Liverpool boss Arne Slot. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)placeholder image
Liverpool boss Arne Slot. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Liverpool beat Barnsley 4-1 in the FA Cup third round although Dominik Szoboszlai made a major error.
Arne Slot has confirmed that he plans to talk to Dominik Szoboszlai over his error in Liverpool’s victory over Barnsley.
The Reds delivered a 4-1 triumph against the League One outfit in the FA Cup third round at Anfield. Szoboszlai put Liverpool ahead with an incredible 30-yard strike in the ninth minute before Jeremie Frimpong doubled the advantage.
But Slot’s men opened the door for Barnsley when Szoboszlai attempted a backheel in his own box and visiting midfielder Adam Phillips profited. Szoboszlai’s action was slammed as ‘disrespectful’ by Tykes boss Conor Hourihane.
The second half was not scintillating from Liverpool, with Slot wanting more fluidity and tempo. They had to wait until the 84th minute when Florian Wirtz increased the lead before fellow substitute Hugo Ekitike put the gloss on the triumph to set-up a fourth-round clash against Brighton.
Szoboszlai has been Liverpool’s best player this season and his overall performance against Barnsley was again impressive. But given that the Reds gifted their opponent back into the game when two goals ahead - something they have done numerous times this season - discussions will be held.
Liverpool boss Slot said: “In that moment I thought a lot towards half-time but I chose to inform them in the best possible way for us to be more fluid, more tempo, more able to create chances. Which didn't work out that well because again second half we created a few chances but not a lot. I have my opinion about that, which I'm definitely going to share with him. And it's not the first time - now I'm talking generally - that we are 2-0 up, there's no problems in the game and then we concede a sloppy or easy goal. But this one stands definitely out, even for us, when it is about conceding an easy and sloppy goal.
“It doesn't help to concede a goal if you're 2-0 up. Normally when you're 2-0 up, the other team is close to maybe accepting their loss, especially if you can keep going and have the ball so much. Then usually teams are 'We're 2-0 down, we hardly touched the ball', now they are probably not as aggressive in defending and then you can score the third and the fourth.
“But if you then give away an easy goal, which we have done so many times this season, then it's a big difference in mindset for the other team that are 2-0 down and never have the ball or they are 2-1 and never have the ball because then they do feel, 'Yeah, in the first half when we never had the ball in one moment we could score a goal, so maybe we can do this again.' So, it's definitely not helpful for us. Even tonight we could see a lot of things being the same as we've seen so many times this season.”
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