Liverpool need a boost in their form after another defeat this week, this time in the EFL Cup.
Arne Slot decided to field a team that featured a majority of young players when they hosted a close to full-strength Crystal Palace at Anfield and expectedly lost 3-0.
The young Reds did their best in the game, but it was always going to be difficult to replicate any success because of the lack of Premier League experience on the field, with only players like Joe Gomez and Andy Robertson having the most seniority.
However, it seems that the decision to field mainly players from the Liverpool academy was due to the next set of fixtures, with three over the coming week against Aston Villa, Real Madrid, and Manchester City.
These are difficult fixtures, and given that Slot’s side have now lost six out of their last seven games, resting the first team may be a good idea in hindsight, even if he should have chosen some extra experienced legs for the bench.
Micah Richards defends Arne Slot’s team selection
Micah Richards was one pundit who had defended the decision by the Dutchman to field the younger players despite Jamie O’Hara branding the Slot decision a ‘disgrace’.
The former Manchester City star explained that this was not unlike what Jurgen Klopp used to do when he was manager of the club during this stage of the competition, and believes Slot had more of a right given the poor form.
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Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Richards gave his assessment of why it was the correct decision despite fan and pundit critiques.
“In fairness, though, with Liverpool, I remember in previous seasons, they’ve always used their youngsters, certainly at this stage of the cup. So, in answer to your question, maybe for a little bit of confidence, you could have put a couple of bigger names on there. But I actually think it was the right decision,” he said.
“I really do. And I know they’ve been having a difficult time.
“But the fact is, the League Cup compared to the Premier League and the Champions League, it’s not as big. If we’re all being honest about the situation. And I think you’re alluding to more of the confidence in the camp and having another loss and then the pressure and then the fans piling in.
“At the moment, Liverpool are just searching. And expectation levels are massive because of last season. They’ve brought in some new players. The new players haven’t performed at the level. It’s as simple as that. We’ve talked about Liverpool.
“We’ll try to give them all the excuses that they want, and things take time. But top players are bought for 100 plus because they’re not supposed to take time. That is the thing with Liverpool. And I just think for a manager, he’s got to pick and choose the right moments for the players to get the wins and losses. And yesterday wasn’t the biggest competition. So I totally understood why he did it.”
Liverpool have little excuse to perform badly against Aston Villa
The Reds now need to pick up their form, especially in the league, as they find themselves in seventh with Aston Villa on the same points.
They host Villa on Saturday in what is a must-win game because of the decisions taken by Slot in the cup this week.
If the squad needed a rest and should be seemingly 100% for the weekend’s game, there should really be no excuses for losing to Unai Emery’s side.
It is the least worrying game of the three, but it sets the tone for what kind of week Liverpool fans can expect.
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