Arne Slot is already making his own mark at Liverpool in certain ways, and one pattern which is quickly emerging under the Dutchman’s stewardship has come in for praise.
A week after the 45-year-old ruthlessly withdrew Jarell Quansah for Ibrahima Konate at half-time in the win over Ipswich, he called Trent Alexander-Arnold ashore as part of a triple substitution with 20 minutes to go in Sunday’s defeat of Brentford at Anfield.
The vice-captain had a face like thunder on the subs’ bench after his withdrawal, but Sue Smith defended the head coach’s decision to take off the England international when the Reds were in a comfortable position, having just gone 2-0 up thanks to Mo Salah’s goal.
She said on Sky Sports News: “I think Slot’s shown already that he’s prepared to make those big decisions when he needs to. Last week when it was Quansah not quite matching the physicality of the Ipswich game, straight away he came off and Konate came on.
“With this he’s saying to Trent, ‘I took you off, you played well, but I’m saving you. I want you fresh and available for the season’. I quite like that, and I don’t mind the reaction [from Trent] either.”
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Slot may be only two official matches into his tenure as Liverpool head coach, but we’ve already seen that he’s not reluctant to make potentially contentious substitutions if he feels that it’s best for the team.
Trent’s furious reaction to his withdrawal may be a cause for concern among some Reds fans, but we take Smith’s point about the Dutchman trying to manage the 25-year-old’s minutes for when the fixtures come thick and fast in the autumn.
With LFC comfortably closing out the wins over Ipswich and Brentford, the man in charge will feel vindicated over the timing and identity of his changes in personnel. An early marker has very much been set in that regard.
You can view Smith’s comments on Slot’s substitutions below, via @SkySportsPL on X:
"He's a key, important player for Liverpool."
Sue Smith explains why Trent Alexander-Arnold got frustrated when substituted off against Brentford at Anfield pic.twitter.com/yGrjiUcpjF
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 26, 2024
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