THIS game felt like a test for Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield.
I think he passed and deserves another chance to show all the qualities he can bring to the role.
7
I was pleased when I saw Trent starting in the 1-0 win over Serbia.
It’s a bit braver than we’ve normally seen from England manager Gareth Southgate, and I like that.
It was, ‘Go ahead, go play!’ It didn’t necessarily work out that way, but it wasn’t Trent’s fault.
Southgate was experimenting with it there, to see if it worked.
If we come later in the tournament against the big teams, you’ll need someone who has played there a few times and understands the position a bit.
The combination between Trent, Kyle Walker and Bukayo Saka is promising.
You see Trent naturally move to the right side and receive him almost like a full-back.
It’s interesting what happens to Walker.
EURO 2024 FREE BETS AND OFFERS
He was still getting involved externally, which was good to see, and it was Walker who stepped up to help set up Jude Bellingham’s goal.
This link is something we need to explore further. We probably should have used more last night too.
7
7
At first he was a little shaky. He lost the ball a few times, and one of them gave a good chance to Aleksandar Mitrovic.
When he plays for Liverpool he comes in. But it’s different when you’re there from the beginning. It’s 360-degree pressure, from all sides.
I always thought international football was a little faster.
You’ll often receive it with your back to the game and have already scanned it, but need to get more on the half turn to see what’s coming.
But it was difficult for Trent, especially in the first half, to show his range of passing.
How England qualified against Serbia… while Bellingham shines, but TWO big names get 5s
JUDE BELLINGHAM was England’s head boy as Gareth Southgate’s side started victoriously in Germany.
The Real Madrid star exuded class and opened the scoring in the 13th minute thanks to an excellent header, deflecting Bukayo Saka’s deflected cross.
But despite the bright start, it was a nervous game here in Gelsenkirchen.
Serbia exerted significant pressure in the second half, with a couple of narrow escapes for Southgate’s men.
Harry Kane barely had a shot and Premier League Player of the Year Phil Foden struggled to have any influence on the left of the Three Lions’ front three.
See how SunSport’s Tom Barclay rated England’s stars… with TWO stars receiving just 5.
When you’re playing against five defenders, with four up front, and they’re stubborn and just waiting. . . is very difficult.
There is no space in the back, they are very compact and organized.
And when the ball goes over your head, your job becomes jumping on the second balls, getting in the way and trying to protect the two big ones in front.
Trent’s positioning was good and he made some good interceptions. I think he can – and should – hold the ball a little more, press and then play the ball forward.
If someone comes to him, it frees up space for someone else.
7
EURO 2024 LIVE: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST NEWS FROM GERMANY
And he and Declan Rice have the ability to find Bellingham and Phil Foden across the lines.
I would have liked to have seen more of this.
As the game begins, Trent is a player who can pick the right pass. Especially in transition, as he did with a beautiful lateral goal for Saka in the first half and another at the beginning of the second.
It was also good to see him step up for a decent long-range shot.
But Trent was not helped by England’s second-half performance. We weren’t aggressive enough, we weren’t pushing enough.
Trent’s audition lasted just under 70 minutes in the end. I believe it is something Gareth should persist with.
He’s more than smart enough to figure this out. And as the tournament progresses, I’m sure he’ll be fine there.
7
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
