Arne Slot raised eyebrows along with his choice to exchange Jarell Quansah at half-time in his first aggressive sport, significantly when it grew to become clear the centre-back was not injured.
However talking after Liverpool’s 2-0 victory at Ipswich on Saturday, the pinnacle coach made a easy clarification for why he despatched Ibrahima Konate on in his place.
“Very first thing I stated was we don’t have to discuss ways if we lose so many duels and that’s what we did,” he advised TNT Sports activities of his message on the break.
“That’s not that Jarell misplaced each duel – many people misplaced too many duels – however I feel we wanted Ibou Konate to win these lengthy balls within the air from the No. 9.”
“The second half was a pleasure to look at”
Arne Slot displays on his Liverpool aspect’s first Premier League sport of the season ?
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He went on so as to add: “I didn’t see them combating for it within the first half. We misplaced virtually each lengthy ball, each duel, on each side.
“Within the second half they had been prepared and I feel earlier than scoring the aim we already had an excellent probability. Then gaps opened up and you would additionally see we will play fairly good soccer.”
Konate for Quansah
When it comes to primary stats, per FotMob, Quansah gained 4 of eight duels (50%) in his 45 minutes on the pitch, whereas Konate gained 4 of 5 (80%).
The youthful defender additionally gave away two fouls whereas his substitute conceded zero.
Bringing Konate into the fold clearly gave Liverpool extra stability, however it might be reductive to recommend it was merely a like-for-like change that improved their sport.
Firstly, Slot himself famous that Ipswich “put a lot power into the primary half” that there was an inevitable drop-off from a aspect with little expertise of Premier League soccer.
“They needed to carry on working, carry on combating, they had been taking part in all around the pitch one-vs-one,” he defined, “and I don’t suppose they may sustain with that tempo within the second half.”
There was at all times an expectation {that a} group with Liverpool’s high quality and knowhow would ultimately achieve management of the tie, and stepping into at half-time with out conceding was a giant step in direction of doing so – which Quansah undoubtedly performed an element in.
However the introduction of Konate actually allowed that to occur, with Slot taking a cue from Jurgen Klopp‘s setup from final season.
“There weren’t large variations tactically within the second half,” Ipswich supervisor Kieran McKenna insisted in his post-match press convention.
“Trent performed a little bit bit greater on the right-hand aspect so there have been a couple of little changes.”
How Trent modified the sport
Konate’s velocity in restoration and talent to dominate over massive areas of the pitch had been essential in establishing Trent Alexander-Arnold in his function as inverted right-back final time period, offering the steadiness for him to maneuver into midfield.
Whereas Slot has restored the vice-captain to extra of an out-and-out full-back, he confirmed within the second half in opposition to Ipswich that he’s prepared to be versatile.
With the Frenchman giving extra assurance on the right-hand aspect, Alexander-Arnold was in a position to push ahead extra, and infrequently into midfield areas, liberating him as much as play killer passes.
The No. 66’s contact maps within the first and second halves of Saturday’s win – by way of WhoScored – present how his function modified:
Whereas nearly all of Alexander-Arnold’s touches within the first half at Portman Street had been in his personal half and on the correct touchline, there was extra variation after the break – and fewer involvement in defensive areas.
He performed a key function in organising Slot’s favorite probability of the sport, taking part in a one-two with Dominik Szoboszlai within the centre circle earlier than driving ahead, buying and selling passes with Diogo Jota and touching the ball into the trail of Luis Diaz.
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Diaz was unable to transform certainly one of Liverpool’s six huge possibilities within the second half, however the head coach advised his post-match press convention: “That was the way in which I wish to see the group doing an increasing number of and an increasing number of if they will.”
One other huge probability got here from a extra conventional route, Alexander-Arnold crossing from extensive proper and Jota heading simply extensive of the submit.
Then a surprising by ball from simply contained in the Ipswich half despatched Mohamed Salah behind and, with out even needing to take a contact, the Egyptian was in a position to play it throughout for Jota to faucet in and make it 1-0.
Alexander-Arnold got here off for Conor Bradley after Salah put Liverpool 2-0 up, and the Northern Irishman was equally superior as his WhoScored contact map exhibits:
Bradley was on the pitch for simply over 20 minutes together with added time however was concerned in three strikes in Ipswich‘s field, together with two pictures on aim and one huge probability missed.
By that time Liverpool had been on a roll, suffocating their opposition, and that was largely all the way down to Slot’s daring half-time change.
Slot’s first huge name pays off
A lot has been manufactured from Quansah’s response to Jota’s opener, the 21-year-old staying seated whereas Liverpool’s substitutes and workers celebrated round him, and that may be one of many downsides to those cutthroat selections.
However with every day conferences held with each the squad and people, it’s going to little doubt be made clear to Quansah this week precisely why the change was made and why it gained’t have an effect on his standing.
Talking earlier than the sport, Slot had described the selection between Quansah and Konate as a “shut name,” and the battle for a spot alongside Van Dijk needs to be a wholesome one.
It’s broadly accepted that consistency is vital to a strong defence, however Slot has already proven that he’s not averse to creating chilly, calculated selections to handle tactical flaws in-game – and in opposition to Ipswich, it paid off.
That was about greater than merely profitable duels; it was about gaining management and permitting Alexander-Arnold to function additional ahead, which modified the sport in Liverpool’s favour.
