‘Awful’ – Konate slammed after Liverpool’s PSG defeat

There’s no hiding from criticism after a European exit, and Jermaine Pennant has delivered a particularly brutal verdict on Ibou Konate following our defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

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The Reds’ Champions League campaign came to an end with a 2-0 loss at Anfield, sealing a 4-0 aggregate defeat, and as always, individual performances have come under the spotlight.

Pennant delivers harsh Konate verdict

Taking to X after the match, the former Liverpool winger did not hold back when assessing the French centre-back.

He wrote: “For a premier league winning defender and a French international. As a defender your bread and butter is simply tackling and heading.

“Konate is the worse defender I’ve seen at heading, how do you consistently miss the ball when going up for an header as a pro.”

It’s a strong statement aimed at the 26-year-old, especially given his importance to us throughout the season and his status as one of the first names on the teamsheet under Arne Slot.

Konate performance vs PSG tells a different story

While criticism will always follow a defeat like this, the numbers from the game suggest a far more balanced display from the Liverpool No.5.

Konate recorded 17 defensive contributions, including four tackles won, four interceptions and six clearances, while also completing 88% of his passes across the 90 minutes (via Sofascore).

That defensive output aligns more closely with the level we’ve seen from him in big European games before, including his dominant showing against Galatasaray in the last round, where his physical presence and reading of the game helped us control the tie.

At the same time, it’s fair to say that inconsistency has crept into his performances this season, with difficult nights like the away leg in Istanbul showing that there are still areas to improve, particularly in key moments under pressure.

For us, Pennant’s comments feel harsh given the overall context of the game, because while Konate wasn’t flawless, he was far from the biggest issue in a side that ultimately struggled to find any cutting edge across both legs.

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