Jurgen Klopp admits he struggles to understand criticism of ‘world class’ Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Alexander-Arnold’s England prospects suffered a blow after the right-back was overlooked by Gareth Southgate for their Nations League double header.
The 23-year-old was an unused substitute in the Three Lions’ stalemate with Italy and omitted from the day squad against Germany just three days later.
But Klopp is bewildered by the level of scrutiny that the Liverpool defender faces despite admitting that he has room for improvement in some areas.
He said: “We as a unit did not defend well [this season]. Defending is an art because everything has to work together
“Trent didn’t do well in these moments as well, but in other moments he defended exceptionally well – but for him and his situation, nobody mentions it.
“I’m not dumb, I would talk and work the whole day with him about it to be the best but now we come to a point.
“If you judge a player you think of his overall package, and the skillset he has for being influential in possession is mad for a right-back.
“I don’t know if you ever saw a right-back like this, where you think passing here and there, switching sides, crossing, free-kicks, corners, smart and quick decisions.
“He’s an outstanding footballer in a situation where three other right-backs in this country are doing really well, we should not forget that.
“We have the way we play, in our high press very often Trent is the highest of all the three in the back.
“That’s the way we play football, now they say ‘defend better’, you cannot have everything. If you want to press, you have to have players in certain positions.
“It’s a risk we take, it’s not a crazy risk but in the one moment where we don’t win [the ball], people ask ‘where is Trent?’
“That’s a question I don’t understand, everyone who watches football that often and that long why would you then say ‘that is his main job?’ – I told him he has to be there [in high press].
“Every player in the league has these challenges but all the experts [say] ‘this situation you see it is a weakness’. Honestly, I just don’t get it.
“I don’t get that part of it that we just accept a world-class talent gets judged by the one thing he is not as world-class as he is in other things.
“If he would not be a good defender he would not play. He’s involved in everything, that’s absolutely fine and he is doing well.
“But, again, it’s no criticism on anybody, we all have our different ideas and match plans. If that doesn’t fit to England then that’s it, we cannot change it.”