Jamie Carragher was quick to jump to the defence of Tino Livramento
Jamie Carragher shut down Gary Neville's Tino Livramento argument
Jamie Carragher shut down Gary Neville's Tino Livramento argument
(Image: The Overlap - YouTube)
Jamie Carragher has jumped to the defence of Newcastle United star Tino Livramento as the debate over Trent Alexander-Arnold's England absence resurfaced.
Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel caused a stir last month when he left the Real Madrid defender out of his squad to face Andorra and Serbia, opting to select Livramento, Chelsea captain Reece James, Arsenal youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly and Tottenham defender Djed Spence as his full-back options instead.
Speaking about that decision, Tuchel said: "There’s no doubt I’m a big fan of Trent - for his talent and his personality. But for this call-up, I’ve gone with Reece James and Tino Livramento.
"He’s a great player who will always be in contention. I know he wanted to be here, which is very important. I just chose others due to competition."
James and Livramento started in Tuesday's 5-0 win in Serbia, with the Newcastle man impressing during the win in Belgrade.
Alexander-Arnold's lack of opportunities from the start at international level, despite his enormous success at club level at Liverpool, has long been a huge talking point.
Man City's Kyle Walker was seen as a better option at right-back for years, with Alexander-Arnold's defensive deficiencies questioned in some quarters.
And those concerns are clearly shared by Tuchel although Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville was unimpressed by the decision to pick Livramento ahead of him in the latest England squad.
"I think I was half-accepting of it when Walker was man-marking Mbappe and Vinicius out of games and he was flying three or four years ago," Neville said on the Overlap's Stick to Football podcast.
"You think: 'Ok, I get that one. Kyle is one of the best full-backs in the world'. You then had Reece James behind him and then you had [Kieran] Trippier who can play left and right-back so you were almost half buying into the idea of Trent being sub.
"Trent is now being left out for [Tino] Livramento and Djed Spence. Let's be clear."
However, former Liverpool defender Carragher was quick to shut down the ex-Manchester United captain and point out what Alexander-Arnold must improve to oust Livramento.
"Livramento is a good full-back," Carragher said.
"It doesn't matter what we say. Go back to that quote. What the manager is saying and what is important to him in a full-back and what he is thinking in the latter stages of tournaments.
"He is saying something you have been saying and what we have all said and maybe he is sending a message to Trent. He has got to be more serious about his defending.
"He is saying it there. You think of the impact Trent's had at Liverpool with Klopp and winning European Cups and leagues, some of the players you mentioned there - Livramento and Djed Spence - probably aren't going to get to that level.
"That is not a criticism, I think they are both really good full-backs and I am a big fan of Livramento. It might just be a case of the manager saying: 'Trent, I love you, but come on!'