Trent Alexander-Arnold on Liverpool’s trophy ambitions, life beneath Arne Slot and ‘assertion’ wins towards Actual Madrid and Man Metropolis | Soccer Information

Trent Alexander-Arnold opens up about his ambitions and the way Arne Slot has bought Liverpool ticking in an unique interview with Sky Sports activities Information senior reporter Melissa Reddy…

Trent Alexander-Arnold is mid-answer, reclining on a sofa at Liverpool’s coaching base, as a smile begins to take form…

He’s mentally rewinding to first studying Arne Slot could be his new head coach, recalling his speedy ideas and arranging neatly with the fact of working with the Dutchman.

“You already know change is coming,” the right-back tells Sky Sports activities Information of the dialog he was having with himself. “However how large is it going to be?

“You do not anticipate what to anticipate, as a result of when you do not know somebody and you have not actually seen a lot of their work – if I am being trustworthy – it is unfair and it is laborious to base your opinions on that.

“However the degree of element he has… I discover myself smiling about it as a result of that is the sort of factor that I actually take pleasure in. It is simply soccer in like a really, very in-depth degree.

“I might inform from the primary time I met him that I used to be going to take pleasure in taking part in beneath him and being part of this. I am feeling like I’ll get higher and enhance and be taught a lot in such a brief house of time and simply carry on studying, as a result of I might inform he was soccer obsessed and the extent of element was unbelievable.”

Alexander-Arnold is sitting in a snug place – each on location, and with Liverpool being the pacesetters in England and Europe.

Prime of the Premier League, high of the Champions League, and feeling like they’re on high of the world, it has been complicated for the surface world to grasp precisely how the Merseysiders have morphed so effortlessly from Jurgen Klopp’s staff to Slot’s aspect.

Transitioning from a titanic supervisor and shutting the chapter on a beloved period can marmalise the very best of golf equipment, but Liverpool have flicked a swap and flipped the center finger to conference.

Three of their core gamers – constructors of the wonderful occasions beneath Klopp and co-ordinators of this recent, mature and minimal-fault model of themselves – are out of contract this summer season, and but they kick on.

Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah, and Virgil van Dijk are in discussions over a brand new deal, nevertheless it has not been a distraction to them nor to the collective.

Whereas the latter two have spoken about their conditions on completely different events, the defender’s solely touch upon the matter was: “I’ve been on the membership 20 years now, I’ve signed 4 or 5 contract extensions and none of these have been performed out in public – and this one will not be both.”

It’s crystalline that Alexander-Arnold’s focus is on the right here and now, on “successful a number of trophies. I feel that is the extent that we’re at, that is the extent we have proven that we’re able to, beating the very best groups on the earth.”

How did Liverpool shapeshift so seamlessly?

Alexander-Arnold breaks it down in nice element to Sky Sports activities Information…

Trent, Liverpool high of the Premier League, high of the pile within the Champions League. It sounds good, it should really feel superb?

In fact, that is the place we need to be. It’s nonetheless early days, so we will not get too excited. However in the event you advised us this at the beginning of the season, we would have huge smiles on our faces. We’re in a really, superb place, very robust place – extra so within the league than the Champions League as a result of it then turns into knockout soccer and what you’ve got finished to this point would not actually matter. We simply want to remain constant over the following few months and put ourselves in the very best place doable.

You mentioned, if I advised you this actuality at the beginning of the season, there’d have been huge smiles. Absolutely it is all gone higher than anybody might have probably imagined?

You do not actually are inclined to think about. You particularly do not think about a foul state of affairs the place you are struggling and you are not choosing up outcomes and also you’re struggling to seek out type. However you additionally by no means think about you may be to this point forward at such an early stage within the season.

Particularly with a giant transition as a result of traditionally we have seen when an incredible determine leaves a soccer membership, it is so laborious to exchange the supervisor and the stature round him. But it has been so seamless for Liverpool…

Yeah, I feel in all probability one of many the explanation why it is gone so easy is that nobody’s actually tried to fixate on what we had been. It was extra: ‘we’re one thing new; we’re a brand new organism now’. The whole lot’s modified. You do not actually look again prior to now and suppose, nicely, that is how we’ve got finished this.

That is how we did that. That is the supervisor’s new method, and also you roll with it and also you get behind it and also you get used to it. That is what we have finished as a staff from day one, to be trustworthy.

Did you guys converse amongst yourselves as gamers about that?

We by no means a lot spoke about it as a staff, nevertheless it was the senior gamers within the staff that ship the message and set the tone of how it should be. So the truth that all of us purchased into it straightaway meant that everybody needed to. I feel that is one thing that will have helped the transition as nicely.

It is solely human and regular although when Jurgen left to be considering: ‘What occurs now? What comes subsequent?’ It is an unknown as a result of the period was so nice and was over a protracted time frame. Did you have got any of that sort of nervousness?

I would not say nervousness. I might simply say you do not know how it should be or what it should appear to be. For such a very long time you’ve got at all times identified the place you stand and the way issues and also you’re simply so accustomed to the best way that we play and your position inside that.

You do not end up worrying, nevertheless it’s extra simply you consider how large of a change it may be. Is it going to alter every part? Are we going to fully overlook every part we have finished within the final eight years and undertake a model new taking part in fashion? Is your entire life-style going to alter? Are we going to start out coaching at completely different occasions? You do not know. So, you’re sort of simply desirous about how a lot is definitely going to alter. However the change hasn’t been too drastic, to be trustworthy. Issues have modified, however we have all loved them and are having fun with them.

When Liverpool had been going by way of the managerial search, there have been a couple of names talked about after which Arne Slot was confirmed as the brand new head coach. You guys did not actually know a lot about him so what was your first response to listening to his title in comparison with the fact of working with him? How completely different is it from what you had anticipated to what you truly bought?

You do not have anticipation as a result of when you do not know somebody and you have not actually seen a lot of their work – if I am trustworthy – it is unfair, and it is laborious to base opinions your opinions on that. Simply the extent of element he has… I discover myself smiling about it as a result of that is the sort of factor that I actually take pleasure in.

It is simply soccer in like a really, very in-depth degree. I might inform from the primary time I met him that I used to be going to take pleasure in taking part in beneath him and being part of this. I am feeling like I’ll get higher and enhance and be taught a lot in such a brief house of time and simply carry on studying as a result of might inform he was, he was soccer obsessed and the extent of element was unbelievable.

What tweaks has he made that you’ve got felt the good thing about?

He has defined quite a bit about how positioning is so necessary in soccer and the place you’re. Even when the ball’s fully on the opposite aspect, the place it is advisable to be. And that adjustments all through video games, and for each recreation relying on how the opposition is about up.

It relies on the opposition, so it adjustments quite a bit and that is one thing that I like – to be challenged and have to consider issues throughout video games and really feel like I am being challenged. So, it is one thing that I feel fits my fashion of persona.

Talking of challenges, on a private degree for you, the harm scenario should have been fairly irritating. Are you discovering the older you get, you deal with these setbacks higher? Or not?

No, they’re nonetheless actually, actually tough. I would be mendacity if I mentioned, like, you get used to them since you do not. You simply need to play. That is the one factor you need to do. And once you’re match, you sort of take it as a right since you moan as a result of coaching is just too laborious or you recognize, your legs are drained and you have not bought sufficient time to get well and the video games are coming so quick.

However the minute that is taken away from you, that is all you need. You need these emotions, you need to get up feeling drained and stiff within the morning. They’re the issues that you really want, as a result of it implies that you are match and wholesome and taking part in. All we would like in soccer is simply to be out there. And I feel that is a very powerful factor for us.

Was it gutting as nicely – the timing?

Yeah. You miss large video games. I imply this stuff occur. I had the worldwide break as nicely which meant that I did not miss as many video games as I might have. I used to be again in a position to play towards Manchester Metropolis, in order that was in all probability the necessary one for me. And that is the one I aimed for as quickly because it occurred and (when) you learn the way lengthy it should be, you sort of choose a fixture that you just’d ideally need to be again for. And that was the one for me.

That fixture has truly been the defining one within the Premier League in current seasons. Simply trying on the high finish of the desk, are you shocked a bit by what’s occurred to Metropolis this season?

In fact, after all. I feel it is a large shock to everybody. I’ve at all times mentioned that in the event you’ve ever bought an opportunity to beat Metropolis, it is at all times earlier than Christmas. I feel perhaps they’re nonetheless discovering their ft within the first three, 4 months of the season. After which after Christmas going into New 12 months, at that time you may overlook about beating them.

You possibly can actually overlook about it as a result of not many groups do. As soon as they hit their stride, as soon as it clicks across the new yr, they will go 5 months with out dropping a recreation and so they may draw one or two. However they will simply win and simply stick with it successful. So I would not be shocked if that was the case once more.

They in all probability have dropped extra factors than they in all probability ever have (in current occasions) to this point this season, however they seem to be a staff which have 4 in a row, gained a treble. They’re extremely robust with world-class gamers and an unbelievable supervisor as nicely, after all. You possibly can by no means rule them out and I would not be shocked in the event that they’re again within the title race come the top of the season.

A number of the descriptions you used for them are how persons are feeling about this model of Liverpool – that it is so tough to try to get the higher of this staff. It looks like much more of a mature Liverpool?

Yeah, it feels that method. Whenever you do see the groups round you dropping factors, it emphasises how way more necessary it’s to get your outcomes. In occasions like this, when groups are dropping factors, it is advisable to get your wins. That is our principal focus. It isn’t about gamers going after the person numbers.

Clearly they assist, nevertheless it’s extra simply getting the outcomes. Nice, if we win 1-0 or if we win 5-0, it is nonetheless three factors. It would not matter to us. We simply need to make it as tough as we will for the opposition.

You mentioned do not chase the person numbers, however you’re closing in on 100 assists for Liverpool…

Am I? What number of am I on?

You are on 83, so you are not that far-off, which is actually extraordinary and a few going for “only a regular lad from Liverpool”

To be trustworthy, I by no means thought I would ever hit numbers like that. They had been by no means an goal for me to achieve 100 assists or break data in that respect. However, the extra you play, the extra extravagant your desires and ambitions change into. So yeah, that’ll in all probability be the following factor: I attempt to hit that 100.

And people desires and ambitions for the remainder of the season collectively?

I feel we win a number of trophies. I feel that is the extent that we’re at, that is the extent we have proven that we’re able to, beating the very best groups on the earth.

Making it look simple as nicely generally…

Yeah, particularly the 2 video games towards Actual Madrid and Manchester Metropolis. In fact they don’t seem to be simple, however when you’ll be able to make it look that method, it simply exhibits the standard of the gamers and the staff and the understanding that we have got. So the power is there, we all know we’re able to doing it. It is nearly being constant. The toughest factor in soccer is consistency. We’re nonetheless not midway by way of the season, so there is a lengthy, lengthy option to go.

These two video games you talked about, was it a giant assertion as a result of there was this dialog of ‘Liverpool have not performed anybody first rate?’

Yeah, I feel that was only a assertion week for the staff, for the membership. Most likely they’re our two largest rivals in Europe and domestically during the last 5 – 6 years. I assume we have struggled to beat them as a staff. So to beat them each within the house of some days was one thing that actually despatched an announcement to everybody that we’re an actual staff.

And whether or not they needed to consider it earlier than that or they do not consider it nonetheless, it would not trouble us. We all know what degree we’re. What others need to take into consideration us would not have an effect on us. We all know the standard we have got. We all know what ranges we will hit. We all know we have nonetheless bought quite a bit to enhance and we are going to, and we’ll get higher all through the season, which I feel is nice for us and unhealthy for anybody else.