England fans will without a doubt be excited to see who starts at right-back for them this World Cup, they have two top quality players in Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kieran Trippier (Kyle Walker will most likely play centre-back). Based on Southgate’s 3-4-3 system, he would require a right wing-back which is a slight difference to playing fullback, hence we’ll be analysing who would be the better fit for the England setup.
Suitability For The System
In Gareth Southgate’s 3-4-3, he requires a right wing-back who is defensively secure and able to impact the game offensively. Whilst this is a very attacking role, it isn’t the same as an offensive fullback, the comparison between the two is a common misconception. A football pitch can be split up into 5 parts, two wings, two half spaces and the centre space, fullbacks often occupy the half space whereas wingbacks always occupy the wing space, staying wide.
This is one of the biggest differences between Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kieran Trippier, whilst Trippier spends most of his time out wide as a ‘balanced’ fullback, Trent tends to invert a lot and deliver crosses from the half space. This works for him at Liverpool when Salah hugs the touchline, giving him space to drive into as Henderson drops off to cover him, however won’t be as effective for England due to the number of players in the centre space. He will end up dropping into the space occupied by the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Bukayo Saka / Raheem Sterling (whomever plays right-wing) which not only makes the side’s play very narrow, it leaves lots of space down the wing for an opposition counter attack.
Kieran Trippier does like to invert and play narrow, but is much better at taking his man on and going around the outside, putting a cross in at the end of it. As a wingback, you are often in positions where you have to beat the opposition fullback or deal with a winger tracking back, hence it’s important that they can beat their opponent easily. His tendency to stay wider also allows him to defend the channel much better than Alexander-Arnold does, in turn preventing counter attacks out wide.
Season Form
Kieran Trippier has started the season as one of the best right-backs in the Premier League. His form from an advanced position has been brilliant, he ranks much higher above average in many key attackinng statistics including: shot creating actions (99th percentile), xAG (99th) and cross completion.
However, on top of that, Trippier has proven himself to be defensively secure, much more than English counterpart Alexander-Arnold. He ranks higher in interceptions and tackles per90 and engages in much more shot blocking actions. It’s also important to note that teams often setup to target Trent and his defensive instability, hence having that on an international level won’t fare well for Southgate’s side especially when up against the likes of Gnabry, Dembele and other elite wingers.
On the other hand, Trent has not started this season well by his standards or even the average standard. He’s been dropped out of the Liverpool side for James Milner, and almost appears as though his defensive deficiencies are more of a problem to the side than the benefits gained from his output. This is a dangerous area for Alexander-Arnold to enter as it would render him almost useless for a side and make him a net negative.
The Verdict
Based on both suitability and current form, Kieran Trippier should be England’s starting right-back or right wing-back at the Euros. He possesses the qualities necessary to be a force offensively, as well as providing enough defensive security at the back. Trippier’s versatility will also be key for England, his ability to play fullback or wingback will allow Southgate to switch his system depending on the opposition. Further, he’s always proved his quality and turned up for the England national team, hence has no reason to be dropped.
