‘There is always an assist in him’… Phil Thompson reacts to Jurgen Klopp’s decision on £34m Liverpool player at Old Trafford

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Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool suffered a defeat at the hands of Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Liverpool took on Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-finals at Old Trafford. Pundits expected Jurgen Klopp’s side to win the tie on Sunday, but it was Erik ten Hag’s team who got the job done 4-3 after extra time.

Mohamed Salah started the match. The Egypt international forward was superb in the UEFA Europa League last weekend, and he scored Liverpool’s second goal of the match against United in first-half injury time.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp decided to take Salah off on 77 minutes. Cody Gakpo came on in the place of the £34 million (BBC Sport) forward. Jamie Carragher hammered the Netherlands international forward.

When asked about the decision, Liverpool legend Phil Thompson said that while Salah is always a threat, he cannot blame Klopp for his decision against United because he has proven to be good with his changes.

Phil Thompson gives verdict on Jurgen Klopp decision on Mohamed Salah vs Manchester United

Thompson said on talkSPORT (6:12 am, March 18, 2024) about Klopp taking Salah off: “I think there is always a possibility with Mo because, as you can see, he may have been quiet in the game, but you know there is always an assist in him, there is always a goal in him.

“So, yes, I don’t think he will have any regrets because, listen, some of his substitutions have been one of the plus points, not just Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp, how he has handled the players and the benefits, I think we have scored more goals from substitutes than any other team by far, so I think the impact that they have had have been absolutely wonderful.”

Disappointing for Liverpool

In my opinion, Liverpool will be disappointed that they could not win against Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

The Reds did play well for most of the game, but in the second half of the extra time, United showed more urgency.

Liverpool will now have to move on and focus on their Premier League and UEFA Europa League campaign. The Merseyside club have already won the Carabao Cup this season.