Liverpool boss Arne Slot sees the bigger picture with substitutions | OneFootball

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot believes his team’s early-season habit of conceding goals after substitutions is just a coincidence – at least for now.

Leading 2-0 at home to Bournemouth last week he took off new full-backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who was subsequently ruled out for a month with a hamstring injury, on the hour and saw Cherries’ forward Antoine Semenyo score the first of his two goals four minutes later.

A week before in the Community Shield Slot replaced midfielder Curtis Jones and new striker Hugo Ekitike and Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr equalised within six minutes.

Slot said the sample size was too small to suggest it was a pattern and backed the depth of his squad.

“Most changes I’ve made in the game are due to match fitness and players who were not available in the whole pre-season,” said the Liverpool boss.

“So Hugo Ekitike, for example, that I took off twice, needs to make a step from Bundesliga to the Premier League and missed out a part of pre-season, and you want to keep him fit for the upcoming games, weeks, months as well.

“Sometimes you need to take this into account, although that’s sometimes difficult for a fan or a pundit because they are like, ‘You need to win this game’.

“Yeah, we need to win this game, but we need to keep them fit for the rest of the season as well and we do have players on the bench that are equal to the ones that start, so then you need to use your squad.

“I see it as a coincidence that we’ve conceded our goals after the substitutions but time will tell if I’m right or wrong.

“But, on the other hand, we also scored a goal after a substitution – two, by the way, from Federico (Chiesa) and Mo (Salah).”

Liverpool’s trip to Newcastle on Monday has been given added spice by the situation surrounding Magpies striker Alexander Isak, a target for Liverpool who is now training alone after seeing the club reject a £110million bid for him.

Last season the Reds beat Eddie Howe’s side at Anfield and drew at St James’ Park but lost the Carabao Cup final to them.

Isak scored at Wembley and in the 3-3 Premier League draw but was absent, as he will be on Monday, for the defeat at Anfield but Slot does not believe their task will be made much easier.

“I think if you go to Newcastle you know what to expect,” he added.

“We played them three times last season and twice their intensity levels were above ours.

“So, I don’t think they need anything to add for them to be intense if they play at St James’ Park.

“Apart from the intensity, it’s a very good team, they have also a team that can make it a fight but they also have players that are so comfortable on the ball.

“So, one of the best teams in the league and one of the most difficult away games you can have in the season, especially as you say here, ‘under the lights’.”