Jamie Redknapp has slammed Liverpool for letting right-back Nathaniel Clyne leave on loan amid their current crisis in the role.
With Trent Alexander-Arnold having been sidelined and James Milner suspended, Jurgen Klopp felt like he had no choice but to play midfielder Jordan Henderson in the role in the 1-1 draw with Leicester on Wednesday night.
The Sky Sports pundit commented on how Henderson coped well with being in a rather unfamiliar position, but criticised the Reds for letting the £70,000-a-week [Spotrac] player leave for Bournemouth on loan, especially with the likes of Joe Gomez injured too.
“They need to get Trent Alexander-Arnold back,” Redknapp told Sky Sports.
“They are playing Jordan Henderson at right-back and, having played in midfield, you don’t want to be at right-back. He can do it but he’s not used to it.
“Letting Nathaniel Clyne leave was a strange one. When you haven’t got a right-back that can come in, with Joe Gomez injured as well, they will need Alexander-Arnold back quickly because he is a special talent and makes such a difference.”
OPINION
Redknapp could not be more right about letting Clyne leave, especially with the crisis Liverpool have recently found themselves in. A number of players who could operate in the role were either injured or suspended, so you cannot really blame Klopp for playing the likes of Henderson at right-back. However, as Redknapp has pointed out, the decision to let Clyne leave on loan must be one that they now seriously regret. Clyne would have been the perfect solution to their current problems, but for some reason, they let him leave. It still remains to be seen why they greenlighted the exit of someone who could provide quality cover to the role – especially when they had a number of players out. Granted, he would not have got as much game time as he is likely to get with the Cherries, but it was still a bad decision on the Reds’ part.
