Summer signing provides Liverpool with welcome Trent alternative
Robin Bairner
- 19 Oct 2022 14:27 BST
- 5 min read
Liverpool have suffered greatly this season because of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s dip in form, yet Jurgen Klopp has been furnished with an alternative for the England international by way of summer signing Calvin Ramsay.
Ramsay has yet to make his debut for the Reds in a first-team match because of injury, but the 19-year-old arrival from Aberdeen featured in the EFL Trophy encounter against Accrington on Tuesday and impressed in a 27-minute cameo.
The teenager scored a goal in a 3-2 loss against the League One side, but he impressed physically and defensively in his first run out for the Reds. Indeed, he had not been expected to play in this match, returning from his absence a few days earlier than forecast, with Klopp previously having hoped he might feature in a youth match against Everton at the weekend.
To that end, his performance was hugely encouraging and suggests that he could be fast-tracked up to the first team when he has gained match sharpness.
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A welcome break
Certainly, this is an area of the squad that Liverpool need addressed, with the pressure on Alexander-Arnold having been unrelenting since the start of the season. After sustaining an injury in the first half of the 3-2 loss against Arsenal earlier this month, he suffered a minor ankle knock that saw him benched against Manchester City last weekend.
Although a world-class performer offensively, Alexander-Arnold could have done with a reliable backup to take the heat off him during a period in which his defensive weaknesses were evident. James Milner filled in against City, but the veteran is clearly no more than a stop-gap option in that place.
With Ramsay returning to fitness, Klopp will have a valuable defensive option to play the role that Kostas Tsimikas does to understudy Andy Robertson on the left of the defence.
Ramsay’s availability will do Liverpool good, and it will do Alexander-Arnold good too.
