da doce： England boss Gareth Southgate has been slammed by Chris Waddle for his treatment of Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold.
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Alexander-Arnold been used in midfieldHas been highlighted for poor performancesSouthgate criticised for player treatmentWHAT HAPPENED?
Three Lions boss Southgate has opted to use the right-back in the middle of the park alongside Declan Rice for England at Euro 2024. It has become a problem area for England and ex-international star Waddle has had his say on the matter.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT WADDLE SAID
Speaking to Genting Casino, the former England man said: "Trent Alexander-Arnold is playing as part of a midfield two, and I don’t understand why Gareth Southgate has made that decision. At England, there are no runners, so his greatest strength – his passing range – in that midfield role is completely wasted. He’s playing it simple because he has too – all these England players in front of him, except for Saka sometimes, want the ball to feet.
"Trent’s a wonderful player, but his best attribute is being wasted in this midfield role for England. If we’re going to play Trent in midfield, then Southgate needs to get more runners into his team. We need a player with the mindset to think ‘When Trent’s on the ball, I'm going to run behind my full-back because he’ll find me.'"
THE BIGGER PICTURE
England have certainly looked light in the midfield area and the balance is off with Rice playing deeper than he would at club level. Waddle's view that getting more runners in the team would benefit the squad as a whole appears on the money, as it seems to be preventing captain and star striker Harry Kane from getting the service he needs in the final third.
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ALEXANDER-ARNOLD AND ENGLAND?
It remains unknown whether Southgate will opt to use Alexander-Arnold again in a midfield role against Slovenia. He has plenty of options on the bench to replace the 25-year-old but he may yet give it one more go before the knockout stages and the level of opposition increases.