Have Liverpool FOUND THE ANSWER with Trent Alexander-Arnold!? 😱 Nicol says NOT SO FAST! | ESPN FC

I don't think the lads are giving Trent Alexander-Arnold enough credit for how well he played. All right, it was against Leeds, but you know, he's played two games in that role. Arsenal last week and Leeds, he's had three assists. I thought he was man of the match by a million miles. I thought his passing range was incredible. It was men against boys. Yeah, have a look at his touch map and his heat map and where he was, and he was all over the park. I mean, you talk about John Stones playing in that role. You talk about Zinchenko playing in that role. Trent's a far better passer than those two. You know, he's only behind Kevin De Bruyne in terms of the passes that he can make from distance and the range of pass and the assists that he gets. So, listen, Jurgen Klopp stumbled across something. I think it'll work. I think you'll take him into next season in that position. He's started his career as a central midfield player before reverting into that fullback role. And do you know what? It might save Liverpool millions. John, one second. He hasn't stumbled across it. He's watched Man City. I mean, it's a wee bit of heartbreak. To an extent, as a coach. But why wouldn't you? No, isn't it just... Well, it's not... You can't look at someone doing something well and go, well, I'm not going to do it because I'm going to look him badly. Well, he hasn't done it up until the last... Well, that was going to be my question to Stevie, is why is it taking him so long when we've all been sat here saying that he needs to do something different with him? Aye, listen, I don't... You're kind of asking that as if we've just found the answer. I mean, let's be honest. He did it against Arsenal in the first half and he got absolutely mullered. Right. And he stopped doing it. And now we're going to talk about how brilliant he was against a Leeds team that, who were at home, by the way, who probably were worse than Forrest at the weekend against United. And had just been walloped by Crystal Palace. Yeah, you can't go overboard saying, oh, this is it, we've found the secret. Right, so Don's talking nonsense. I'll tell you something, by the way. We'd have three assists. I would, I... But it was against Leeds, who are a complete and utter garbage to these. One against Arsenal, does that not count? Does that not count? Does the one against Arsenal not count? Seriously. I think it's a little... Yeah, you're way overboard, way too early on this. And what I was going to say was, by the way, go and ask Gennady how he enjoys this new role that he's got. Because Gennady's ended up playing right back half the time. And I can assure you, I've not met a centre-back who likes playing away out on the wide areas. They don't like it at all. And I've never met one. So I think we're a little bit early to start talking about, oh, we've found the spot. I don't think so. Let's see what happens when they get tested. Well, I'll tell you what, they got tested in the first half against Arsenal and nobody mentioned it. Nobody mentioned that he was trying it and had to bin it because they were getting annihilated. But would you not agree, Steve? And then you're playing against a rubbish team. So I think we're a little early talking about, we've found the answer. But would you not agree, though, if you carry on playing Trent that right back, where he's been brilliant over the years, but we all know he can't defend and he has defensive flaws, why wouldn't you then put him into a position where he can excel? And he's excelled in the last two games. All right, you can say it was against Leeds, but he was brilliant tonight. So why wouldn't you take him out of that right back slot and play him centre midfield? If Pep's doing it with John Stones and Arteta's doing it with Zinchenko, why wouldn't you do it with Trent? Well, because when you play against the proper team, Liverpool haven't shown that they can put him in there and defend without a body back there against the proper team. He's only had two games. If you think how good he's been in two games, he got annihilated with him in the middle of the park. He's had two games, that's it. Look, one thing's for sure, he's better there than he is defending as a right back because he can't defend. I'll go back to my point. I think it's a bit embarrassing that you watch one of your biggest rivals and you have to go and basically copy what he's doing. And you might say, well, Arteta does it, but Arteta walked under Guardiola, so he got some ideas from him. So he's not allowed to do it because... No, I didn't say he's not allowed to do it. Did I say he's not allowed to do it? No, I just think it seems a strange thing to bring up. It's a little bit embarrassing. I'm exactly with Craig. It's a little bit embarrassing as a head coach of some repute to go, I really can't figure out what to do this season. It's just been a horrible season. Oh, I'll look at arguably the best team in Europe and I'll copy that. I mean... But isn't it embarrassing, Craig, if he didn't do it? What, copy him? No. Yeah, why? Like I said... So why has he not done this before? Why has he not come up with his own ideas? That's what I'm saying. Because he's basically watched his nemesis have success doing this and he's going, oh, I'll do that. But Craig, you know what coaches and managers are like. They are stubborn. They are stubborn beasts, aren't they? The more someone tells someone like Jurgen Klopp or a manager, Trent can't play right back, the more he's going to double down, the more he's going to try and prove everyone wrong until he's realised, and he's probably watched Nchenko excel and he's watched John Stones be brilliant in the last, whatever, six games and thought, I've got one of the best passes in world football. Why am I not playing central midfield? So what? Doesn't matter. People copy Guardiola playing a false nine. 10 years ago, everyone's doing it. Thanks so much for watching ESPN on YouTube. And for more sports highlights and analysis, be sure to download the ESPN app and for premium content and live streaming, subscribe to ESPN Plus.