Liverpool manager Arne Slot has confirmed Jarell Quansah's half-time substitution against Ipswich Town was a tactical decision rather than because the player was carrying an injury.
The Reds got their Premier League season underway in Saturday's early kick-off, with Ipswich proving to be more than a match in the first 45 minutes of the game.
Omari Hutchinson looked lively for Ipswich on the counter as Liverpool struggled to create chances on a slow Portman Road pitch, but the visitors upped the tempo in the second half and eventually ran out comfortable winners thanks to goals from Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah – the latter setting a Premier League record for most goals scored on the first day of the season in the process.
Quansah had got the nod at centre-back ahead of Ibrahima Konate, partnering Virgil van Dijk as Joe Gomez failed to even make the journey to Suffolk, but he played just 45 minutes before being replaced by Slot, cutting a forlorn figure on the bench following the restart.
The Dutchman confirmed after the game that Quansah's withdrawal was a tactical decision designed to stabilise the game for Liverpool, saying: "First thing I said was we don’t have to speak about tactics if we lose so many duels and that’s what we did.
“That’s not that Jarell lost every duel – many of us lost too many duels – but I think we needed Ibou Konate to win these long balls in the air from the No. 9.
"So that helps, that gave us control but they put so, so, so much energy in the first half."
Slot added: "If a team plays all over the pitch 1v1, do not always play the ball short constantly. I didn't see them fighting for it in the first half, we lost almost every long ball. In the second half they were ready and then gas opened up and you could see we can play quite good football."
Liverpool were much improved after the break, with Salah in particular catching the eye en route to winning the player of the match award. On the Egyptian's performance and whether the club will be a 'one-man team' in 2024/25, Slot said: "I don't believe that much in one man, I believe in the team more than the individual.
"He can score his goals because of good runs, good assists. I think Mo also needs the team but we also have more creative individuals who can decide the game."