Arne Slot has explained his decision to substitute Ibrahima Konate at Fulham last weekend, saying it was solely to do with a risk-taking approach.
The Reds lost 3-2 at Craven Cottage last Sunday, with Konate replaced by Conor Bradley midway through the second half.
While some may have felt the Frenchman was substituted because of a poor performance, Slot confirmed to reporters that that wasn’t the case.
“For me, if I take him (Konate) out for another centre-back, that probably tells you that I wasn’t as happy about his game,” Slot said.
“Or if I take Virgil [Van Dijk] out and bring another centre-back in, you could assume that he’s either injured, not fit or I’m not so happy with the way he’s playing.
“If I bring an attacker or a midfielder in, that probably tells you that I want to take more risks, and that is what has happened.
“Ibou improved this season on the ball – it’s not that he was worse before, he was a French international that played a World Cup final.
“I don’t think maybe he improved on his own – he knows better what we want as a team, how we want the build-up, where his teammates should be and which choices he has to make.
“But I took him off for a player who can score a goal a bit easier than Ibou. Taking him off has nothing to do with how well he did with the ball.
“It was simply, ‘we are 3-2 down, let’s bring as much goals on the pitch as we can, let’s take as many risks as we can.’
“I think we created quite a lot afterwards, which isn’t to say we wouldn’t have with done him on the pitch, but it did work out in terms of chance creation, but not in terms of scoring.”
• READ: Why Arne Slot giving up control for ‘all out attack’ isn’t helping Liverpool
When Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp last summer, a more controlled approach was expected, compared to the German’s more chaotic style of play.
While that has applied for much of this season, the Reds have lost some of their poise in recent weeks, with the Fulham defeat a perfect example of it.
Liverpool capitulated alarmingly in the first half and the manner in which Slot was forced into such attacking changes felt desperate.
Hopefully, the Reds’ previous control returns at home to West Ham after a week on the training ground, as they look to seal Premier League title glory without any more scares.
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