Ian Wright has urged fans not to compare Manchester United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka to Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The former Crystal Palace man completed a £50 million move to Old Trafford over the summer, and has been a standout performer for United since then, leading some fans to suggest that he is better than Alexander-Arnold.
But Wright has spoken out against the comparisons.
Writing on his personal Twitter account, he said: “Don’t do this guys. We can’t compare them!
“TAA is [a] UCL winning RB with 12 PL assists last season.
“Let’s give AWB the time and space to develop.”
Don't do this guys. We can't compare them! TAA as UCL winning RB with 12 PL assists last season. Let's give AWB the time and space to develop ??
— Ian Wright (@IanWright0) August 21, 2019
OPINION
Wright is absolutely spot on here. Wan-Bissaka and Alexander-Arnold are both fine players with strengths and plenty of potential, and comparing the two in a points-scoring manner will only serve to create pressure for both players. At the end of the day, Alexander-Arnold has already played in two Champions League finals, and one won, and a few games at the beginning of a new campaign is hardly enough of a basis to be drawing parallels. And while Wan-Bissaka might have made fewer mistakes with his crosses this season, Alexander-Arnold is the only one with an assist, and has registered 2.5 key passes per game to Wan-Bissaka’s 0.5, as per Whoscored. The point is that stats can be massaged to make any point you want them to, and that different players will thrive in different areas. All in all, it shouldn’t mean that players are played off against one another for no reason other than fan pride.
