Arne Slot has not got much wrong since taking charge of Liverpool and leading them to the Premier League title in his first season at the club.
But even he may have been surprised at how much his team selection backfired on Wednesday as his side, full of fringe players and youngsters, crumbled 3-0 at home against Crystal Palace in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup.
Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz, Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitike were absent as the Reds made a tame exit in a competition they had won twice in the past four seasons and were beaten in the previous campaign’s final.
For Slot, whose side have now lost six of their past seven games in all competitions, a daunting schedule that includes encounters with Aston Villa, Real Madrid and Manchester City will follow in the next 10 days.
But the Dutchman said in the post-match news conference: “This club has always used this competition for academy players as well.
“It felt to me the right decision and I’ve not changed my opinion of that because we lost.”
Slot named three teenagers in his starting line-up and a further five among his substitutes as he made 10 changes from the team that was beaten 3-2 in the league at Brentford on Saturday.
“I saw [Manchester] City’s line-up and I don’t think they had one starter from the weekend but it felt as if – if you look at their line-up – that they had played with their 11 starters,” Slot said.
“Maybe that gives a little bit of an insight that everybody has always said how big of a squad we have. When we played Chelsea I said they are missing eight but they can still bring Estevao in.
“We are only missing four players at the moment and already we needed to start with four players under the age of 19. After I made two substitutions we were on six.”
After a bright start from Liverpool, Ismaila Sarr scored twice at the end of the first half, with 18-year-old Amara Nallo sent off in the second half to end any hope of a fightback from the hosts.
A late third from Yeremy Pino gave the scoreline a flattering feel as Slot watched on helplessly in the heavy Anfield rain.
“Against Brentford it was two days after we played Eintracht Frankfurt away and I saw a team that is struggling to play three games in seven days, but it is not an excuse,” he added.
“I’ve seen the struggles some players have had in pre-season. It’s a new challenge to play in the Premier League and Champions League, three games in seven days.
“Our squad is probably not as big as people think it is. There has not been a change in the way we look at this.”
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