Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill has explained the advice he’s provided to Conor Bradley with the full-back struggling to break into Arne Slot’s starting XI at Liverpool this season.
The 21-year-old has made six appearances for the Reds so far this term (across all competitions) but five of those outings have been as a second half substitute.
Despite his impressive ability, it won’t be easy for our No.84 to break into the starting XI due to the fact Trent Alexander-Arnold also operates in the same position but whenever he’s given a chance he does seem to impress.
Bradley has performed well for his country when operating in a more advanced right midfield role, often creating chances and winning free kicks in dangerous areas – leading to suggestions that opponents seem to target the Liverpool man.
“I don’t think players are targeted now. The way the game is refereed, it’s not possible to do that. I just think it’s the nature in how Conor plays probably and we have played him a bit higher up,” said the Northern Ireland boss as per Liverpool.com.
“He’s not fouled as much when he plays for Liverpool but he plays in a deeper role and Liverpool play in a different style to what we are able to play. Conor plays the game at full speed in and out of possession. I think he knows himself and we have talked about it, he needs to probably manage himself through the game a little bit.”
“That comes with experience because when you are young and come into the team, you just want to impress all the time,” he added.
“You do it because you think ‘I’ll play at full speed, I’ll do 12.5k, I’ll do so much high speed running’ so there is an education point in that for himself as well and he knows that. We have talked about that. A player who drives with the ball is going to attract more contact and physical contact than others but I don’t think he is being singled out in any way.”
Bradley definitely has a future at Liverpool.
It may be that Alexander-Arnold is moved into a central midfield role to allow the Northern Irishman to become a regular in the side but it remains to be seen what the long-term plan is for the defender.
The energy and intensity in which he plays with is what catches the eye and he performed superbly throughout the last campaign under Jurgen Klopp.
There’s still plenty of learning for the Castlederg-born talent to do but the future is looking bright.
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