‘Baffling decisions’ – Aldridge reacts to Slot’s tactics

Liverpool’s Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain has sparked plenty of debate, and one moment in particular involving Joe Gomez has left fans and former players questioning what happened.

After a spirited but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to turn the tie around, attention has quickly turned to some of the decisions made on the night.

Aldridge questions Gomez substitution

Taking to X, John Aldridge didn’t hold back in his assessment of the defeat and the key moments across the two legs.

He said: “Well over the 2 legs they obviously deserved to go through, we needed to score between the 50-70 minutes when they struggled and we did a lot of decent things other than clinical finishing.”

That reflects what we saw, because there was a spell early in the second half where we looked capable of getting back into the tie, only for that lack of cutting edge to cost us again.

However, Aldridge also pointed to what he felt were questionable calls from the touchline, adding: “A few baffling decisions from Arne? Joe Gomez? If he’s not injured?”

That line captures the confusion, especially given how unusual the sequence of substitutions was involving the England international.

Slot explains Gomez situation after PSG defeat

Speaking via Liverpoolfc.com after the match, Arne Slot moved to clarify exactly what happened with Gomez, revealing it was not a straightforward tactical decision.

He explained: “He wasn’t injured but I wanted to make a different substitution and then he said to me, ‘I’m not convinced if I can keep sprinting. I feel a little bit. So, I think it’s better to go off and not to take the risk.’”

That suggests the 28-year-old defender wasn’t fully fit, even if it didn’t initially appear that way from the outside.

The Liverpool boss continued: “So yeah, then I think that would’ve been my fourth substitution, so then to keep someone on that might get injured is never a smart thing.”

It’s a reminder of how fine the margins are at this level, because in a game where we were chasing everything, even slight physical concerns can force difficult decisions.

With Gomez being seemingly not fully fit, expert analysis matching Konate’s views on Ekitike – it wasn’t the best night for many reasons.