Team Liquid Coach Claims Alphari Benching Wasn’t 'Spur Of The Moment'
Team Liquid stunned their fans going into the League of Legends Championship Series Summer Split by benching British Top Laner Barney "Alphari" Morris after just one game.
Making a rushed announcement in the depths of the evening on June 5, Team Liquid announced that after just one game in the LCS Summer Split, Thomas "Jenkins" Tran will be moving to the starting roster.
Jenkins was set to make his debut in just a matter of hours, with many wondering why the rash decision was made so soon into the new split - especially with such a lengthy break following their silver medal run at the Mid-Season Showdown in April.
Team Liquid Coach Speaks Out About Alphari benching
After notching up their first win of the split versus Counter Logic Gaming, Team Liquid coach Joshua "Jatt" Leesman discussed the decision with Independent content creator Travis Gafford.
Despite the last-minute recording to announce the change, Jatt described the transfer as "feeling sudden, but this is not a spur of the moment decision."
He continued to say "It was something that was made with a lot of care over the last month, and nothing crazy happened.
"I care a lot about Alphari and the team as well, and I thought the best decision for the team was to play Jenkins. I can't tell the future so I'm not sure what happens next."
Players React To Alphari Benching
Recently retired Yiliang "Peter" "Doublelift" Peng was among many players who stood up for Alphari, claiming Team Liquid was making a mistake. The highly decorated bot laner listed a range of statistics that showcased Alphari's impact in the team, with him leading the entire league in many of the columns.
Alphari himself also took a swing at his coach, referencing the interview in his latest tweet. The Brit jibed that he made a calculated lunch-time decision which seemed rather unfathomable, inferring that Jatt's comments may not be the whole story.
Team Liquid now sits on a 1-2 record in the Summer Split, having lost their opening encounter to TSM and Jenkins' second game to Cloud9.
Image via Riot Games | Team Liquid