Anfield's history reminds us that no one is indispensable

Arne Slot admitted disappointment at Trent AlexanderArnold's decision to leave his boyhood club, but history offers Liverpool an encouraging sign

- Richard Jolly

As Arne Slot prepares for life after Trent Alexander-Arnold, he needs only look in the mirror for proof that there can be a smooth succession at Liverpool. “There was quite a lot of questions of me replacing Jurgen [Klopp] and there were so many examples of people leaving this club,” said Slot, quoting an example from 1977, the year before his birth. "Kevin Keegan left, Kenny Dalglish arrived, we all felt disappointed, we felt sad, but we always know this club will generate new stars again." That Dalglish went on to become still more beloved than Keegan, the scorer of the winner in the European Cup final in his debut year and arguably Liverpool's greatest player, may be the most encouraging precedent. Mention of Dalglish, admittedly, could apply pressure to Conor Bradley, the understudy who, Slot confirmed, will start against Arsenal this afternoon and, had he been fit, would have begun against Chelsea last week. So, too, comparisons with the man who is leaving.

If Slot was quick to underline that it is unfair to expect Bradley to be like Alexander-Arnold, he drew an instructive parallel with another of the world's finest full-backs. "Let's not compare him with Trent already. They are two different types, in he said my opinion," If Alexander-Arnold's defining quality is his extraordinary passing range, Bradley's is his remarkable running power.