Sam Allardyce fires dig at Jurgen Klopp for failing to improve Liverpool defender

Former England and Everton manager Sam Allardyce has expressed surprise that Jurgen Klopp failed to improve Trent Alexander-Arnold's defending.

And Allardyce, who hasn't managed since a short spell at Leeds in 2023, backed Alexander-Arnold's move into midfield with England.

He told William Hill's No Tippy Tappy Football: “Trent Alexander-Arnold’s weakest point is his defending. It is difficult to understand that Jurgen Klopp was at Liverpool for so long and we still haven’t seen his defending get any better.

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“He is a fantastic player, and he’s brilliant on the ball. He can thread a 60-yard pass as well as anyone else can play a ball 20 yards, that’s how good his passing is.”

Allardyce added: “He got slaughtered for his defending, but it looks like he’s overcome that because he can also play in midfield.

“I’d partner Trent with Declan Rice in midfield against Serbia.”

Former Liverpool left-back Stephen Warnock agreed, he said: “I would play Trent and Declan Rice in midfield against Serbia. I don’t think you can leave him out because of his passing range.

“They’ll need his ability to slow the game down or change the game in an instant with a pass that just picks someone out. If he plays against Serbia and it doesn’t quite go his way, but we see flashes of brilliance, I hope he doesn’t get dropped.

“He has to build a relationship with Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, who’ll be playing in those attacking positions. They understand what he’s capable of so they might start making different runs because no other player in the world can pick out the passes that Trent can. I’ve seen him hit passes that no one other than Kevin De Bruyne can pick out.”

Alexander-Arnold will also likely be The Three Lions’ first-choice free-kick and corner taker. Of the 12 goals England scored at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, nine were from set pieces – a World Cup Record.

It is not the first time Allardyce has thrown shade at Klopp. Speaking after Alisson Becker became the first goalkeeper to score in any official match for Liverpool with a memorable 95th minute-header winner in May 2021 away to his then club West Brom, he said: “You know Jurgen, he always thinks he’s right, doesn’t he? He’s always right so maybe I am today

“He’s a lucky man tonight and he knows it."

Allardyce holds the dubious honour of being England’s most successful manager, having been in the role for only 67 days, winning his only match, the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Slovakia thanks to former Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana’s 95th minute-winner and first goal for England at the 27th attempt.

The FA and Allardyce mutually agreed to terminate his contract after “a significant error of judgement.”

Allardyce guided Everton to eight after replacing Ronald Koeman on 30 November 2017. Allardyce left the club on 16 May 2018.