Liverpool Coach’s Salary Wager on Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Tactical Choice

Trent Alexander-Arnold, renowned for his attacking prowess, found himself at the heart of a daring tactical shift that could have had financial consequences for one of Liverpool’s coaching staff.

After a fifth-place finish last season, Liverpool’s absence from the Champions League led them to compete in the Europa League this campaign. To secure a top-four spot in a fierce battle with Newcastle and arch-rivals Manchester United, Alexander-Arnold’s role underwent a transformation in the closing stages of the 2022/23 season. The right-back, typically stationed on the flank, was occasionally deployed in central midfield, a strategy reminiscent of Pep Guardiola’s approach at Manchester City, where John Stones successfully ventured into central midfield during the club’s historic treble-winning campaign.

Interestingly, it was Liverpool’s assistant manager, Pep Lijnders, who proposed this tactical switch, displaying remarkable confidence in its success. In a bold move, Lijnders even jokingly offered to work without pay for an entire year if the experiment failed, according to Liverpool.com.

Fortunately for Lijnders, the gamble paid off, and he highlighted the benefits of the positional change. Speaking on the Training Ground Guru Podcast, he stated, “The team became compact again with the ball. The team became together again, and we were really balanced, we didn’t suffer counter-attacks how we suffered them before. A little change can be enough for players to feel free and comfortable again. He (Alexander-Arnold) finds the forwards in a way that nobody else can find them, and he plays the passes the forwards like to receive.”

This strategic maneuver not only reinvigorated Liverpool’s gameplay but also showcased the willingness of the coaching staff to take risks in pursuit of success.