Denmark 1-1 England: 'Trent Alexander-Arnold experiment is surely ...

Trent Alexander-Arnold cut a forlorn figure as he joined England’s players in front of the supporters who turned on them after the desperate display in the draw against Denmark in Frankfurt.

Alexander-Arnold looked like a man with matters weighing heavily on his mind, as did England manager Gareth Southgate after a ragged England display that saw them scrape a fortunate 1-1 against the vastly superior Danes.

Southgate discovered major tournaments are no time for experiments and his strategy of using Liverpool’s lavishly gifted defender in central midfield is surely over after an England performance that was lacking in structure, energy and at times veered dangerously close to shambolic.

Alexander-Arnold must not be used as scapegoat, a fig leaf to cover up the malaise that has overcome England under Southgate since they took the lead against Serbia in their opening game.

This is on the manager as much, if not more, than the player who is being used out of position.

On Thursday, England once again demonstrated their dangerous habit of going into rapid retreat once they took an 18th-minute lead through captain Harry Kane.

England had more problems than Southgate will care to mention, at least publicly, as they were left counting their good fortune that Denmark did not add to Morten Hjulmand’s thunderous 34th-minute equaliser.

Alexander-Arnold’s unaccustomed role is one of those problems and it surely signalled the end of what even Southgate himself described as an “experiment” when he was called over to be substituted only nine minutes after half-time, a move made by a manager who does not have a reputation for hasty changes.

There was no lack of effort but Alexander-Arnold looked like a square peg in a round hole, which is effectively what he is. The partnership with Declan Rice was non-existent, unbalanced and too often overrun by Denmark, with their midfield revolving around the veteran Christian Eriksen.