Arne Slot has revealed that Rio Ngumoha was substituted because of cramp during Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Anfield, and he fully understands the frustration expressed by the home supporters.
The decision to replace the 17-year-old winger with Alexander Isak midway through the second half prompted a vocal reaction from the crowd, as Ngumoha had been one of Liverpool’s bright spots, using his pace and creativity down the left flank to set up Ryan Gravenberch for the early opener.
“Rio had cramp just before that when he went to the ground,” Slot explained after the match. “I spoke with him and he told me he couldn’t continue, so I took him off.”
“It makes perfect sense that when you substitute a player who is performing well and has provided an assist, people are puzzled. That was never my intention.”
“He is a talented player, but I don’t believe he is at a stage where he can play at 50 or 60 percent capacity and still be effective. Perhaps fans think differently and believe he could have managed at that level, but he wasn’t fit enough to sprint.”
“If you weren’t aware of his condition, you’d naturally ask ‘why is he being taken off?’ I understand that reaction. I knew when his number went up there would be boos, but that doesn’t mean I should keep a player on the pitch who tells me he can’t go on.”
The discontent continued after the final whistle as Liverpool delivered another lackluster home display. Enzo Fernandez equalized for Chelsea, and despite Dominik Szoboszlai and Virgil van Dijk hitting the woodwork in the second half, the Reds couldn’t find a winner.
When asked about the fans’ anger, Slot said: “I think it’s understandable because this club should not be satisfied with a 1-1 draw against Chelsea.”
“We always aim to win, and when we don’t, we are disappointed—especially in a season where we haven’t won as many games as expected. There is an accumulation of frustration, and it came out, but the players and I share that same frustration.”
It has been a challenging season for Liverpool, who still need to secure Champions League qualification. However, Slot is confident he can win back the disillusioned supporters.
“Yes, I believe I can,” he stated. “Not this season, though. This season their opinions are set and won’t change. But if we can have the summer we are planning, I am 100 percent sure we will be a different team next season compared to now.”
Slot acknowledged the fans’ anger (Photo: Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
“Different in terms of results, different in how we look. It’s not always straightforward because sometimes you know what needs to be done, but you can’t always get exactly what you want. For us, it’s very clear what we have lacked this season, and we are working on it. One of the issues is having players fit.”
“The players we have available now, like last week, showed in the second half that they want to give everything and push, but it wasn’t enough last week or this week to score the goal we probably deserved given where the game was played.”
“For me, the game was mostly played in their half in the second half, and that’s something we’ve seen many times this season. But being the dominant team hasn’t always led to chance after chance.”
