Conor Bradley could be set for Liverpool chance with Arne Slot to make selection decision
It would appear some Liverpool supporters are starting to lose patience with Trent Alexander-Arnold’s contract saga. One audible shout quite impolitely prompted the Reds' vice-captain to leave the club immediately. They were not alone.
Many surrounding the Anfield press box had been urging Arne Slot to replace the struggling full-back long before his eventual withdrawal in the 86th minute.
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher insisted he should have been taken off straight after United’s opening goal where he coughed up possession with a poor pass before making virtual non-existent attempts to first close down Bruno Fernandes and then track goalscorer Lisandro Martinez. John Aldridge wanted him taken off at half-time.
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Arne Slot would dismiss suggestions that Alexander-Arnold’s below-par showing was linked to ongoing speculation about his future following a failed approach from Real Madrid. Only the player himself will know how much he has been affected by such talk, just a week after he alluded to it with his goal celebration in the Reds’ 5-0 thrashing of West Ham United.
At the very least, Alexander-Arnold suffered a bad day in the office in one of English football’s biggest games with the whole world - while already talking about the defender and Real Madrid - watching. The only blessing for Liverpool is that their 2-2 draw did not see their six-point lead at the top of the Premier League eaten into, rather it was just maintained.
Ahead of facing the Red Devils, Slot had prompted raised eyebrows when refusing to rule out a January exit for his vice-captain after Real Madrid’s approach. The Reds though have no interest in losing Alexander-Arnold mid-season, regardless of the eventual outcome of his ongoing contract saga.
They are now likely about to get a glimpse at life without Alexander-Arnold though, with Liverpool twice in domestic cup action before their next Premier League meeting. They travel to Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup semi-finals first leg on Wednesday before hosting Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.
Even if Alexander-Arnold had been man of the match against Manchester United, it would have been no surprise to see him rested by Slot for at least one of Liverpool’s next two games. Instead, the Dutchman has the opportunity to either take him out the firing line or challenge the defender to respond and do his talking out on the pitch.
But with Conor Bradley now back from injury, making his comeback as a late substitute in place of Alexander-Arnold against Manchester United, his return is most timely.
Having seen the Reds’ first-choice right-back not win a single tackle all game, it was telling that the Northern Ireland international made one inside 60 seconds of his return.
Bradley will inevitably start at least one of Liverpool’s next two matches. Though following a near six-week lay-off, back-to-back starts will probably prove to be too much for the 21-year-old - at least if Slot’s reply after handing Ibrahima Konate a full 90-minute outing on his own injury return is anything to go by.
Be it against Tottenham or Accrington, the full-back has the chance to stake his claim at a time when the talk surrounding Alexander-Arnold is at its highest. While acting as potentially the start of a six-month audition to replace the England international in the long-term, a starting berth could be up for grabs somewhat sooner if the Reds vice-captain’s display against Manchester United proves to be a sign of things to come.
Bradley has made 41 appearances for the Reds to date, starting 24 times and featuring 19 times in the Premier League. Returning a goal and eight assists, his name is already regularly chanted by supporters.
Perhaps his return will act as a wake-up call for Alexander-Arnold. But having done more defensively in a brief cameo against United than his senior counterpart managed all game, he can help quieten the furore if he demonstrates there is life beyond Liverpool’s number 66.
More a traditional attacking full-back akin to Andy Robertson than Alexander-Arnold’s ‘quarterback’, Bradley is a perfectly capable defender without offering the incomparable passing ability of his Reds counterpart. There are pros and cons to both styles, losing a playmaker from deep for a player better suited to defending 1v1 situations.
While Alexander-Arnold has his weaknesses, which have always been overly scrutinised, his strengths far outweigh them. Liverpool have won far more games because of him rather than being left pointing the finger at him at the final whistle.
After eight seasons as Liverpool’s first-choice right-back, winning every major honour while returning 20 goals and 84 assists along the way, it will be most intriguing if the Reds do find themselves reverting to a more traditional right-back next season. And whether they would be better or worse for it.
As the 26-year-old continues to face the heat, his critics are about to get what they want courtesy of Bradley’s return. Whether it is a true glimpse into the future amid ongoing transfer and contract speculation, only time will tell.
But should the Liverpool vice-captain indeed be tempted by the lure of Real Madrid in the months ahead, it won’t just be Alexander-Arnold who is about to find out whether the grass really is greener on the other side.
