It’s so tempting to have a go. We’d all love to be in his position, an incredible footballer at the height of his powers making a fortune playing football for the club we love.
It’s so hard for us to get our heads round the fact that he might actually want to leave. He’s actually living the dream, our dream anyway.
How could he do this? We feel he’s leaving every single one of us, as well as the club. We’re actually acting out the scenario of our lover/partner running into the arms of another, and not just any lover. It’s like your missus going off with the annoying posh lad who you both used to laugh at down the pub when ordering his Pimm’s before heading home in his flash Range Rover. Real Madrid are annoying, and incredibly entitled.
Are we right shunning him, and feeling aggrieved? Leaving a decent team (Gerrard didn’t even leave a rubbish one.) and going on a free?
But does he actually owe us? He’s given everything for 20 years of his brief 26-year-old life. He’s won absolutely everything for us. He’s been an integral part of an amazing part of our club’s history, and given us some amazing memories.
His passing range and ability are up there with the very best, and he’s almost single handedly changed the role of the modern-day full-back. I’ll never forget the ‘corner taken quickly’ moment against Barca as I stood on the Kop next to my lads.
And yet I don’t feel he’s quite had the love from us that he truly deserved. Mo Salah’s and Virgil’s songs are generally to be heard most loudly within the ground, with ‘The scouser in our team’ chant less frequent and not sung with such gusto. Why is that I wonder? Maybe because he’s a local lad who should be happy just to be there? I’m not convinced with that theory, especially looking at how the likes of Gerrard and Fowler were treated.
I think it’s more likely that his playing style can be confusing. We want him to be the best defender around as well as attacker. Getting caught out of position is an occupational hazard pushing on as much as he does. He can be vulnerable defensively and can appear lazy at times. He’s been targeted by many for this, pundits, supporters but also opposition managers who see the right side of our defence as our weakness.
But are we better with him? 100%. Salah is different player with Trent behind him. The number of assists from Trent is quite astounding. He finds balls in behind from the gods. He strikes a ball like few I have seen. The last few games without Trent are a case in point. Our options up front looked so limited without his probing balls – just look at the game against Fulham last weekend.
Most youngsters want to travel – I certainly did. I loved plying my trade in Australia and Jersey, and medicine was my ticket. Surely if Trent wants to try his hand abroad, playing with the sun on his back in Madrid, then we should wish him well, despite our pain. He might even do an Ian Rush and come back after a year or two. Plenty of players have left before; I’m thinking the likes of Keegan, Rush and Souness without tarnishing their memories. And leaving making his money on a free? Firstly he’s got a right to look after himself, and secondly maybe the club should have improved his contract a good couple of years ago.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is a generational talent who has given his best years to our cause. If I get tickets (unlikely) for the Palace game, I’ll be singing his song and wishing him well.
Thanks for the memories Trent.
