Arne Slot revealed the reason for Jarell Quansah’s half-time axing at Ipswich

Liverpool manager Arne Slot confirmed that Jarell Quansah taking a break against Ipswich Town was a sensible decision and not because the player was carrying an injury.

The Reds got their Premier League season off to a flying start on Saturday, with Ipswich looking outmatched in the first 45 minutes of the game.

Omari Hutchinson looked happy for Ipswich on the counter as Liverpool struggled to create chances on a sluggish Portman Road pitch, but the visitors stepped up in the second half and ran out comfortable winners thanks to goals from Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah – the latter. setting the Premier League record for most goals scored on the opening day of the season in the programme.

Quansah got a goal from the centre-back ahead of Iraima Konate, partnering Virgil van Dijk as Joe Gomez failed to even make it to Suffolk, but he played 45 minutes before Slot was taken off, cutting a dejected figure on the bench following. to start over.

The Dutch player confirmed after the game that Quansah’s withdrawal was a rational decision designed to stabilize Liverpool’s game, he said: “The first thing I said is that we shouldn’t talk about strategies when we lose a lot of duels and that’s what we did.

“That’s not that Jarell lost every battle – many of us lost too many duels – but I think we needed Ibou Konate to win those long balls in the air from number 9.

“So that helps, that gave us control but they put it like that, so, a lot of energy in the first half.”

Slot added: “When a team plays all over the field 1v1, you don’t always play short. I didn’t see them fight in the first half, we lost almost all the long balls. In the second half they played well and then the gas was opened and you can see that we can play really good football.”

Liverpool were much improved after the break, with Salah in particular grabbing the attention of a player of the year. Regarding the Egyptian’s performance and whether the club will be a ‘one-man team’ in 2024/25, Slot said: “I don’t believe so much in one man, I believe in the team more than the individual.

“He can score his goals because of good runs, good assists. I think Mo also needs the team but we also have smart people who can decide the game.”

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