Arne Slot’s Liverpool suffered a damaging 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday, a result largely blamed on what has been described as an “amateurish” tactical failure during the first half.
With Joe Gomez sidelined by injury and the Reds temporarily down to ten men, the coaching staff’s inability to force a stoppage in play allowed the Cherries to double their lead before a substitution could be made.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp was scathing in his assessment at the interval, stating, “I have no idea why they didn’t make the change. Could Alisson kick it out play just to make the sub? They get him on too late. Arne Slot wanted Alisson to kick it out of play but he doesn’t see it. It’s amateurish.”
Although Virgil van Dijk’s header and a stunning Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick briefly pulled the defending champions level, a 95th-minute winner from Amine Adli following a long throw-in exposed the Reds’ season-long struggle with set-pieces, leaving their top-four status under immediate threat from Manchester United.