Liverpool head coach Arne Slot admitted that everyone is “allowed their own opinion” on Trent Alexander-Arnold after the right-back was booed by a section of supporters at Anfield against Arsenal.
The Reds defender announced his intentions to depart his boyhood club as a free agent at the end of the season earlier this week and is expected to join Real Madrid this summer. The 26-year-old, who has represented Liverpool since the age of six, is thought to be coveted by Los Blancos chiefs earlier than the expiry of his contract ahead of the Club World Cup.
The vice-captain’s decision to leave the club has proven a controversial call among Kopites, with his divisive status on the terraces shown as he was introduced from the bench against the Gunners. Replacing presumed successor Conor Bradley in the second half, Alexander-Arnold received a mixed reception from the Anfield faithful as he entered the field.
Despite eight seasons in the first team with the Merseysiders in a stellar career which has saw him win two Premier League titles and a Champions League crown, it appeared that his popularity had reached an all-time low in L4. As he stood on the touchline, his presence was greeted with jeers from some fans, as Steven Gerrard’s name was sung in reaction.
It should be noted that positive reactions to his appearance were witnessed in the stadium, as some supporters clapped Alexander-Arnold as he run onto the pitch. In addition, some banners were held aloft by fans to express gratitude for his contributions to his hometown club during what has been a glorious era at Anfield.
(Image: Sky Sports)
Some tensions persisted during the second half of the game too, with some of his touches of the ball met with a negative reaction. Perhaps his most significant contribution in the 2-2 draw came in the form of a free-kick at the Kop end, which sailed over the bar – denying him the opportunity to silence some of his detractors.
Addressing the outbound full-back’s reception from the home supporters after the game, Liverpool boss Slot said: ““The good thing about living in Europe is everyone is allowed their own opinion.
“They clapped for him, some booed. Everybody is allowed their opinion and towards the end more and more people got more positive. For me it is simple, I owe it to the fans to play a team that can win the match. Trent showed why I brought him in because he had two or three incredible balls [into the box].
“For the fans, they can always have the reaction they want but I will always back the players I lead and the ones that wear the red shirt. I will back them no matter what.
“First of all, they sang for Steven Gerrard which is a nice thing to do and then for Conor Bradley but when Trent took a free-kick, more people were positive about him and hoping that he would score than people booing him. It would not be fair to focus only on the Liverpool fans that booed. If they want to, it’s fine but there were a lot of people that were really positive about him as well.”
(Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
The Reds defender kept his composure during an eventful afternoon at Anfield, as Liverpool was denied a last minute winner, after Andy Roberton’s strike in injury time was chalked off for a foul following a VAR check. Before the game, Sky Sports’ Carragher addressed reports that Real Madrid would look to secure Alexander-Arnold’s services before the Club World Cup.
He said: “It’s funny, because everything that comes up about even this now, why announce it now, there’s almost two sides to every argument, and you could almost look at it like if you’re in Trent’s camp, you look at it and think he’s shown great courage there.
“He’s not waiting until the bus tour’s finished and he announces it so he doesn’t have to see Liverpool fans, so he’s shown some courage. You might get criticism, and he’s having to put up with it.”
He added: “And then the flip side of that is, okay you’re announcing it now to give Real Madrid the opportunity to maybe sign you for the Club World Cup.”
After the game, Carragher was critical of those supporters who chose to boo Alexander-Arnold during his time on the field. He said: “That is the story of the game and what everyone is going to be talking about, the reaction of the supporters. I was surprised by how many [were booing]. When there is a crowd of 60,000, there is undoubtedly going to be some people unhappy with the situation.
“I have said that is understandable. I said it when he came on at Leicester, any player putting on that red shirt to play for this club should be booed. I understand there is some ill-feeling and a lot of people outside of Liverpool don’t get that. I do but booing one of your own players is not for me.”
