Questions have emerged regarding the defensive capabilities of Liverpool’s star player, yet his skill set could prove pivotal at Euro 2024.

Recently, Wayne Rooney voiced skepticism about placing Trent Alexander-Arnold away from the middle of the pitch, a comment that seems overly restrictive, particularly when considering the vast expanse of a football field. Rooney’s hypothetical role for Alexander-Arnold in a Rooney-led team appears to involve a customized strategy, shuttling between the right flank and avoiding the center circle blast radius by navigating through the crowd.

Rooney’s critique, however, struck a discordant note for various reasons. While praising Alexander-Arnold’s offensive prowess, Rooney highlighted concerns about his defensive capabilities, suggesting that he struggles in that aspect. This observation seems intuitive, as midfielders are typically expected to excel defensively. Ironically, it’s worth recalling that just two Euros ago, Rooney himself was being touted as England’s key figure in the creative midfield role, despite his limited defensive experience.

Rooney’s proposed midfield role before Euro 2016, actively supported by himself and eventually embraced by Roy Hodgson, seemed like a tactical gamble, given Rooney’s traditional striker role. Yet, at the time, Rooney’s defensive abilities received minimal scrutiny compared to his passing and attacking contributions.

This scrutiny, or lack thereof, extends beyond Rooney. Historically, few England tournament midfielders have faced intense scrutiny regarding their defensive capabilities. Instead, the focus has been on passing range and attacking runs into the box.

The crucial point is that defending is a collective effort, and fixating on the defensive shortcomings of individual players risks overlooking the broader context. Most elite international teams prioritize deploying their creative passers in positions where they can maximize their impact, acknowledging that defending is a shared responsibility across the team.

However, they also require support systems, midfielders who can shield them, full-backs with defensive capabilities, an effective pressing system to slow down opponents and prevent one-on-one situations. Toni Kroos’s Germany, Rodri’s Spain, Kevin De Bruyne’s Belgium, Luka Modric’s Croatia, and Jorginho’s Italy understand this concept. As England prepares for their first group game against Serbia, indications suggest that Alexander-Arnold’s England team may also be grasping this concept.

This notion might prompt some to protest or express indignation. “Why would you convert the best right-back in the world into a midfielder?” Jürgen Klopp famously objected in 2021, following a brief experiment by Gareth Southgate during a match against Andorra. However, three years later, not only has Alexander-Arnold been occasionally deployed in midfield by Klopp himself, but he is also poised to start a tournament game in that position for the first time.

Moreover, the distinction between traditional positions has become increasingly blurred. Oleksandr Zinchenko primarily operates in midfield, while Kroos frequently drops back to the left-back position. Full-backs now often serve as playmakers, and center-backs have adopted the roles of full-backs. Above all, there is a growing acknowledgment that rigid positional definitions can be limiting and fail to capture the essence of players’ roles and movements on the field.

For instance, Alexander-Arnold’s average position during qualifying matches was further up the pitch compared to other England midfielders, even surpassing Jude Bellingham’s and approaching Harry Kane’s position. Against Serbia’s robust back five, the focus is likely to be around the edges of midfield. With various options available such as Bukayo Saka drifting to the right, Declan Rice providing a safe passing option, Phil Foden stretching play on the left, and Harry Kane dropping deep, the question arises: who do you want orchestrating the play and making key passes in such scenarios?