Redknapp slams ‘staggering’ Liverpool decision as he blames Reds players for incident | OneFootball

Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp has blamed the Reds players for failing to get the ball out of play before conceding their first goal in a 3-2 defeat against Bournemouth.

Joe Gomez was injured in the build-up to Bournemouth’s first goal on 26 minutes, with Liverpool playing on for seven minutes after the restart with ten men, before Arne Slot could bring on a subsitute onto the pitch.

Gomez collided with Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson as he attempted to block goalscorer Evanilson and the seven minutes it took the Reds to get a substitute on would prove crucial, as Bournemouth doubled their lead in that time with Alex Jimenez scoring on 33 minutes.

Wataru Endo was ready to come on for Liverpool but the Reds played seven minutes without the ball going out of play and Redknapp has pointed the finger at the players for their “amateur” gaffe.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Redknapp said: “You can see it’s a nasty injury (to Joe Gomez), you give him maybe a minute or two, then you try to make a substitution.

“This took seven minutes before Liverpool decided to make a substitution. Then they obviously ended up conceding that second goal. I find it staggering in this day and age that you’re going to have a situation like that.”

Fellow pundit Jamie Carragher added: “We’ve gone through (the footage) a few times because we want to check and give Liverpool the benefit of the doubt. (To check) have they got an opportunity to kick it out? Has there been a free kick? Has the manager spoken to the players and made this a priority for everyone?”

Before Redknapp continued: “Because I don’t just want to criticise the manager or backroom staff. Sometimes you as a player you take responsibility. You realise you’ve got 10 men. Gravenberch has dropped into the back four, (so you think): ‘What can we do about this?’

“Nobody was saying, let’s get the ball out of play, let’s get a centre back on. They don’t take the opportunity.”

Carragher did criticise the Liverpool coaching staff to an extent though, he said: “Arne Slot is telling his players to get the ball out of play while someone is giving (Endo) instructions. Just get him on the pitch. It’s of paramount importance that you get him (Endo) on. Get your kit off and get on the pitch, mate.

“I used the words amateurs at half-time. It’s not good enough.

“Endo should have been on the pitch four minutes earlier. If he was on, the goal doesn’t happen.”

Explaining his view of what happened, Liverpool boss Slot said: “We went down to 10 men. You can’t bring a player on sooner if the ball is not out of play. The moment he (Gomez) said he was injured he said he wanted to keep on trying but then he said he couldn’t go back in.

“‘We kept the ball and the moment we lost it, it took us a long time, we couldn’t make a foul to get the ball out of play.”