Jermaine Jenas says one Liverpool player looked fuming after being subbed by Arne Slot against Ipswich today

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Liverpool did not have the best of first-halves against Ipswich Town on Saturday afternoon.

It always looked like a tricky game for the Reds, with the Tractor Boys hopeful of continuing their fine form from last season.

Although they didn’t start too badly, Liverpool began to struggle against the physicality of Ipswich and a particularly slow Portman Road pitch.

In truth, the Reds were slightly lucky that their first half of Premier League football under Arne Slot ended goalless.

Perhaps realising that fact, the new head coach decided to make a change at half-time. And it didn’t appear to go down too well.

Jarell Quansah not happy at substitution

Liverpool never looked in massive danger during the first-half at Portman Road, but they didn’t look hugely comfortable, either.

Slot clearly wasn’t too happy with what he’d seen and decided to make a change in the defence.

Jarell Quansah, so impressive during pre-season, was the man taken off. Ibrahima Konate came in to replace the 21-year-old.

Whether it was the change or something else, Liverpool did look to be struggling a little less in the early part of the second-half.

READ MORE: Peter Crouch admits surprise at Arne Slot’s decision for Liverpool against Ipswich

And in the early moments of the second period, the TNT Sports camera panned to Quansah newly sat on the Reds bench.

“There’s Quansah there, he doesn’t look happy does he,” said Jermaine Jenas, on commentary duty for the broadacaster.

There had been a suggestion that the centre-back may have been struggling with a knock, but Jenas said it didn’t look like that had been the case.

“It wasn’t an injury because he’ probably be in the dressing room treating it,” said the former England international.

Why did Arne Slot sub Jarell Quansah?

It was not a surprise to see Quansah get the nod over Konate to start on Saturday. The England U21 international had been Slot’s go-to man for most of pre-season.

With Konate arriving back late for pre-season following his exploits with France at Euro 2024, Quansah got a jump on the 25-year-old.

However, given that Slot hauled him off after just 45 minutes against Ipswich, you’d have to imagine that the Dutchman has now changed his mind.

In fairness to Quansah, though, we didn’t see too much reason for Slot to sub him. The academy graduate made one crucial block in the opening few minutes and did fine generally after.

We may have to wait until next Sunday against Brentford to get the answer to this one. But if it was not injury-related, you could understand why Jarell wasn’t best pleased.