Yeah… I might not have put the point across I was trying to make.
To me, Trent was having a poor game, very poor. To get substituted in those circumstances, as opposed to a tactical change, injury or fatigue related… can sometimes be associated with being scapegoated (Lovren + Spurs game), and that tends to ‘stick’.
By not taking TAA out of the action; as we all know he should have been; Arne was protecting TAA from outright blame, ridicule or finger pointing… Hence, keeping their manager/player relationship on good ground.
At the end of the day, I think we would all prefer TAA to sign and put the contract stuff behind him - However, once he moved into the last 12months phase of becoming a free agent, AS might have thought it best to treat him with kid gloves from his end, rather than be the decision making catalyst for TAA wanting to get out of Anfield as quickly as possible.
No doubt TAA would want to put the team before himself on most occasions, but in the scheme of the things in the present (will he/won’t he) landscape… it is one game, yes Utd, but still one game.
If we had lost the whole 3points, yet it convinced TAA he has a manager that has got his back no matter what… then, to me it was a small price to pay. If it proves to be another little thing to secure Trent stays at Anfield, then it was a good management call by Arne.
I mean, all that reasoning can be undermined with one simple word: Quansah.
There isn’t a media circus swirling around Quansah.
I can understand why Slot doesn’t want to take of Trent in they circumstances he found himself in. But I bet he wishes he had now.
I said undermined, I didn’t say destroyed.
In any case, Quansah is a younger player who would arguably suffer more in a confidence hit from the same thing.
I think you could equally say it wouldn’t affect a younger player as much. They are much more expected to lash in a poor performance than a 26 year old vice captain.
From the expectations of others, but it doesn’t necessarily translate to the same thing for them.
Didn’t Quansah get hauled off at halftime in the 1st game of the season. Since then there has been plenty of talk of it affecting his confidence.
Good to hear the away fans singing Trent’s song when he came on
Away supporters.
Always a bit more loyal.
I will say two penny worth and will praise or criticise a performance, but will support and want them to do well every time they put on the shirt