Arne Slot defended his team selection after Liverpool’s Carabao Cup defeat to Crystal Palace but accepted his side’s current run of form does not match the club’s “standards”.
The reigning Premier League champions have now lost six of their last seven games across all competitions, with a 3-0 defeat at Anfield to Palace ending their Carabao Cup aspirations.
Slot was criticised for the starting XI and subs he picked to face Palace, with Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp saying: “It was the wrong team. He picked a team that made it really difficult for himself.”
Slot opted to leave star players such as Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk out of his squad, made 10 changes to his starting XI from the previous game at Brentford and filled his bench with inexperienced youngsters.
“Everybody can have [their] opinion about it but with the squad we have – maybe 15, 16 first-team players available – this is the choice I’ve made,” he told Sky Sports afterwards.
However, he also admitted that his side have failed to meet expectations in recent weeks. “It’s not of Liverpool’s standards to lose five out of six, or six out of seven,” said Slot.
Big games ahead and injury concerns on Slot’s mind
Liverpool host Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday night, with Real Madrid and Manchester City also on their schedule next week before the international break.
Slot said it was this run of games, along with injury concerns, which led him to field a side of fringe players and three teenagers. Liverpool’s bench was made up of nine players aged 21 or under, who went into the game with nine appearances for the club between them.
“Last time we played Southampton here in the League Cup, Giovanni Leoni got injured, and we don’t have such a big squad as people might tell, because there was so much focus on the amount of money we spent [in the summer]”, Slot explained.
“People all of a sudden think we have 25 players available but we mainly have 20 players then we have four injuries.
“I only have one right full-back, Conor Bradley, as an example, and every time I had to play him twice in three days or three times in seven days [last season], it led to him… that I had to take him off with a hamstring injury or something else.
“Are you willing to take that risk with such a big week coming up? Last time I played a player that wasn’t fully prepared – we thought he was prepared but it was the first time – Alexander Isak, he got injured.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Back Pages Tonight panellist, The Telegraph’s Jason Burt, discusses whether Arne Slot and Liverpool are in a ‘crisis’ as they continue their bad run of form.
“Last time we played Southampton Leoni was injured and it was a red card for Hugo Ekitike. Those are the things we can’t use with a big week coming up.
“But there’s always a choice. What if I had played Virgil [van Dijk] and Ibou [Konate], for example, if one of them got injured people would have said, ‘what a stupid choice’.
“And also with them [the first-team players] it was very difficult for us, for our starters to beat Palace because it’s not the first time we lose against them.”
Redknapp: Slot under pressure – but Liverpool must stick together
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp doubts the Red’s boss intent in the Carabao Cup after he selected a weak side that included no first team players on the bench.
Redknapp says Liverpool must stick together to end their bad run of form – but says Slot is under pressure to turn it around after having such an impressive first season in English football.
“It was the wrong team. Make no mistake. He picked a team today that made it really difficult for himself,” he said. “You’ve not helped the young players because of the players that are around them. You’ve made 10 changes from Brentford.
“You can’t tell me that he’s picked that team today and those subs thinking ‘that will get me a result against a really good Crystal Palace’. You might hope you can. I didn’t believe for one second they could beat them. He’s made a mistake today.
“He’s been unbelievable since he’s come to the club. He’s under some real pressure, but that’s football. That’s the price on the ticket. They climbed the mountain last season and were absolutely sensational. Now they’ve got to go back to that character they showed when they won the title and stick together.”
