Soccer
Former Premier League midfielder advises against playing Trent Alexander-Arnold in the centre again
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Jamie O'Hara is hoping not to see a repeat of Trent Alexander-Arnold in the centre of England's line-up when the Three Lions face Denmark today.
Gareth Southgate made a bold choice by starting the Liverpool man in the middle alongside Declan Rice during England's 1-0 win over Serbia in their opening match of the Euros.
However, after Southgate's side failed to impress in the victory, O'Hara believes the midfield needs a rethink by removing Alexander-Arnold from his 'unnatural' position.
The former Tottenham midfielder has ridiculed the decision to play the right-back in the middle and called for changes ahead of the Denmark clash.
“Trent Alexander-Arnold in the middle didn’t work, he’s not a midfielder,” he told Grovesnor Sport.
"He’s a right back who can play inverted and drop into certain roles, we need to change that midfield up. Who do you play in there? You could go for Conor Gallagher or Adam Wharton, there’s a few options there. You could put Kobbie Mainoo in there, but I think that’s a big step up for him.
“Trent gets caught on the ball too much. I said this before the tournament, it isn’t rocket science, I’ve been a footballer and people know the game. When you play in midfield, you get caught on the ball if you’re not playing in there week in week out.
"It’s a completely different position to right back, the way you move, the way you see, the awareness you need to have and how you have to protect the ball in certain areas when you come under pressure – it is completely different.
“He got caught twice on the ball twice in midfield and we got away with it because Serbia didn’t punish us, but if you play him in there again against better sides, they will punish us.
"He cannot play there, it’s as simple as that. He is a right back, not a central midfielder and not even England’s best right back at that, so how is he playing in midfield? It’s a joke.”
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