LIVERPOOL fans were left staggered after manager Arne Slot removed Joe Gomez from the pitch just minutes after he brought him on against Paris Saint-Germain.
The Reds were on Tuesday after losing 2-0 to in the quarter-finals at Anfield following a second-half brace by Ousmane Dembele.
Liverpool fans were left staggered after manager Arne Slot removed Joe Gomez from the pitch
Slot took Gomez out because the Liverpool ace dealt with fitness issues
The Merseysiders dominated after half-time as , 47, made a double substitution with Gomez, 28, and Cody Gakpo coming on for Jeremie Frimpong and the returning Alexander Isak respectively.
However, the hosts, who were chasing two goals just to take the game to extra-time, slowed down after the Dutch tactician decided to hook the England international on 68 minutes and replace him with Rio Ngumoha.
And fans were left baffled by the decision at full-time as they stormed social media to express their confusion.
One fan tweeted: “Subbing off who changed the game when he came on. My head’s on Mars.”
Another commented: “I’d be having serious words with the manager if I’m Joe Gomez.”
A third wrote: “If anything sums Arne Slot up this season, then bringing Joe Gomez on, him playing well and Liverpool start controlling the game so hooking him off 20 minutes later, is it.”
This fan said: “It obviously wouldn’t have made much difference, but that Joe Gomez sub is going to do my head in until the day I die.”
And that one added: “If Joe Gomez is not injured that’s a joke of a sub.”
However, there was a reason behind Slot’s decision as Gomez dealt with fitness issues.
The Liverpool manager explained he had to replace the defender, who was placed at right-back, because the player told him he couldn’t continue sprinting.
Slot said: “I wanted to make a different substitution and then he said to me he’s not convinced that if he keeps sprinting, he feels something a little bit, and it’s better to go off not to take the risk.
“That would have been my fourth substitution so then to keep someone on that might get an injury is never a smart thing. I had to change the substitution.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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