Graeme Souness expressed his disappointment with a Liverpool player during the defeat against Manchester United.
The loss meant relinquishing a potential route to silverware in Jurgen Klopp’s final season at the helm of Liverpool. Klopp’s track record in the FA Cup hasn’t been as illustrious compared to his other triumphs at Anfield.
While the competition hasn’t always been his top priority, this season seemed different, with signs of a concerted effort to secure the trophy.
At Old Trafford, Klopp fielded a formidable lineup despite some key absentees. Although Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah returned to the squad, neither seemed to be operating at their peak performance levels, which was understandable given their recent absences.
However, it was Jarell Quansah, deputising for the absent Ibrahima Konate in defence, who drew scrutiny from Graeme Souness for his performance.
Souness was watching the game for ITV Sport and found fault in Quansah’s role for Man United’s opening goal against Liverpool.
Graeme Souness Says Liverpool Jarell Quansah Lacked Concentration Against Man Utd
At halftime, Souness discussed the goal, suggesting that Quansah demonstrated his experience by being caught ball-watching.
He explained: “Liverpool give away a quick free-kick for the first goal, they need to stop them doing it.
“Quansah gets caught ball-watching, no attempt to cover [Alejandro] Garnacho.
“A lack of concentration, but [Wataru] Endo doesn’t cover himself in glory either. United thoroughly deserved the goal at that point.”
Souness noticed Quansah momentarily switching off during the sequence leading to United’s first goal. Despite this lapse, Quansah exhibited an overall positive performance for Liverpool.
Although the defence conceded four goals, Quansah, aged 21, displayed confidence with the ball at his feet. According to Sofascore, he successfully completed 91% of his 103 passes, including four precise long balls.
In addition to his passing accuracy, Quansah also demonstrated defensive prowess by winning five duels, executing three interceptions, and making six clearances.
While Quansah might have been disappointed with his involvement in conceding a goal, his performance in other areas showcased promise.
Today’s match serves as a valuable learning experience for all the young Liverpool players involved, who have the opportunity to grow and improve moving forward.
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