Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to start at LEFT BACK for England against Finland as Lee Carsley tries another experiment with Liverpool star
Trent Alexander-Arnold is seemingly set to start at left-back for England against Finland this evening in another tactical twist from Lee Carsley.
No recognised left-back has been named in the starting line-up for the clash in Helsinki.
Kyle Walker will also start but will play on his typical right side while Levi Colwill, who has has experience playing on the left, is on the bench.
Mail Sport’s Sami Mokbel reported on Saturday that Alexander-Arnold could be tried out on the left side after indications in training.
It marks a new adventure for Alexander-Arnold, who was deployed as a central midfielder during Euro 2024 and has been at right-back for the last three games in the Nations League – his longest string of England starts.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to start on the bench for England as Mail Sport forecasted
Lee Carsley has faced criticism for his experimentation so far but refused to back down
Carsley faced criticism for the left-field tactics which saw England slump to a 2-1 defeat by Greece at Wembley on Thursday night.
It was hard to work out what England’s system was, with no regular striker fielded, though it was ultra-attacking, with Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Anthony Gordon, and Bukayo Saka all playing advanced roles in a confusing melange.
Yet Carsley stood by his bold decisions. ‘I understand the interest and the criticism, which is fine. I’m really wary of the fact that the last time we won something was 1966 so we have to have that ability to try something different,’ he said.
‘Would I change anything? Maybe. Obviously the result I would change. But it’s not put me off. I don’t want to sit back in a month’s time with regrets that I was safe. This is a great opportunity, not only for myself, for the rest of the staff and the players to try something different.
‘Just to go with the same squad and the same players and almost, not doing the same thing, but not being as… not trying as many things.
‘Your human instinct is to be safe, to go with things that you’re comfortable with but it was important that in this period I felt that I have to be out of my comfort zone, I have to try something because we’ve got to put ourselves in a position where we can win.
‘To think that we can just do the same again and expect something different is naive.’
More to follow.
