I have said for several years on IE that Alexander-Arnold was such a liability on defense that even his unquestionable skill passing made him (for me) a coin-flip as to +/-. He is not only terrible facing an attacker, but in my opinion worse on the backside of plays --- taking horrible protecting position on the backside, even on set pieces. Southgate then gave me reason to believe that this was not a crazy take when he remarked (generically but obviously aimed at him) that in his view (Southgate's) soccer was still a game played on both ends of the field.
More interesting to me was the discussion recently by the Two Robbies as to what was wrong with Liverpool. Robbie Mustoe who is usually quite insightful, struggled to put his finger on it (or maybe didn't want to make critiques too personal), but Robbie Earle hit it on the head when he said that the intensity of this team wasn't anywhere near the previous years and it was all over the field --- top press, midfield dragon-energy attack, and therefore a more pressured back end exposing its inherent weaknesses (TAA generally plus VVD not playing well.)
The summary came down to a brief Mane replacement difference in intensity (the new guy was credited for "trying hard" --- damning with faint praise) and Milner not able to help anymore, with Henderson and Thiago not able to generate the Wild Hunt energy. Failed energy at the point, and in the midfield, and weakness by TAA at the back, means lots of opponent goals.
Mustoe refused to buy that the Klopp style of play may have just worn these guys down (physically AND mentally), but Earle thought that this was possible. I think that without Mane, and with another year of age on Henderson, this is exactly what has happened, and the lack of the terrorizing of the uber-press has tilted the TAA equation into the negative. Both Robbies immediately said that Liverpool was out of title contention even this early, and that Top 4 was doubtful. They noted that in this situation Salah wasn't very good either. (I.E. the service gained by Wild Hunt turnovers wasn't there.)
