Micah Richards defends Arne Slot’s Liverpool team selection despite FA Cup exit to Plymouth

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Liverpool’s FA Cup dreams turned into nightmares as they were knocked out by Plymouth Argyle.

Arne Slot was visibly frustrated at his team’s performance, with the Reds failing to lay a glove on the Championship side.

The Liverpool boss made a number of changes against Plymouth, his replacements however flattered to deceive on the south coast.

ITV pundit Karen Carney slammed Federico Chiesa, meanwhile, Harvey Elliott earned criticism from Liverpool fans following his disappointing display.

Now out of the FA Cup, some may argue that the blame lies at Slot’s door following his decision to rotate.

• READ MORE: Arne Slot reveals the ‘only thing’ he was happy about during Liverpool’s shock FA Cup defeat to Plymouth

Micah Richards backs Arne Slot’s Plymouth decision

Having left the likes of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk at home, Slot would have hoped his replacements could have filled the void.

That of course wouldn’t be the case, leaving many to question the Liverpool manager’s thinking.

Micah Richards however has defended the Dutchman’s decision, telling the Rest Is Football podcast:

“Of course, you don’t want to go out of a competition but would risk your players at this vital part of the season when you’ve come top of the Champions League, your first in the Premier League and you’re in a league cup final. So I totally understand why he (Slot) did what he did.

“It would also be disrespectful to the players that he brought in to say that they couldn’t win the game today with the players that were on the pitch because they are all good enough players. They just got beat by the better team on the day.

“They rode their luck at times today Plymouth but yeh I just think he’s (Slot) got bigger things to think about.”

FA Cup exit could be hidden positive for Liverpool

Liverpool’s FA Cup exit will no doubt come as a disappointment to Slot, but it could help the Reds in the long run.

Still in three competitions, Liverpool have already played 38 games so far this season – something which will eventually catch up with Slot’s men as the campaign wears on.

The Plymouth defeat now means the Reds have a clear run at the Premier League and Champions League, which means they now avoid any potential injuries the FA Cup may have brought.

If the Liverpool squad can continue to avoid any major injuries they will for sure fancy their trophy chances come May.