | 3.76 |
Successful take-ons | 0.95 | 1.33 |
Touches (Att. pen) | 1.42 | 3.76 |
All stats via FBref | ||
Alexander-Arnold, conversely, has probably the best range of passing of any full-back in history. Quite a claim, but not without substance: Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher even remarked that “it’s like having Kevin De Bruyne playing at right-back” when waxing lyrical about the 26-year-old’s strengths.
Bradley’s the most obvious replacement, but Slot is blessed with a few alternative options that he may want to consider.
2
The Senior Option
Joe Gomez
Joe Gomez has been used sparingly under Slot’s wing, and perhaps he resents the missed opportunity to end his storied Anfield career this summer, having been tipped for a transfer away in August.
It didn’t happen, and in fairness, Gomez is Liverpool’s longest-serving first-team player with a deep love for the club. Sure, he’ll have wanted more than the three substitute appearances he has been afforded in the Premier League this season, and now might be his chance.
Gomez is a highly versatile defender who has even been entrusted with a deep-sitting midfield role on occasion in the past, operating industriously and selflessly.
He’s certainly a different kind of player than Alexander-Arnold, but Gomez could be the perfect option to sit behind Salah and provide him with stability as the talismanic attacker looks to continue his incredible start to the campaign, with ten goals and ten assists apiece across 17 matches.
Should Slot decide against this option as well, Liverpool’s options would be slim. However, there could be a rogue shout to start an up-and-coming talent in a new role, having plied his trade exclusively at centre-back since breaking into the Liverpool first team.
3
The Wildcard Pick
Jarell Quansah
The wildcard. Quansah is a centre-back but played at right-back prominently throughout his youth career, with his physicality and robust athleticism lending itself to moonlit success in the role.
He’s got attacking qualities that could see him, in part, compensate for Alexander-Arnold’s absence. FBref record that the 21-year-old ranks among the top 1% of centre-backs for goal scored per 90 over the past year. He’s also been described as a “monster” by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
Moreover, he racked up three assists across five Carabao Cup matches en route to the title last season, so clearly has a creative spark that Liverpool could benefit from at right-back, albeit to a lesser degree than the likes of Alexander-Arnold and Bradley.
Slot may not go for this one. It’s definitely left-field. But it’s food for thought in any case. Quansah will be desperate to prove himself worthy of a prominent role in the Merseysiders’ team, and alongside Konate, might prove to become a weirdly workable right-sided partnership.
Well, one thing’s for certain: whatever happens at the St. Mary’s Stadium, Liverpool are going to be weakened by Alexander-Arnold’s injury absence. How will they ensure that victory is still secured?
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