Arne Slot raised eyebrows together with his determination to switch 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 top coach made a easy clarification for why he despatched Ibrahima Konate on in his place.
“Very first thing I mentioned was we don’t have to discuss techniques if we lose so many duels and that’s what we did,” he instructed 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 would have liked Ibou Konate to win these lengthy balls within the air from the No. 9.”
“The second half was a pleasure to observe”
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 preventing for it within the first half. We misplaced virtually each lengthy ball, each duel, on either side.
“Within the second half they had been prepared and I feel earlier than scoring the objective we already had an excellent likelihood. Then gaps opened up and you might additionally see we are able to play fairly good soccer.”
Konate for Quansah
When it comes to fundamental stats, per FotMob, Quansah received 4 of eight duels (50%) in his 45 minutes on the pitch, whereas Konate received 4 of 5 (80%).
The youthful defender additionally gave away two fouls whereas his alternative conceded zero.
Bringing Konate into the fold clearly gave Liverpool extra stability, however it will 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 vitality 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 operating, carry on preventing, they had been enjoying all around the pitch one-vs-one,” he defined, “and I don’t suppose they might sustain with that tempo within the second half.”
There was at all times an expectation {that a} crew with Liverpool’s high quality and knowhow would finally acquire management of the tie, and stepping into at half-time with out conceding was an enormous step in the direction of doing so – which Quansah undoubtedly performed a component 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 just a few little changes.”
How Trent modified the sport
Konate’s velocity in restoration and skill to dominate over giant areas of the pitch had been essential in establishing Trent Alexander-Arnold in his function as inverted right-back final time period, offering the soundness 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 keen 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, releasing him as much as play killer passes.
The No. 66’s contact maps within the first and second halves of Saturday’s win – through WhoScored – present how his function modified:
Whereas the vast majority of Alexander-Arnold’s touches within the first half at Portman Street had been in his personal half and on the proper touchline, there was extra variation after the break – and fewer involvement in defensive areas.
He performed a key function in organising Slot’s favorite likelihood of the sport, enjoying 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 considered one of Liverpool’s six massive probabilities within the second half, however the head coach instructed his post-match press convention: “That was the way in which I wish to see the crew doing increasingly and increasingly if they will.”
One other massive likelihood got here from a extra conventional route, Alexander-Arnold crossing from huge proper and Jota heading simply huge of the publish.
Then a surprising by means of 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 photographs on objective and one massive likelihood 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 swap.
Slot’s first massive name pays off
A lot has been fabricated from Quansah’s response to Jota’s opener, the 21-year-old staying seated whereas Liverpool’s substitutes and employees celebrated round him, and that may be one of many downsides to those cutthroat selections.
However with each day conferences held with each the squad and people, it should little question be made clear to Quansah this week precisely why the change was made and why it received’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 ought to be a wholesome one.
It’s broadly accepted that consistency is essential to a stable 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.
