Quansah cut a frustrated figure on the bench having been taken off by the Dutchman, who confirmed the young Englishman wasn’t injured and was subbed as the manager sought “control” that was provided by Konate having seen his side “lose too many duels” while Quansah partnered Virgil van Dijk at centre-back.
“The first taste [of Premier League football] in the first half was maybe as expected because they were all on top of us, very aggressive. Second half was a joy to watch,” the Dutchman told TNT Sports at full-time.
Asked about his message to the team and changes at half-time, Slot replied: “First thing was we don’t have to speak about tactics if you don’t lose so many duels.
“Not that Jarell [Quansah] lost every duel – many of us lost too many duels – but I think we needed Konate to win the long balls through the air from their number nine.
“That helped and gave us control. I don’t think Ipswich could keep up with the tempo in the second half.”
Salah’s goal midway through the second half was his ninth opening-day goal for Liverpool, the most of any Premier League player in history.
Retaining the Egyptian – who has been heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia – will likely be key to Slot’s success at Liverpool, but the Reds boss insists he expects everyone to contribute to goals and assists this season.
“I don’t believe that much in one man, I believe in the team more than the individual,” said Slot.
“He can score his goals because of good runs, good assists. I think Mo also needs the team but we also have more creative individuals who can decide the game.”
Darwin Nunez remained on the bench throughout as Jota made the most of his starting spot, and Slot was impressed by the Portugal international’s display.
“We know but it’s normal if you’re Liverpool that you have a lot of good players,” Slot said of the Portuguese forward.
“You saw today how tough Premier League games are so you also need good individual performance if the team is playing well to win.”
Liverpool host Brentford next up before they take on fierce rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford in matchday three.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Most Popular
Comments / 0