Eddie Howe chose not to criticize Arne Slot's decision-making despite the Liverpool head coach ringing in the changes for his side's clash against Chelsea.
Having clinched the league title against Spurs last week, Slot rotated his squad for the Stamford Bridge encounter, giving season debuts to Harvey Elliott and Wataru Endo in the starting XI and drafting Kostas Tsimikas for Andy Robertson at left-back, while Jarell Quansah stepped in for Ibrahima Konate in defense.
The resulting team was labeled 'weakened' by some, and Liverpool ended up losing 3-1, handing Chelsea a significant advantage in its quest for a Champions League spot. It is now level with Newcastle on 63 points with three games remaining.
But Howe, although acknowledging his interest in the Champions League standings, refrained from critiquing Slot for altering his line-up. Speaking candidly, the Newcastle manager shared: "I am always watching other games! Naturally, you think of our position and want a result that suits our position."
Elaborating on his proactive stance, he continued: "I am human, I have no problem saying that, but I try not to get emotional in that. Ultimately, the only emotion I need to direct is for my team.
"If we don't win games, we aren't going to get there anyway, so I try to detach myself. What will be will be, it is about what we do."
Howe expressed his nonchalance after his Newcastle side's stalemate with Brighton, brushing off Slot's situation. "Liverpool have got to do what Liverpool have to do," he added.
Eddie Howe shakes hands with Arne Slot after Newcastle's win over Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final
Eddie Howe shakes hands with Arne Slot after Newcastle's win over Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final (Image: Getty Images)
"I am not involved in their football club. We play Chelsea next week, so that's all we focus on now."
Arne Slot rationalized his squad rotation by highlighting the merits of his players' hard work throughout the season. "They deserve to play these games because they have trained so hard this season," he explained.
"We don't judge them only on this game. We judge them every day on the training ground and in the moments that they play for us."
Slot also addressed a slight dip in performance saying: "Maybe we missed that little bit which we usually have. We missed a few percentages to get that result.
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"If you look at how we reacted after being 2-0 down, we came back and we never gave up. Our fans didn't give up. Playing against a good team like Chelsea, you can't afford a lot and that's what we saw."
The manager also commented on the integration of less regular players into the first team, noting it as beneficial. "It's always good to see some fringe players playing now with starters," he said.
"Now to see them playing with the other ones, it gives us insights. Nothing good comes from losing a game of football, but if I have to take positives, there were definitely a few."
Liverpool.com says: The Reds have earned the right to do what they want in terms of team selection. It will have an impact on the race for the European spots, though, with Arsenal and Brighton still to come before the final game of the season at home to Crystal Palace.