Jamie Carragher has urged Trent Alexander-Arnold to call Steve Gerrard for advice over his dip in form for Liverpool.
The Reds right-back has been one of his side’s standout stars over the last few years, helping the club to Champions League and Premier League glory.
But for the first time in his Reds senior career, the Anfield academy graduate has been under plenty of scrutiny for his performances.
During the 1-0 loss at Southampton earlier this month, the 22-year-old gave the ball away 38 times, a new Premier League record.
But during Thursday’s disappointing 1-0 defeat to Burnley at Anfield, the England international eclipsed that total, giving the ball away 39 times.
And Carragher believes Alexander-Arnold would benefit from getting some words of support from Liverpool’s former captain.
“We too easily forget that Trent Alexander-Arnold is only 22,” the Kop legend wrote in his column for The Telegraph. “Trent could do worse than share a private call with Steven Gerrard.
“I remember well how Stevie overcame a slight dip after his first initial breakthrough into the first team, guided back to his best. It happens.”
While former Liverpool defender Dominic Matteo believes the full-back simply needs to go back to basics in order to get his game back on track.
“When you have got players like Trent Alexander-Arnold and Robertson, it’s very difficult to leave those two out,” he told Stadium Astro.
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“These are two of the fittest players in the league. If you put their stats up against anyone, they are so fit.
“The one thing I genuinely believe is that both of them need to do better – more so Trent.
“It’s not having a dig at Trent all the time here, but just on his defensive duties – Jamie Carragher has pulled it up a few times – it’s that sometimes he is getting forward a little bit too soon. Sometimes you need to take a few steps back and be in a better defensive position.
“A few times when Burnley got in it was because Trent was out of position. If you are out of position, even against the Burnleys, they will punish you.
“That’s one thing we need to get better at, defensively when Trent is in those areas. He doesn’t get a lot of support when he’s forward-thinking.
“You don’t have to bomb on every single game, but that seems to be the way football is being played at the minute. Just slow things down and you will find you have more time on the ball.”
