Liverpool icon Mark Lawrenson has revealed that Reds stars accept Arne Slot won’t be afraid to make big decisions at Anfield. The Dutchman brutally withdrew Jarell Quansah at half-time during his side’s 2-0 victory over Ipswich on Saturday.
Slot explained that Quansah and his team-mates had lost too many duels during the first-half, which finished 0-0. Ibrahima Konate’s superior aerial ability saw the Frenchman introduced at half-time to cope with Liam Delap’s physicality.
Liverpool improved in the second half. Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah scored within five minutes of each other to hand Slot a winning start.
But the 44-year-old already has a reputation within the Liverpool dressing room as a man who will make bold choices. He is not afraid to upset anyone if he believes a change must be made.
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Former defender Lawrenson told Off the Ball: “I mean, the rumour and the talk from the dressing room is that he’s very good. He very much talks to everybody about everything. He’s a nice fella, but they reckon he has something about him where he won’t be frightened to make major decisions.”
Slot was unhappy with his side’s inability to win possession during the first half. Quansah paid the price but the Liverpool boss felt other players were equally culpable.
“First thing I said is we don’t have to speak about tactics if we lose so many duels and that was what we did,” Slot told TNT Sports.
“Not that Jarell lost every duel – many of us lost too many duels. But I think we needed Ibou Konate to win these long balls in the air from their No.9.
“So that helped, gave us control. But they put so much energy in the first-half, they had to keep on running, keep on fighting. They were playing all over the pitch one-v-one and I didn’t think they could keep up with that tempo in the second half.”
Meanwhile, Liverpool are reportedly closing in on their first signing of the Slot era. Goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili is understood to be joining the Reds in a £30million switch from Valencia.
The 23-year-old Georgian shot-stopper is likely to remain on loan at the La Liga club until the end of the season. He is seen as a long-term replacement for long-term Liverpool No 1 Alisson Becker, who turns 32 in October.
