Ask Mina: Boos for Alexander-Arnold, Alonso's Real credentials and comparing Inzaghi's Inter to Mourinho's

In her weekly Q&A, The National's resident expert addresses topics from around the football world

Trent Alexander-Arnold looks dejected after being booed by Liverpool fans at Anfield. PA

Each week sports reporter Mina Rzouki answers a selection of readers' questions submitted via social media. If you have a question for Mina, you can ask her on either X or Instagram – both @MinaRzouki.

Q: What did you make of Liverpool fans booing Trent Alexander-Arnold this past weekend?

@Commentinggenius from Instagram

A: To quote a Liverpool fan’s reply to Rio Ferdinand on X: “Don’t tell us how to feel about our club and our players.” So I won’t.

I believe fans are allowed to feel however they want to feel. From the outside, we might be disappointed at how they whistled a player who gave everything for the jersey, but they, too, gave him everything as fans, supporting him and always cheering him on throughout his Liverpool career. Loyalty is a two-way thing, and they are allowed to feel aggrieved.

The main bone of contention is that Alexander-Arnold has chosen to run down his contract at Liverpool, meaning he can move for free in the summer. A move to Real Madrid is almost certain. For fans, it's a bitter pill to swallow.

I feel for Alexander-Arnold. While Steven Gerrard ultimately snubbed the relentless attention he received from other European clubs, not everyone will feel the same way.

Alexander-Arnold won a lot of trophies with Liverpool, including the Uefa Champions League and the Premier League twice, but he wants to continue challenging himself and experience different leagues and different countries. It's hard to begrudge him that.

He should be applauded for facing the Liverpool fans – the ones that booed him – at the end of the Arsenal match on Sunday, applauding them. It’s important to note that only a minority of the Anfield crowd, vociferous as they might be, were heard booing.

It’s a shame it had to end this way, but I’m sure most fans will prefer to remember the player fondly.

Q: Do you think Xabi Alonso is the right man for Real Madrid?

@Hope_AN via X

A: It’s difficult to say, but for me, there is no better candidate than Alonso to replace Carlo Ancelotti.

He understands Real Madrid's ethos, the pressure, and has a great rapport with the board. What he achieved at Bayer Leverkusen is nothing short of exceptional, having led the club to their first Bundesliga title during a historic and invincible 2023/24 domestic campaign.

Real have been poor this season. Ancelotti, perhaps, should have given more youth players a chance considering, for example, how poor Lucas Vasquez has been at right-back.

Alonso will give Real Madrid a more identifiable style of play, but the club appreciates that he is pragmatic and will tailor his tactics to suit the strengths of the team.

That should suit Real Madrid, a club that decides on which players to purchase with the coach tasked with finding a way to make it all click. They don't buy players to satisfy a philosophy.

Alonso often plays a 3-4-2-1 system at Leverkusen. However, he’s realised the weakness in his system when faced with aggressive man-marking and has experimented more this season with shapes such as the 4-2-3-1, the 4-4-1-1, and even a 4-4-2. He tries to adapt according to the strengths of the opponent.

Spanish sources say Florentino Perez hopes Alonso will ensure better discipline at the club, but it will be hard to replicate the success of Ancelotti, twice delivering the league and Uefa Champions League double, or even Zinedine Zidane.

Q: Chelsea are the favourites for the Uefa Conference League but do you think Real Betis can pull off something special in the final?

@Flash_37 via X

A: Manuel Pellegrini is a wily old coach and continues to work wonders. One of the most underrated coaches around, his Malaga side constantly overachieved and came so close to reaching the Uefa Champions League semi-finals in 2012/13.

Current Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was part of that Malaga side and has credited Pellegrini for his desire to move into coaching. “Manuel was both the coach and the person who convinced me to try to be a coach myself when I finished playing,” Maresca said in 2020.

Marsesca dubbed Pellegrini his “football dad”, so what a glorious twist of fate that they should meet in this season's Europa Conference League final.

This is the first major European final in Real Betis' history. Pellegrini has rejuvenated this team since arriving in 2020, guiding them to win the Copa del Rey in 2022.

Real Betis have held Barcelona twice in the league this season and have managed to beat Real Madrid. They were exceptional in seeing off Fiorentina in the semi-finals, showing the mentality required to win a European trophy.

Isco has proved remarkable as their creative midfielder, bringing all the experience and technique to make the attack tick, while Giovani Lo Celso has been immense.

However, it is Manchester United cast-off Antony, on loan at Betis, who has grabbed the headlines. He’s managed four goals and provided three assists in eight appearances in the Conference League to help the Seville club to the final.

“I’ll provide the car if he has to be kidnapped, but let him stay no matter what,” Real Betis legend Joaquin said of Antony.

Chelsea have the talent, the budget, and the history when it comes to navigating European finals, but Pellegrini’s experience in big games could be a determining factor.

Q: How good are the current Inter team compared to Jose Mourinho’s treble winners of 2010?

@ABS8-6 via Instagram

A: I don’t think there are many sides that could compare to Jose Mourinho’s treble-winning Inter, especially from a mentality perspective.

They were monsters, determined to achieve their dreams, and they possessed a level of camaraderie seldom seen in football anymore. Their energy levels were unmatched; they battled as if they were in a state of war in every game.

Diego Milito was one of the most underrated strikers in the world; the fact that he didn’t even make the 23-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or that year still rankles. He scored the winner in the Coppa Italia, a brace against Bayern Munich in the Champions League final, and hit the winner against Siena in the match that decided the Serie A title.

Simone Inzaghi’s team, is more tactically varied. They are stunning to watch on and off the ball, and while they are capable of parking the bus, they don’t rely on it as a tactic.

They, too, have shown a great mentality in Europe, overcoming Bayern Munich and Barcelona to reach the final, but didn’t show that same fight in domestic competitions.

What I love about both iterations of Inter is how well the squads were built despite the financial constraints. Mourinho’s Inter boasted bigger names but Inzaghi’s Inter is creating legends.