Arne Slot recently remarked that Ibrahima Konate was “too much at the crime scene” in Liverpool’s slump, but he now believes this has changed as he is “helped out more.”
Konate found himself a target for criticism due to a number of high-profile errors during Liverpool’s run of nine losses in 12 games.
That continued, of course, with conceding the penalty which sparked Leeds‘ comeback in the 3-3 draw at Elland Road two weeks ago – but by and large, with the team’s form improving, so has the centre-back’s.
Slot on Konate: The “crime scene” verdict
• The “crime scene” quote: Slot explains why centre-backs are unfairly blamed for being at the “scene” of conceded goals
• The basketball analogy: Why Konate is a victim of football being a “low-scoring” sport compared to basketball
• The tactical shift: How the team has “helped out” Konate to make the back line less vulnerable
• The verdict: Slot’s “let’s keep it like this” comment is the ultimate challenge ahead of Tottenham
Slot believes this is largely due to Liverpool being “less vulnerable” in general, with Konate “helped out more” by those around him.
“For centre-backs that’s not that uncommon a thing, to be on the crime scene if you concede goals,” he told reporters on Friday.
“But he’s been unlucky a few times, where he played good games in my opinion but then a moment decides the game.
“Unfortunately we play a low-scoring game, football; that’s the nice thing about football, that’s why teams that are maybe not as good as other teams can still win the game.
“In basketball the best team always wins I think, because there are so many goals you can score. But in a low-scoring sport that’s more difficult.
“And then when you’re involved in a moment like Ibou it has an immediate impact on the result, then of course people are not as positive about that as they maybe should have been if you look at his performances.
Slot on Konate: “That is the way we prefer to see him”
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, August 31, 2025: Liverpool's Ibrahima Konaté applauds the supporters after the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Arsenal FC at Anfield. Liverpool won 1-0. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“But recently he’s not been on the crime scene and that is the way we prefer to see him, we prefer to see all of our players. That’s not only about him.
“I think he’s been helped out more recently than before, so we’re less vulnerable in certain situations than we were in other parts of the season.
“That has an immediate impact on centre-backs, Ibou is a centre-back. Let’s keep it like this.”
Only seven players in this season’s Premier League have committed more errors leading to a shot than Konate (three), who will be hoping to build again when Liverpool head to Tottenham on Saturday.
But per FBref he drops down the list considerably when it comes to errors per 90 minutes, with the Frenchman (0.2) behind 19 others including the league’s most error-prone player: Wolves midfielder Andre (0.39).