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Beth Lindop
LIVERPOOL — Barnsley head coach Conor Hourihane has expressed criticism towards Dominik Szoboszlai following Liverpool’s 4-1 win over his team, labeling the midfielder’s backheel attempt in his own penalty area as “disrespectful.”
Szoboszlai initially put Liverpool ahead at Anfield, and Jeremie Frimpong doubled their lead. However, Barnsley’s Adam Phillips managed to score just before halftime, capitalizing on Szoboszlai’s misjudged clearance mere yards from his own goal.
Hourihane commented, “It’s such a fantastic moment for Adam to score in front of the Kop. As a Liverpool supporter and academy graduate, it’s an experience he will cherish forever—something not many get to do.”
He continued, “However, I found it quite disrespectful from their player. I doubt he would perform that move against teams like Chelsea or Arsenal or in a Champions League match. I’m thrilled for Adam, but that was not respectful from their player’s perspective.”
Liverpool manager Arne Slot also voiced his frustrations during the post-match press conference, acknowledging that Szoboszlai’s blunder led to a tense second half.
Slot stated, “I have my thoughts on this, and I will certainly discuss them with him. This isn’t the first time we’ve been in a 2-0 lead without any issues in the game and then conceded a simple or careless goal. This error is particularly noteworthy, even for us!”
“It’s unfortunate to concede when you’re up by two goals. The opposition often starts to resign, especially when we control the game. Generally, teams struggling at 2-0 down don’t tend to defend aggressively, allowing us to potentially add more goals.”
He concluded, “But giving away a straightforward goal, which has happened to us frequently this season, completely shifts the mindset of the opposing team. It’s definitely detrimental for us. We’ve witnessed too many scenarios like this already this season.”
The Reds will face Brighton in the fourth round of the FA Cup.