Klopp could give Lineker what he wants if Liverpool’s signs deepen
After Liverpool struggled to create anything of note in the first half against Crystal Palace and almost fell behind when Jefferson Lerma produced a phenomenal save from Alisson Becker, Jurgen Klopp decided on a tactical change at half-time. Defender Joe Gomez replaced midfielder Wataru Endō and switched to right-back, with Trent Alexander-Arnold coming in at number six. In the 45th minute, it was his longest spell as a full-time midfielder. In the end, Gomez actually stole the show with a performance that ran rampant on the touchline, but Kloppand#039’s experiment makes more sense in the long run. For the most part, Alexander-Arnold stuck to the hybrid role he started and ran last season, defending on the right and attacking midfield, but won the Carabao Cup 2-1. At Bournemouth in October we saw him come off the bench to play half an hour as a regular number six. At the end of last month, he played at number eight on the right in a 4-0 win against LASK in the Europa League, with youngster Conor Bradley playing the last 10 minutes. Even with a short appearance, he was able to provide help to Cody Gakpo with a great thread delivery. A few days later, when Liverpool played out a seven-goal thriller at home to Fulham, Klopp substituted the 25-year-old for Ryan Gravenberch midway through the second half and he popped up late on to score a memorable winner. . Head#039; this has happened in different roles, but the main theme is clear – Klopp is increasingly comfortable using Alexander-Arnold as a full-back and now it looks like it’s only a matter of time before he starts there. than such as in the middle of the game. The clues are getting harder all the time. A number of well-known pundits have called for Klopp to make the switch, most notably long-time barrister Gary Lineker. andquot;I’ve been saying [he should move to midfield] since I saw him,andquot; he said on the ECHO’s No Ratings Podcast. andquot;From the right back, he is limited by an incredible passing distance, because you can only pass from the left. Playing in the middle you can go either way and he would be much better. He grew as a midfielder and happened to get a chance at right back and played exceptionally well. I myself feel that he should be in the midfield, he could definitely dominate there as a playmaker.andquot; Recently, after Alexander-Arnold fired in a late equalizer in Manchester City’s 1-1 draw, Sky Sportsand#039; Jamie Carragher has urged Liverpool to sign another right-back who can start big games alongside the vice-captain. andquot;I would like Liverpool to sign a right-back who can play in the big games and push Alexander-Arnold into midfield andquot; he said. andquot;Playing him in midfield could be a development for Liverpool.andquot; Perhaps we are now witnessing the next evolution of both Alexander-Arnold and Liverpool 2.0. They and#039; have enjoyed huge success with an inverted full-back formation, losing just one of 26 games and topping the table, but Klopp is now adding even more flexibility.