20 Aug 2024 16:42:28
Right hear me out before you starting banging the keys on your keyboard in anger haha.
Gravenberch had a good game in the deeper role on Saturday, which makes me further believe that Trent should be playing there instead. Stylistically they are not too dissimilar in the way they run with the ball, are press resistant. Trent is probably better defensively and of course his passing is far superiour.
20 Aug 2024 16:56:39
Heard you, Thefields, now hear me out, please. Trent is a right back and should stay there. Only time will tell whether Gravenberch can hack it in that position, but Trent belongs at right back, where he can fight it out with Bradley.
20 Aug 2024 17:03:08
I hear you loud and clear Rome. I understand that is the position he has played since he came into the team, yet he was originally a midfielder in the youth ranks. He is the RB and will stay there, unless Slot changes his mind. So I will just have to deal with it haha.
20 Aug 2024 17:09:28
Perhaps Grav should play right back then.
In fairness Slot did say last week he believes Trent can play both positions so only time will tell if Trent goes into midfield.
20 Aug 2024 17:16:45
Trent should stay at right back, he was a midfielder at youth level that doesn’t mean he would have made it as a midfielder in the first team or he would be a great midfielder now.
20 Aug 2024 17:51:13
That's stupid JK, he has never played there before haha.
Fatwallet, He was never going to get in the midfield because Klopp was never going to drop the midfielder's he had at the time, he broke through because he doesn't fit the industrious midfield type Klopp loves. At other clubs he would of broke through in midfield imo.
Who would you rather be in the team Gravenberch or Bradley?
20 Aug 2024 18:01:00
Gravs strong point has always been able to take the ball under pressure and make space where there is none. that's essential in a slot midfield from the very few games we’ve seen.
But his weakness is being over ran by power and legs. He’s a bit soft too.
Trent needs the game infront of him he wouldn’t suit the job.
20 Aug 2024 18:14:10
arguably bradley, last year he put a ton of good performances in at RB, whilst Grav was hit or miss most of the season.
until he chains a few good performances together, bradley is probably worth more to me (and he's HG)
20 Aug 2024 18:40:16
I think Trent could easily play in midfield for us but he’s better drifting in there as an extra man I think.
20 Aug 2024 19:00:34
“Press resistant “ is definitely the Liverpool Banter buzz word.
20 Aug 2024 19:42:58
Until Trent shows he can play in CM as comfortably as he does at RB then he should stay at RB cos he is still able to wreak havoc from that position, as he has been doing thru out his career.
As for Grav, he seems to be more suited to the CM position in the pivot (apparently, as he was doing at Ajax) so let's see how that goes.
20 Aug 2024 20:07:33
Trent is the best right back on the planet. I think VVD could play the 6 well or Salah could play good on the left etc but i'd never play them there, put your best players in their best positions.
{Ed025's Note - Trent is not even the best right back at Liverpool...never mind the planet OK..
20 Aug 2024 20:11:09
I’d still have Trent as RB, in Slots system he’s going to be drifting into midfield anyway and he’s going to do really well doing so.
I’d have Bradley rotating with him, plan B for RB.
I’m not convinced at all with Grav sorry, I hope he proves me wrong but I just don’t see a player who’s going to bust a gut week in week out, he seems like someone who just does enough to impress and then slacks off and doesn’t put in the work. One good performance doesn’t change that for me, he needs to do it week in week out. I’d be concerned going into the season if we didn’t bring in a 6 to be honest.
20 Aug 2024 20:14:35
IMO Trent has only shown one thing in all his appearances in midfield thus far. He has shown that he can't play there.
Especially that 6 role they're asking grab to do. Trent doesn't see danger quick enough and isn't good enough with his back to the game/ on the turn.
In The game against Ipswich Gravenberch produced a better performance than any game Trent has produced (in midfield), for Liverpool or England.
20 Aug 2024 20:27:54
Trent isn't a 6. He can play alongside a 6 but he can't be the main man. His best attributes are space and progressive passing. Macca (first touch under pressure) and Trent are not suited for 6. Even Endo who is a 6 doesn't have the first touch are ability to create space for himself to play 6 for us. Gravenberch has shown in the last two games that he's easily our best option there.
20 Aug 2024 20:34:00
Molby to be fair to Trent he's not being tasked as a 6. He wanders in when we're in possession and in the second half against Ipswich he was effective in leaving space for Slob to fill in on the right side which created issues for Ipswich to solve. Under Klopp we sacrificed width at times w Trent drifting inside. That wasn't the case Saturday. We still kept our width.
20 Aug 2024 21:37:04
So we're ok Trent inverting now? ?.
20 Aug 2024 21:49:42
I've barely seen Trent play there, as I don't watch England matches. I also know things ain't probably going to change anytime soon with the semi inverted role he has. It would be nice to see him give a fair crack of the whip there for us tho and have Bradley at RB, which for me makes us a better team.
A healthy debate tho, as everyone has valid points.
20 Aug 2024 22:02:39
App Slot is.
20 Aug 2024 22:16:02
To settle the argument once and for all if one of the top 3 managers in world football ( probably the best in my eyes) says your not a midfielder your a right back then your a right back. Won every domestic trophy going at right back, so klopp was right, the end.
{Ed025's Note - im with you John..
20 Aug 2024 22:29:17
A lovely luxury to have both Trent and Bradley as your right backs, great on paper and as the first game proved Trent was excellent in the 2nd half until he was given a rest and Bradley was excellent coming on beating his man almost scored and just great work rate.
Happy days.
20 Aug 2024 23:42:27
So if one of the top three managers in the world wants Trent to invert as a full back we're ok with Trent inverting as a full back now? ?
Even if it was Pep Lijnders' idea?
20 Aug 2024 23:57:22
It doesn't tho scouse john. Klopp maybe top 3 but he played players out of position and so does the other top 2 (Pep and Carlo) . It's a debate that could go on and on.
21 Aug 2024 00:04:01
We'll be playing an inverted fullback at times anyways, so trent will have plenty of time in the middle of the park.
Also I'm not sure I understood the OP logic of Grav played well therefore Trent should play in midfield?
With Trent in midfield I do think it is about creating opportunities for him to be impactful in a variety of positions on the pitch.
Defending is as much mental as it is a skill and I think there was a period last year, especially when Trent was injured, where he probably made an internal decision to himself that he didn't want to be a fullback. I think that is a massive shift for a player and can be crucial to how they perform.
It may be that Trent needs some mental work to get his mindset right and back to being focused on being the best fullback he can be. That will help him in the defensive part of the game as well.
In terms of Trent playing in midfield, whilst I think he should move to midfield, there needs to be an acknowledgement that the more central / deeper playmaking position we're talking about him playing is not the same as what he played in youth football.
I can see him playing that position if we set up with a literal 2 CDM / 2 CM system. I don't think he has the technique to play as the sole pivot . Good thing is that I don't think Slot wants to play that anyway hence inverting trent to play alongside Grav at times.
21 Aug 2024 01:29:16
What a difference a new manager makes, all last season everyone was screaming Trent can't play the inverted full back role now suddenly everyone thinks he was born for the role despite still having the same flaws and qualities.
So I'm curious then, have people decided now that they're wrong about his defending? Or wrong about his midfield work?
21 Aug 2024 02:30:57
Let's see how he does in slots fullback system for a few games before we start moving players around, especially when both suggested for moving (Trent and Grav) are learning a new style and system and both had solid games the other day.
21 Aug 2024 04:41:16
Cmon Nevada, surely you know Trent took Inverted Fullback classes over the summer? Completely different player now.
21 Aug 2024 05:57:40
Nevada - I think there will be people at extreme ends always. Also, Slot's version of inverting fullbacks looks to be from a more settled base compared to Klopp / pep. i. e., I'm seeing Trent and grav more side by side when we have possession deep so we have more angles for passes. better than having trent slot into the QB-style pivot where he can get isolated if he has a bad touch.
21 Aug 2024 07:28:25
Geez this is a long thread.
One game in.
Trent is quite different to grav. Trent likes time on the ball and uses the ball well. He doesn't do that well when pressed. Grav uses his body better and creates space for himself.
Neither are great defensively.
Bradley is better defensively.
Who plays where is above my pay grade, and the rest of us.
21 Aug 2024 08:36:11
I get what you're saying faithinworks I do find it curious that people say Trent can play inverted fullback because after inverting, what position would Trent effectively be playing?
Midfielder, specifically base of midfield next to a second midfielder.
Makes no sense to me that anyone can argue he can play inverted fullback but can't play midfield.
Also makes no sense that everyone who spent a year complaining about Trent defensive frailties would then argue Trent is the best right back in the world, or one of.
What ed said is right, Trent isn't even the best right back at Liverpool. Bradley is that in my opinion. Trents best season at Liverpool was when he was effectively playing a deep sitting right midfield role.
21 Aug 2024 09:14:55
What season did Trent Trent play a deep sitting right midfield role?
21 Aug 2024 10:48:37
Trent is a very good RB and an excellent footballer. At the moment Bradley is a very good RB with the potential to be an excellent RB and a very good footballer with, again, the potential to be excellent. Either could start at RB and do a very good job but TAA wins for me because at the moment he is the better of the two going forward. We are lucky to have them both.
21 Aug 2024 11:25:35
Nevada - I think of it like this - Henderson and Fabinho can play CB and fill in when needed but their primary strengths are not suited to playing there as a regular starter. Trent can slot into midfield when he inverts from fullback but it’s a different preparation, skillset and mindset he needs to bring to start in that role.
Another analogy is when Gini played in Bobby’s #9 role and he said after “how does Bobby do it”. Gini can play as a forward but the mentality and prep to do it in the way Bobby does isn’t his natural instinct.
I’m not sure if the people saying Trent can’t play midfield think of it this way but that is how I break it down. And this is coming from someone who thinks he can play in midfield lol just not as a single CDM playing behind 2 CMs. I think he needs to be alongside Grav, similar to how he was for England’s. But with us he’d have the runners ahead of him to benefit from his passing range.