Alan Shearer believes Arne Slot tweak has made Trent Alexander-Arnold even better

Alan has to have improved for this season.

The vice-captain, who was a topic of hot debate in the national media during the last years of Jurgen Klopp’s management, is now drawing attention for positive reasons. At 26, Alexander-Arnold was one of the puzzles Slot needed to solve following his summer appointment.

Other than his contractual discussions, there were wide-ranging debates on the coaching approach with Alexander-Arnold after he was played in midfield by Klopp last season. However, Slot hasn’t continued down that path; he has reverted Alexander-Arnold to a more typical right-back role.

Shearer, on review, appreciated the nuanced change Slot has brought about. Fans quizzed Shearer in if the acclaim Slot is receiving for guiding the Reds to the top of the Champions League and Premier League standings was overblown. His response was unequivocal.

He said: "On the contrary, I think Slot has done brilliantly. Yes, Liverpool are a well-oiled machine with some very good players, but he's added to it, he's made them tougher defensively, and they've only lost one game. That doesn't feel like a case of too much hype.

"Sometimes, new managers give their teams a bounce, but there have been enough occasions when influential long-term figures have gone and things have fallen apart. Intensity or identity can dip. That's certainly something Liverpool would have been desperate to avoid when Jurgen Klopp left."

After his stint commentating at Anfield for the Reds' standout second-half performance against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, where he lauded them for 'blowing away' Xabi Alonso's side, Shearer highlighted some tactical changes saying: "Slot has implemented a few interesting tweaks. You're not seeing Trent Alexander-Arnold going into midfield as much as he used to, and he's defending better as a consequence."

Nonetheless, he flagged potential worries over injuries to Liverpool's 'excellent' center-backs Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk. Shearer also discussed squad depth by naming Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones, Alexis Mac Allister, and Dominik Szoboszlai as examples of Liverpool's strong midfield options. Assessing the team’s overall resilience, he continued: "And they're without one of their best players in Alisson at the moment... So they're really strong."