Former Manchester City and England defender Danny Mills has given his two cents on how England should line up – and he thinks that Liverpool ace Trent Alexander-Arnold will be ‘caught out’ in the latter stages of the competition.
Mills is not the only one who feels that Alexander-Arnold could struggle from a defensive standpoint in midfield – Roy Keane also believes that his positioning is not good enough for such a role.
Despite this, Mills thinks that Trent’s defensive frailties could be covered by John Stones and Kyle Walker, who he named as England’s ‘best two defenders’.
What did former Manchester City man Danny Mills say about England’s team selection?
Speaking to BetVictor, Mills said: “I understand moving Trent Alexander-Arnold into midfield for the group stage games, when you’re trying to unlock opposition who are going to sit back more. His delivery to find Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham making those forward runs, Phil Foden in a pocket is exceptional.
“My worry would be in the knockout stages – we assume England will get there. Then, defensively, you’ve got to be more solid. You can’t switch off for a split second. Unfortunately, we’ve seen on numerous occasions throughout Trent’s career, that he does get caught out from time to time.
“Kyle Walker and John Stones are undoubtedly the best two defenders that England have. Stones is integral to the way England play, the experience that he brings. They are going to have to nurse and guide other players through the tournament.
“When I played for England, I’d had a full season in the UEFA Cup, a full season in the Champions League and probably nearly 100 Premier League games. But I didn’t have much international experience. I had David Seaman behind me, Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell alongside me and Nicky Butt and David Beckham in front. That experience around me was sensational.
“Stones and Walker are going to have to do that for this team. They are going to have to be real leaders, real men within that team that step up to help and support those other players.”
