The departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool will be a seismic shift for the club tactically.
From academy graduate to generational talent, Alexander-Arnold embodies Liverpool’s identity.
A local lad and a Scouser, he has redefined the full-back role in modern football.
His ability to dictate games from deep areas, passing range, and creative influence have been instrumental to Liverpool’s success under Jürgen Klopp and now Arne Slot.
His right foot has become synonymous with dismantling the lowest of low blocks, and he will forever be remembered for one of the greatest high football IQ moments in Champions League football.
Yet, evolution is both necessary and inevitable in football.
Alexander-Arnold’s role transcended traditional positional definitions.
As a quarterback in Klopp’s system, he orchestrated play from deep, bypassing opposition midfield and enabling Liverpool to dominate transitions.
His hybrid role as a full-back and deep-lying playmaker was central to Liverpool’s identity and reshaped perceptions of the position across the footballing world.
Pep Guardiola once remarked, “Alexander-Arnold is the best passer in world football today, not just at right-back but everywhere.
The move to Real Madrid looks imminent, and now Liverpool faces a defining moment in their modern history.
The task at hand is not to fill a positional void but to reconstruct the team’s creative framework.
This piece will explore specific structural and stylistic adjustments that Liverpool can implement to compensate for the loss of their most creative player.
Can Trent Alexander-Arlond Be Replaced At Liverpool?
A like-for-like replacement for Alexander-Arnold is virtually impossible.
Players of his calibre, available to move and possess his skillset, are nowhere to be found.
Instead, Liverpool must adapt by redistributing the creative and progressive responsibilities he carried.
Alexander-Arnold’s departure means a shift in Liverpool’s build-up play, transitional phases, and chance creation.
This approach will require intricate changes to Liverpool’s positional structures, player instructions, and attacking patterns.
The first area Liverpool must address is their build-up phase.
Alexander-Arnold’s ability to drop into midfield zones and act as an additional playmaker has been useful in Liverpool’s ability to bypass opposition presses.
Without him, Liverpool can adopt a two-pronged solution: a creative defensive midfielder (DM) who can dictate play from deep, a pass-first type of player who can adjust the full-back positioning to maintain width and progression.
A player like Angelo Stiller fits this profile.
In addition, the Liverpool teams ability to run between the lines needs to be improved.
This was increasingly evident during the PSG vs Liverpool tie, where PSG had many players who could receive and make something in these areas.
That is why Xavi Simons could also fill the creative void with his close control and ability to drive into spaces between the lines.
On the right, Liverpool could integrate academy graduate Conor Bradley as a more traditional full-back.
Bradley’s athleticism and ability to overlap or underlap make him an ideal candidate for a more touchline-hugging role.
Rather than functioning as an auxiliary midfielder like Alexander-Arnold, Bradley would focus on providing width, stretching opposition defences, and a source of vertical progression through wide areas.
This shift would require Liverpool to place greater emphasis on combinations in the half-spaces, with the right central midfielder (e.g., Dominik Szoboszlai) stepping into more advanced positions to support Bradley and create overloads.
Alexander-Arnold’s departure is a chance for Liverpool to evolve.
This piece will also look at how Liverpool can rebuild its future, focusing on the tactical and structural adjustments required to sustain success.
Specifically, it will explore how players like Angelo Stiller and Xavi Simons can be essential players in Liverpool’s next chapter.
Angelo Stiller Scout Report At Stuttgart 2024/2025
Angelo Stiller’s style of play suits Liverpool’s need to restructure their creativity in midfield.
Stiller is a deep-lying playmaker with exceptional composure under pressure.
He is able to manipulate opposition blocks due to his high technical base level and spatial awareness.
His 8.93 progressive passes per 90 (96th percentile in top five leagues compared to positional peers) and 8.58 passes into the final third per 90 (97th percentile) shows an elite capacity to advance possession through congested central areas, enabling Liverpool to sustain their high-possession, high-block model.
This profile summarises Angelo Stiller’s performance for Stuttgart in the 2024/25 season based on percentile rankings, comparing him to other midfielders in his league and position.
Stiller is successful in possession-based metrics, particularly with his passing and progression skills.
As a distributor, he is reliable in terms of volume.
His 79.6th percentile in progressive passes per 90 and 70.1st percentile in dangerous passes per 90 highlight his ability to move the ball forward.
Additionally, his 96th percentile in received passes per 90 shows his high involvement in linking thirds to maintain control.
Angelo Stiller Radar Chart At VfB Stuttgart
In Liverpool’s build-up phase, Stiller could act as the first receiver, dropping into the defensive midfield line to either attract opposition pressure or exploit underloaded zones.
By creating and operating within pressing traps, he can use his body orientation and feints to evade markers and turn pressure into opportunities for vertical progression.
Stiller’s role wit
Subscribe To TFA To Unlock All Posts - Free 7 Day Trial
Try TFA Free For 7 Days
Gain access to all of TFA's premium contents.More than 12,000+ articles.
