Liverpool manager Arne Slott was substituted with the score at 1-1 against Chelsea, but it did not have the desired effect as he immediately received negative feedback from the Anfield crowd.
Arne Slott takes off from Rio Ngumoja
Arne Slott was booed by Liverpool supporters after substituting for Rio Ngmoja against Chelsea. The Reds were level at 1-1 when Slott brought on Alexander Isak for the 17-year-old winger at Anfield.
Ryan Gravenbirch put the home side ahead with a curling shot early on, but their lead was wiped out when Enzo Fernandes’ free-kick went in at the far post. Slott made the call as fans were frustrated by Liverpool’s performance as they played a team that had lost their last six Premier League games.
He introduced Isak for Ngmoha in the 67th minute and quickly understood how the fans felt about it. Booing echoed around Anfield as this summer’s big-money off-the-bench signing turned out to be a huge disappointment.
“You don’t hear a lot of reactions like that at Anfield, but I can understand it,” Ally McCoist told TNT Sport. “I actually thought it would be a straight exchange for Kodi Gakpo, but I know he can play on the left and he can come in from the left as well.”
The move did not go as Slott expected, and the match ended 1-1. To make matters worse, Liverpool supporters erupted in boos once again at the final whistle.
Follow our Liverpool FB page! Keep up with the latest Reds news and more on our dedicated Facebook page
read more: Arne Slott calls for Liverpool to emulate PSG after Mo Salah leaves – ‘They’re not kids’read more: Former Premier League star and family ‘threatened with knife’ in horrific robbery
This season, Ngmoha has been a source of controversy among fans and Slott. The young winger showed flashes of brilliance when he came on, but the Liverpool manager was reluctant to play him too much.
Slott was pleased with his impact in last month’s 2-0 win over Fulham and explained his views on the circumstances and expectations governing his minutes.
“I think I said a few weeks ago, maybe a few months ago, a month or two ago, that he’s going to get stronger and stronger, he’s going to perform more and more when he’s out there, he’s going to get more and more playing time in practice sessions, it’s not only a great trick, but it’s going to be more and more of an end product of what he’s doing,” he said.
The substitution didn’t go well.
“There was more and more power in what he did, which you need when you play against the best defenders in the world. And I don’t think anyone would be surprised that he scored his first goal[at Anfield]at this moment.”
“He has a special quality that you don’t see very often in football anymore, which is to dominate one-on-one situations. And that’s exactly what he did when he scored the goal. You could say he twisted and turned and freed the ball and hit it like a Mo Salah finish.”
“In the last month’s training sessions, we saw more and more of him gaining more and more power to hit the ball as powerfully as he did today, so it’s not surprising to me to see that.”
“And yeah, I think that’s why he’s started three of the last seven or eight games. I don’t know exactly, but Wolves and Tottenham and this game. It’s good to see him doing what we know he’s special about, which is dominating one-on-one situations.”
Join our LFC WhatsApp community to keep up to date with the latest LFC news, opinion, transfer gossip and more. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
