BREAKING NEWS: “I Know We Won But His Performance Wasn’t Good… He Gave Them a Free Goal”: Arne Slot Furious with Ibrahim Konaté After Narrow 2-1 Win Over Wolves.

Arne Slot has expressed his fury at Liverpool’s center-back Ibrahim Konaté following the Reds’ narrow 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday. While Liverpool clinched the three points, the victory came at a significant cost as the defensive performance of the team, particularly from Konaté, was under intense scrutiny post-match.

Speaking to the press after the game, Slot didn’t mince words when discussing Konaté’s performance. “I know we won, but his performance was not good at all,” Slot stated emphatically. “He gave them a free goal. That’s not acceptable at this level, especially when we’re fighting for titles. He almost cost us this game, and I’m not happy with that.”

The incident in question occurred in the 39th minute, with Konaté making a sluggish clearance that allowed Wolves’ forward, Sasa Kalajdzic, to pounce on the loose ball and slot it past Alisson Becker for the equalizer. The goal came against the run of play and set up an uncomfortable finish for the Reds, who had earlier taken the lead through a stunning Mohamed Salah strike.

Slot, who has only been in charge of Liverpool for a short time, was visibly frustrated with his central defender’s lack of focus. “It was sloppy, it was careless. We were in control, and then one mistake, one moment of hesitation, gave them a way back into the game,” Slot continued. “Ibrahim knows better than that. We cannot afford mistakes like that when we are aiming to compete at the top.”

Konaté’s poor decision-making wasn’t the only talking point of the match. In fact, the 24-year-old Frenchman had been a key figure throughout the first half, but his mistake added a layer of anxiety that was felt across the entire Anfield crowd. Slot’s frustration was evident as he revealed that he had seriously considered substituting Konaté at half-time, but opted not to out of necessity given the tight nature of the game.

“I thought about taking him off at the break,” Slot admitted. “But we didn’t have much time, and I needed to keep a strong defensive setup on the field. But after his mistake, I was ready to make the change immediately. His head wasn’t in the game, and that could have cost us.”

Despite Konaté’s blunder, Liverpool managed to secure the victory thanks to a second-half goal from summer signing Dominik Szoboszlai, who was the match-winner with a brilliant strike from outside the box in the 68th minute. The Hungarian international’s composed finish helped to ease some of the tension in the Liverpool camp, but Slot’s frustration remained.

“I’m glad we got the win, but we can’t just focus on the positive moments,” Slot stated. “If we want to be successful in the long run, we need to fix the mistakes. I’ll be having a serious conversation with Ibrahim. Right now, his spot in the team is not guaranteed.”

The manager also dropped a bombshell hint when asked about Konaté’s future at the club. “We will assess all players over the international break. If a player is not performing to the standard we expect, they will not stay in the team. And we’ll see what happens with Ibrahim. There could be changes ahead.”

With the pressure mounting on Konaté, fans and pundits alike are now questioning his long-term future at Anfield. The Frenchman, who has been a vital part of Liverpool’s defense over the last few seasons, may find himself under even more scrutiny as the club continues to chase silverware this season. Slot’s public criticism will surely raise more questions about the manager’s willingness to make difficult decisions in order to maintain his team’s high standards.

Liverpool’s defensive depth will also come into question. The likes of Joe Gomez and Joel Matip will be waiting in the wings, ready to step into the starting lineup should Slot make any changes.

As for Konaté, the pressure is now on to prove that he can bounce back from his error-ridden performance. One thing is for sure, his place in the team could be at risk if his performances don’t improve. The coming weeks will be crucial in determining whether the 24-year-old can regain the trust of his manager and ensure his place in Liverpool’s long-term plans.

Stay tuned as we bring more updates from Anfield.