'He said it was enough' - Arne Slot explains why he substituted Rio Ngumoha as Liverpool boss 'understands' angry reaction from fans

The decision to replace 17-year-old Ngumoha with Alexander Isak midway through the second half was met with a chorus of boos from the Liverpool faithful. Ngumoha had been the primary source of inspiration for the hosts, providing the assist for Ryan Gravenberch's opening goal, but Slot insisted the change was a necessity rather than a tactical preference.

"He's not injured; he had cramps a few minutes before that when he went to the floor," Slot explained to reporters after the match. "Then I had contact with him, and he said that it was enough, so that's why I took him off. It makes complete sense if you take a player off that is playing well and has assisted that people don't expect you to take that player off. That wasn't my intention to do."

The atmosphere at Anfield remained tense throughout the afternoon as Liverpool failed to secure the victory needed to guarantee Champions League qualification. Slot admitted he was fully aware of how the substitution would be perceived by the supporters, who were unaware of the teenager's physical condition at the time he left the pitch.

"He is a good player but I don't think he's at the level yet to play at 50-60% and then make the difference," the Dutchman added. "Maybe fans have a different opinion that he would have been able to play at this level at 50% or whatever the percentage it is to not be fit enough to sprint and make your actions. If you don't know that [he was cramping up] then you feel like 'why is he taking him off?'. Then I understand the reaction. I knew when the moment his number went up that it would have been the reaction. But that's not a reason to keep a player in the team that tells me he cannot continue."

The full-time whistle brought another wave of jeers as the Reds were held by a Chelsea side currently struggling in the bottom half of the table. Slot shared the fans' disappointment, acknowledging that a draw at home against the Blues is not a result that meets the standards of a club with Liverpool's historical expectations.

"After the game it also makes sense because I don't feel this club should be happy with a 1-1 result against Chelsea," Slot said regarding the post-match reaction. "We always aim for a win and if we don't win then we are disappointed, especially in a season where we haven't won a lot or not as much as people expect us to do. It's just building up frustration and that came out probably after half-time, but the players and myself had the same frustration as the fans."

In addition to the Ngumoha situation, Liverpool are sweating on the fitness of Ibrahima Konate, who limped off late in the game. On a more positive note, the squad is slowly returning to full strength with several key stars reaching the final stages of their respective recoveries ahead of the upcoming trip to Aston Villa.

Speaking on Konate and the wider injury list, Slot noted: "We will have to wait and see given the way he limped off. He told me it was cramp but let's hope he is right in his assessment. We have to wait and see tomorrow how he feels and how that will work out. Mo [Salah] is close to returning and Ali is close to returning. Flo [Wirtz] we have to wait and see how he is recovering after what he has."