Steve McManaman Absolutely Spot On About Dominik Szoboszlai After Rightly Tearing Into Liverpool Man

In Liverpool's 4-1 FA Cup third-round victory over Barnsley at Anfield, midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai found himself at the center of controversy due to a glaring error that gifted the visitors a goal[1][3][4]. Despite scoring a stunning opener to put the Reds 1-0 up early, Szoboszlai's arrogant backheel attempt in his own penalty area led to a shambolic moment, allowing former Liverpool academy product Adam Phillips to capitalize and pull one back for Barnsley, making it 2-1[1][2][3][4].

Former Liverpool winger Steve McManaman, providing punditry for TNT Sports, was visibly fuming at half-time. "I don't like it at all from Szoboszlai... You don't do that," he raged, slamming the Hungarian international's pure arrogance and inexplicable decision-making[2][5]. McManaman's assessment was deemed absolutely spot on by observers, highlighting how such a risky move nearly cost Liverpool against lower-league opposition[3].

The match wasn't without further drama. Liverpool restored their lead with a gorgeous goal from substitute Florian Wirtz, who later assisted Hugo Ekitike for a fourth in stoppage time, setting up a Premier League clash with Brighton in the fourth round[4]. Barnsley had penalty shouts when Reyes Cleary went down under Szoboszlai, but these were rightly waved away— a call backed by McManaman and Joleon Lescott, who disagreed with commentator Ally McCoist's insistence on a spot-kick[4].

Liverpool fans were incensed by McCoist's perceived bias toward the underdogs, slamming his commentary as "embarrassing" and even awarding Man of the Match to the losing side's Cleary[4]. McManaman's no-nonsense critique of Szoboszlai cut through the noise, serving as a reminder of the standards expected at Anfield. Despite the slip-up, Szoboszlai's earlier brilliance and the team's dominance underscored their progression, but McManaman's words rang true: such errors have no place in red[1][2][3].

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