Alexander-Arnold has come under intense scrutiny this season due to his defending, especially with Liverpool struggling as a team defensively.
He was again poor at the back on Tuesday night as Real Madrid hammered Liverpool 5-2 at Anfield in the first leg of their last 16 Champions League tie.
Murphy insisted that some of the things the full-back did in an attacking sense were second to none in the world, but stressed that he just could not cope defensively.
The former Red thinks that some of the defensive lapses would have been unpardonable even in the lower leagues and is of the view that they cannot be forgiven anymore as Alexander-Arnold is no longer an inexperienced player.
Asked about Alexander-Arnold’s performance, Murphy said on talkSPORT: “Defensively poor, could not cope and [he just] doesn’t see the danger.
“The bizarre thing is watching him live, Trend did some things last night, his passing and crossing, that not many right-backs in the world can do from an attacking point of view.
“But then he is doing some things defensively that you would not expect players to do in the lower leagues.
“It’s like it has got worse for him rather than better.
“When he was in the team in the first two or three seasons, I think most people forgave the poor defending because he was young lad learning.
“But he is got to learn now.”
Jurgen Klopp has continued to defend Alexander-Arnold despite his numerous defensive lapses over the course of the season.
