Trent Alexander-Arnold has handled his departure from Liverpool naively and his apparent decision to join Real Madrid has been a distraction, Reds expert David Lynch has claimed.
Curtis Jones filled in for the injured right-back against Everton on Wednesday night, and his performance against the Toffees earned plaudits from fans and pundits.
Liverpool supporters may have to get used to seeing others take up a position on the right side of defence given reports have emerged in the past weeks suggesting that Alexander-Arnold's departure for free to Real Madrid will be imminently confirmed.
Lynch argued that the nature of his contract saga has been a distraction this season, and said that the defender's choice to not speak publicly about his future has been detrimental for the team, telling Sports Mole: "I totally understand his stance of not wanting to talk about it publicly and avoid doing so - he's stopped in the mix zone once this season to speak to us.
"But it's a naive stance as you aren't in control of the narrative because Spanish media can ramp things up. Speculation came out before that Manchester United game, and he followed it up with possibly his worst performance in a Liverpool shirt. He then doesn't have control of that narrative, and he could have done with taking more control of it and speaking about it, speaking about the situation and being honest.
"The counterpoint is if he'd come out earlier and said he wanted to take on a new challenge, would that have been well accepted and would his performances have been affected even more if there was this knowledge that he wanted to leave? Would fans have turned on him in difficult moments? Maybe. It's a tough one. There's no great and positive way to sneak out the back door on a free transfer."
The news of Alexander-Arnold's probable exit broke during the March international break, but it is difficult to gauge how fans inside Anfield might react to the right-back considering he is set to be sidelined for a number of games.
Should Liverpool have accepted Real's bid?
Liverpool fans have expressed particular dissatisfaction with the fact that Alexander-Arnold's exit will be completed without a transfer fee coming into the club.
However, some pundits such as Alan Shearer have argued that Liverpool could have accepted a bid from Real Madrid in the January transfer window if they did not feel the Englishman would stay at Anfield beyond this season.
When asked by Sports Mole about whether he gave credence to the sentiments expressed by the likes of Shearer, Lynch disagreed and said: "No, not really. I've seen a lot since this news came out of pundits affiliated to other clubs and supporters of other clubs telling Liverpool fans how they should feel.
"[Pundits and rival supporters] have got to accept that they never really understand each club and their perspective on certain scenarios, and they've got to think about how it would feel for them. Some of that has been completely misjudged. I'm one of the people who totally sympathise with Trent wanting to make the move - he has won everything for Liverpool. It's an opportunity to go and experience a new culture.
"[But] the idea that fans are all going to wave him off and be happy is ridiculous and I don't know why this opinion keeps getting pushed at the moment and supporters of any club can surely recognise why Liverpool supporters wouldn't be very happy about this."
Considering Liverpool were in the middle of a title race when Real launched their bid in early January, the notion that the Reds could afford to let their vice-captain leave is perhaps unreasonable.
© Imago
Has Alexander-Arnold damaged his legacy?
The Merseysiders are no strangers to losing talent to Real Madrid, with Michael Owen and Steve McManaman both leaving Anfield for the Bernabeu.
Both players have somewhat mixed reputations at Liverpool, and there is an argument that despite winning numerous trophies, Alexander-Arnold will also end his time at the Reds with a mixed legacy.
Lynch told Sports Mole that Alexander-Arnold's exit will inevitably tarnish fans' perception of him, saying: "This idea that fans should be grateful and wave him off happily - I don't agree. Football support is completely irrational and the idea that people will wish a guy all the best who said 'I don't want to be part of your team, I want to help another team', particularly when he's a local lad - fans are going to be hurt."
"There's no guidebook to managing this in a way where everybody's happy - maybe [by being] more upfront before the start of the season saying he wants to take on this challenge [he might have faced less criticism], but we've never seen that happen and I still don't think it would have been accepted.
"It's better [for him] that the speculation and the intensity of all this is getting worse around the time when Liverpool are 12 points clear in the league with Trent playing a big part in that. There is a knowledge that as much as this is going to be painful for fans, he is leaving with another league title under his belt and [having been] a big part of it. Maybe that will take the edge off."
While Liverpool supporters have aired their frustration at Alexander-Arnold's apparent decision to join Real Madrid, perhaps the sight of the right-back holding the Premier League trophy at the end of the season will ease any bubbling anger.
Lewis Nolan
