Former Scotland manager Gordon Strachan has slammed England boss Thomas Tuchel over his comments on Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold ahead of England’s upcoming World Cup qualifier against Andorra.
Alexander-Arnold, 26, missed out on Tuchel’s first England squad through injury but was included in his most recent squad for their upcoming fixtures against Andorra and a friendly with Senegal at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground.
In the German’s press conference following the announcement, Tuchel was critical of the Madrid-bound full-back’s defensive contributions, insisting he must take it “very seriously”.
"I can see that sometimes he relies heavily on his offensive contributions, and gives not so much emphasis on the defensive discipline and effort,” the former Chelsea boss said.
Thomas Tuchel said Trent Alexander-Arnold gives 'not so much emphasis' on his defensive work
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"This major impact that he had for Liverpool over so many years, if he wants to have this impact in the English national team, then he has to take the defensive part very seriously.”
He added: “One defensive error, the one moment where you are not 100 per cent awake, can be decisive.”
Scottish legend Strachan has lambasted the new England boss on his decision to publicly criticise the defender.
Speaking to Esports Insider, he said: “It was wrong for Thomas Tuchel to criticise Trent Alexander-Arnold’s defending during his England press conference.
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Gordon Strachan said Thomas Tuchel was 'wrong' for his public criticism
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“These players turn up for nothing to play for their country. Most would like to spend a week or two with their family rather than going off to play Liechtenstein and Albania, but these players turn up for their countries.”
The 68-year-old has plenty of international management experience, managing his native Scotland for four years.
However, Strachan failed to qualify for either of the three major tournaments during his tenure.
“I think it’s wrong for an international manager to talk like that about a player, the players are there to help you,” he continued.
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Trent Alexander-Arnold is yet to make an England appearance under Thomas Tuchel
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“It’s not for the money; they are rich already so I can’t understand why Tuchel would criticise him.
“I’ve been an international manager with Scotland, and you cannot do that to players who are offering to give up their time and play for their country.”
The former Celtic manager then accused Tuchel of “jumping on the bandwagon” when discussing Alexander-Arnold’s defensive errors.
Ever since Alexander-Arnold’s introduction to the Liverpool squad, debate surrounding his defensive capabilities has been constant in media discourse.
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“Tuchel’s jumping on the bandwagon, and I feel bad for Trent. I’ll miss watching him in the Premier League and I’ll be looking forward to seeing him line up for Real Madrid,” Strachan added.
The former Middelsborough manager would continue by praising Alexander-Arnold’s unique offensive capabilities, comparing him to incoming Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen, and Conor Bradley, who replaced Alexander-Arnold towards the end of the year.
“There’s things that Trent Alexander-Arnold can do that no other player can - Jeremie Frimpong can’t do it and Conor Bradley can’t do it," he stated.
“Frimpong and Bradley offer you something different, but I’ve got to say there’s nothing better than watching Trent crossing the ball, passing it through the line, hitting diagonal balls.”
Alexander-Arnold’s abilities will undoubtedly be missed by Liverpool, but England have largely managed without him throughout their World Cup and Euros campaigns under Gareth Southgate.
Instead, experienced full-back Kyle Walker has been chosen over him.
The 26-year-old has earned 33 caps for his country since his debut in 2018, which represents a lower number than many expected from a player of such calibre.
Jude Bellingham, who Alexander-Arnold will be joining in the Spanish capital, has already earned more caps than the full-back, despite being five years his junior.
Whether Alexander-Arnold will nail down a place in Tuchel’s new-look England squad is yet to be seen, but Strachan is certain that the criticism for the full-back should not have been done publicly.
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