Arne Slot Turns To Man City, Chelsea In Desperate Defence Of Bizarre Liverpool Lineup

During a flailing bid of progressively hopeless postmatch interviews, Liverpool head Arne Slot rolled retired an unconvincing bid of excuses to thief warrant his outrageously inexperienced starting XI against Crystal Palace connected Wednesday evening, including a jarring displacement of attraction toward Manchester City and Chelsea’s lineups.

Slot made 10 changes for nan midweek Carabao Cup clash, pinch near backmost Milos Kerkez nan only subsister from nan broadside which lost 3–2 to Brentford connected Saturday night. Andy Robertson was shoehorned into cardinal defence while 18-year-old Kieran Morrison made his master debut connected nan correct flank.

There was acold little rotation successful Palace’s XI, which crucially included Liverpool tormentor Ismaïla Sarr, who scored doubly successful a comfortable 3–0 triumph astatine Anfield.

The astir damning facet astir Slot’s selection was nan deficiency of seniority successful reserve. The likes of Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté and Mohamed Salah were near retired of nan matchday squad entirely. The 9 substitutes boasted 19 first-team appearances betwixt them, pinch nary older than 21.

As Slot pointed retired postgame, Liverpool were not unsocial successful rotating their squad for nan Carabao Cup. Manchester City besides made 10 changes. However, Pep Guardiola was capable to bring nan profoundly knowledgeable trio of John Stones, Joško Gvardiol and Phil Foden disconnected nan chair successful a fixture against Championship broadside Swansea City—not nan reigning FA Cup champions.

“I saw City’s lineup and I don’t deliberation they had 1 starter from nan weekend,” Slot mistakenly moaned, “but it felt arsenic if you look astatine their lineup they played pinch their 11 starters. So possibly it besides gives a small spot of insight—everybody has ever said really large of a squad we have.”

Then nan head who oversaw nan largest transportation walk successful shot history this past summertime turned to different Premier League rival arsenic an illustration of nan extent that Liverpool supposedly can’t aspire to.

“When we played Chelsea, I said, ‘They’re missing 8 but they tin still bring Estêvão in.’ We are only missing 4 players astatine nan infinitesimal and already we needed to commencement pinch 4 players nether nan property of 19. And aft I made 2 substitutions we were connected six [under-19s].”

It is not a complete astonishment to me.

Liverpool’s new-look XI struggled against nan Eagles. / Molly Darlington/Getty Images

Slot went connected to declare that Liverpool’s squad is not trim retired for nan request of playing connected a play and successful midweek.

“I saw immoderate of nan struggles that nan players person had successful preseason and players that came from different leagues,” nan Dutch leader sighed. “It is simply a caller situation for them to play astatine Premier League and Champions League level, 3 games successful 7 days.” Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Hugo Ekitiké were each progressive successful European title conscionable past season, while six of Liverpool’s existent squad person already won nan Champions League.

“To adhd to that, this nine has ever utilized this title for their academy players arsenic well,” Slot added successful a hopeless effort to prevention face. “So for nan non-starters and nan academy players, this felt to maine for illustration nan correct decision.”

In bid to further warrant his bold calls, Slot pointed to nan injuries Liverpool person already suffered.

None of Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté aliases Hugo Ekitiké featured connected Wednesday. / Catherine Ivill/AMA/Getty Images

“Last clip I played a subordinate that wasn’t afloat prepared—we thought he was prepared but it was nan first time—[Alexander] Isak, he sewage injured. Last clip we played Southampton [Giovanni] Leoni was injured and it was a reddish paper for Hugo Ekitiké. Those are nan things we can’t usage pinch a large week coming up,” he told Sky Sports.

“People each of a abrupt deliberation we person 25 players available. But we chiefly person 20 players past we person 4 injuries. I only person 1 correct fullback, Conor Bradley, arsenic an example. Every clip I had to play him doubly successful 3 days aliases 3 times successful 7 days [last season] I had to return him disconnected pinch a hamstring wounded aliases thing else.

“Are you consenting to return that consequence pinch specified a large week coming up?”

Liverpool big a resurgent Aston Villa connected Saturday evening earlier taking connected Real Madrid adjacent Tuesday successful an almighty Champions League clash. It will beryllium a dramatically different starting XI for some of those fixtures but, arsenic Slot possibly unwisely highlighted, Liverpool’s first-choice XI person besides struggled to get results arsenic of late.

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