After Liverpool won his first Premier League game in charge, Saturday lunchtime’s 2-0 victory at Ipswich, Arne Slot saw no problem in namechecking Jürgen Klopp. “When I started here there were many things and one of them was that Jürgen hated 12.30pm kick-offs,” said the former Feyenoord manager. “And we showed we hate the 12.30pm kick-offs. The first half was not good enough, second half was a real good performance.”
Ipswich, back in the Premier League for the first time in 22 years, had been much the better team in the first 45 minutes. The second half was a rather different story, a far more aggressive Liverpool picking off the newly promoted team and scoring goals through Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah.
“We as a team made a big change at half-time because we came out totally different,” said Slot. The centre-half Jarell Quansah was replaced at the break by Ibrahima Konaté for what Liverpool’s manager confirmed as tactical reasons. “But I have to give credit to Ipswich because they were aggressive. They were not afraid, they went one versus one, but second half we won more duels, more second balls and played more balls in behind. If a team takes the risk of one versus one and you have Jota, Salah and [Luis] Díaz, then use them.”
Kieran McKenna was not downhearted. “It was a really positive first-half performance,” the Ipswich manager said, “and we’ve shown all the ingredients we need to have a good season. The challenge is to do it longer and to do it for 90 minutes.”
Only Axel Tuanzebe had previously started a Premier League game. “For 10 players to make first Premier League start, it is climbing the mountain,” said McKenna. “I am very proud of them, they should be proud.”
Salah’s goal saw him establish a record with a ninth goal on Premier League opening weekends but he admitted to teething troubles under the new coach. “We just need to know his way of playing and enjoy the football,” the Egyptian said of Slot. “We don’t need to put more pressure on him, we just need to play football and enjoy our games. Let’s see in the end.”
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The forward’s contract situation, along with those of Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, remains unresolved despite his continuing prowess in front of goal. Slot said: “If I see what he does to keep his body and be ready, there are many more years. But I am looking now at Brentford [next week] and not the end of the season.”