Jamie Carragher surprised by Arne Slott’s decision-making (Image: CBS Sports)
Jamie Carragher was completely stunned by manager Arn Slott’s choice to start the undercooked Alexander Isak rather than Mohamed Salah in Liverpool’s crucial Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain. Isak, who had not started since December, was selected ahead of Salah with the Reds trailing 2-0 on aggregate after a disastrous first-leg defeat in France.
Liverpool ultimately lost by the same scoreline as Anfield, but Slott appeared to admit his mistake when he was replaced by Isak at the interval. Salah was brought on in the first half as Hugo Ekitike suffered what appeared to be a serious injury. Before the second leg, Carragher confessed he “couldn’t believe” Slott’s choice to leave Salah out, but Salah recently admitted this would be his last season at Anfield. “I can’t believe he (Salah) isn’t playing, I don’t understand why,” the Liverpool icon told CBS Sports.
“The manager has his reasons, but Isak is far from fit. Mo Salah didn’t play in the first leg, so he’s different from some of the players who played last week and then played at the weekend in the Premier League.”
“He played in the Premier League, he scored goals and he’s still one of Liverpool’s players, probably Liverpool’s best goalscorer. He’s used to the system, but Isaac has never really played for Ekitike before.”
“I don’t think Arne Slott is the type of manager who thinks, ‘I remember what you did to me when you called me out in public a few months ago.’
“Of past managers, you might think of Alex Ferguson…I don’t think Arne Slott, but is that because he’s already announced his departure? And it’s like, ‘I’m going to pretty much go with the players who are going to be here next year.’
“I don’t know, that’s all I can think of, but it still doesn’t make sense because it’s about this moment and I’m stunned that Mo Salah is not playing.”
Mohamed Salah came on as a substitute midway through the first half. (Image: Getty)
Slott justified his choice to leave Salah out by explaining that Liverpool wanted two forwards who could “play” in their pursuit of two goals. The Reds’ manager also supported his decision to select Isak, declaring after the game: “I think he was ready, and if I didn’t think he was ready, I wouldn’t have played him.”
However, his goal is not achieved and his team ends the season empty-handed. Liverpool’s focus will now be solely on qualifying for next season’s Champions League, starting with Sunday’s Merseyside derby. It will be Everton’s first visit to the new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Despite losing to PSG for the second year in a row, Carragher was encouraged by Liverpool’s much improved performance. “PSG are a much better team than Liverpool at the moment. We have seen that in the last two years,” he added.
“But I can accept what we saw tonight, certainly in the sense that we saw the performance in the second half. That’s what you expect from Liverpool in a European game at home. If they’re better than you, that’s fair enough.”
“But there was an intensity to the play, certainly in the first 25 minutes and the start of the second half. We haven’t seen much of that all season and that always has to be Liverpool’s style of football, no matter who the players are or who the manager is.”
