Emmanuel Petit names Liverpool star who 'doesn't know what to do tactically' and 'looks lost'

Emmanuel Petit has claimed that Trent Alexander-Arnold looked ‘lost’ in England’s European Championship opener.

The Liverpool vice-captain was deployed in midfield alongside Declan Rice for the Three Lions’ 1-0 win over Serbia. Despite featuring primarily as a right-back for the Reds, he has been switched into the engine room by Gareth Southgate and handed the No.8 shirt for the tournament in Germany.

England’s performance was hardly spectacular as Jude Bellingham’s 12th-minute header earned all three points in Group C. They next play Denmark on Thursday and Alexander-Arnold will be hoping to keep his starting berth.

Yet Petit, who won the World Cup with France in 1998 and the Euros two years later, suggested that the 25-year-old should not feature from the outset - although he was not the only player to struggle.

“England played very well in the first half but the second half, I didn’t recognise them,” former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Petit told talkSPORT. “They lost composure and confidence and I didn’t recognise them. They lost the ball so easily. I’m not sure about the balance of the team right now, especially in the midfield so we will see what Southgate will do for the next game.

“Trent Alexander-Arnold, I was not impressed by his game. I’m not sure about the combination up front, Harry Kane dropped too much in the midfield, leaving the space up front. Southgate needs to think about the tactics for the next game. Is he going to change the midfield? I don’t know but I don’t get it - physically they dropped so much in the second half and in terms of confidence.

“I’ve seen very good players lose composure in the second half. This is not an explanation. Those players can do much better.

“When I look at the game of Trent Alexander-Arnold, I was thinking he is lost on the pitch. He doesn't know what to do tactically in terms of defending and when he gets the ball - but he is not the only one. This is the responsibility of the manager, I’m sorry to say that.”