As Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold continued to be left out the England side, we’re forced to ask does Gareth Southgate watch the Premier League?
Southgate left the right-back Alexander-Arnold out of the side again as they beat Bulgaria 6-0 on Monday night.
This is part of a curious phenomenon where Southgate seems determined to avoid picking players who are performing well for their club side in favour of those who seem to be able to do no wrong in his eyes.
His selection against the Czech Republic was partly rectified as Ben Chilwell was chosen to start against of Tottenham’s Danny Rose last night, but once against Kieran Trippier was the preferred option at right-back.
Trippier may be playing better than he was for Spurs last season as part of the hungry pack of Atletico Madrid defenders who never stop running ever, but even so Trent Alexander-Arnold is way ahead of his England colleague.
For TAA to be continuously left out of the Three Lions side you must ask the question of Gareth Southgate: do you even watch the Premier League?
Trent’s energy, his passing range, his crossing ability, his decision making and his positional play are all excellent and the man who broke top flight records last season for numbers of assists needs to be picked ahead of Trippier.
Liverpool fans probably won’t care that much, especially with a huge game against Manchester United on Sunday, but having footballers in the national side is something that should be welcomed.
Alexander-Arnold may feel more Scouse than English but should want to test himself against other players and feature in tournaments for England. It’ll help make him a better player, it’ll help him learn and it’ll help him grow as a person. All three of those things are good for Liverpool.
Trent will come back to Jurgen Klopp’s warm embrace and prepare for United on Sunday and it won’t matter anymore, but as one of the best right back’s in the world he deserves that international recognition.