‘Never heard anything like this’ – Arne Slot slammed by Liverpool legend over PSG decision
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Arne Slot’s decision to start Liverpool striker Alexander Isak against PSG raised eyebrows (Picture: Getty) Dietmar Hamann has questioned Arne Slot’s explanation for starting Alexander Isak against Paris Saint-Germain, claiming he has ‘never heard anything like this’ in football before. Isak managed just five touches before coming off for Gakpo (Picture: Getty) A late double for Dembele sealed Liverpool a comprehensive quarter-final win (Picture: Getty) ‘I said before the game that if you go to extra-time and he plays the second half and plays 45 minutes, there are only two minutes in between before extra time comes up for half an hour,’ the Dutchman told reporters. ‘I don’t think that was realistic.
To play him for 45 minutes and see at half-time how he feels to add five to ten minutes to that, that was a possibility today. ‘But because we already had to make the first substitution in the first half, I didn’t want to make the second substitution five minutes after half-time. That’s why I took him off at half-time.’ To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video On his shock decision to start the Sweden international, Slot continued: ‘He was twice close to a goal and that’s why you play a striker of his level. ‘There was one header from a set-piece and one great run in behind [Willian] Pacho where he was really close to scoring which was eventually offside.
It’s good to have him back. ‘He was ready and if I thought he wasn’t ready then I wouldn’t have played him. ‘If you compare us today to last week, I think it’s fair to say he was completely ready to play otherwise you can’t play a first half as we did, although the second half was even better.’ ‘I’ve never heard of anything like this’ – Hamann was baffled by Isak’s selection (Picture: Getty) Fans and pundits alike were left puzzled by Isak’s surprise selection given the forward had only been used twice off the bench in Liverpool’s two previous contests. And Slot doesn’t want to bring him on because he might not be able to play extra time… ‘I have to be completely honest: I had the utmost respect for the man, but I’ve never heard of anything like this. ‘I don’t know if something like this has ever happened before.