Speaking recently on the Football Writers Podcast, Jordan Jarrett-Bryan discussed Liverpool’s performance in Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Ajax, claiming that there was an ‘element of fury’ in Jurgen Klopp’s substitutions in the match.
Despite the fact that Liverpool’s squad is somewhat injury hit at present, the fixture with Ajax was a fairly even contest, with possession being 51% in Liverpool’s favour and Klopp’s side taking 16 shots to Ajax’s 12.
The tie was eventually decided by Nicolas Tagliafico’s own goal 10 minutes before the half time interval, as, despite both sides having opportunities to score, the match finished 1-0 to Liverpool.
However, Klopp’s decision to substitute all three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino on the 60-minute mark of the fixture was something that caught the attention of Jarrett-Bryan, who claimed, on a recent episode of the Football Writers Podcast, that there was an ‘element of fury’ in the manager’s changes.
He said: “I don’t think he was happy with the front three. I know they were winning, but I don’t think it was tactical at all. I think it was, ‘I’m not happy with the three of you, you’re all coming off.’
“I think there was an element of fury with all three of their performances, and he knew that with the two extra subs he could change it again.
“I saw his face when they came off and I read into that, when I saw the replay, [that] he wanted more from [the] front three, I don’t think he was getting what he wanted from all three of them.”
Do you think Klopp was displeased with his front three against Ajax?
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TIF Thoughts on Jordan Jarrett-Bryan’s comments regarding Jurgen Klopp’s substitutions…
From Bryan’s comments, it is clear that the journalist holds the belief that Klopp was not happy with the contributions of Salah, Firmino and Mane in the fixture against Ajax, and, considering they earned WhoScored match ratings of 6.23, 6.30 and 6.56 respectively, ranking them as three of the club’s seven worst performers on the night, perhaps he has a point.
However, with the club facing Sheffield United on Saturday – just three days after the Ajax fixture – before another Champions League fixture against FC Midtjylland next Tuesday, then a Premier League game with West Ham United next Saturday, it could be argued that Klopp may have simply been resting his forwards for the club’s upcoming fixtures.