John Aldridge was left baffled by the starting XI that Arne Slot chose to start against Crystal Palace on Wednesday.
The Dutchman chose to line his men up in a 4-5-1 formation with half of his team plucked from the Reds’ Under-21s.
Indeed, players such as Federico Chiesa and Andy Robertson were both chosen to start, but with the form that most of Liverpool’s players have been in this season, they were never going to have much of an impact.
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That is, especially when Oliver Glasner chose to start a close to full-strength squad.
Oliver Glasner holding his finger to his head on the Crystal Palace touchline.
Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images
Now that the game is over, fans, pundits, and journalists have all chipped in with their thoughts on Slot’s starting XI, with Aldridge now giving his verdict on the Dutchman’s decision-making.
John Aldridge cannot understand why Arne Slot chose to bench so many senior players
One thing that Liverpool could really do with at the moment is a confidence boost.
They’ve lost six out of their last seven outings across all competitions, and with games against Real Madrid and Manchester City set to come over the next week or so, things aren’t going to get any easier.
And now, taking to his personal X account, former Liverpool ace Aldridge has shared what left him confused about Liverpool’s starting XI.
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“I didn’t get the point tonight,” he wrote.
“I understand we’ve a few injuries!! But the league looks out of reach at the minute.
“The Champions League could be a struggle? The way we defend, so the 2 cups we should go for in my opinion?
“The villa game is pretty big now, folks, YNWA.”
Arne Slot needs to get Liverpool playing to the best of their ability again soon
Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak, and even Florian Wirtz have all performed well below their usual standards this season.
So, even though everyone questioned Slot’s decision to start some youngsters, the fact that the aforementioned trio have been given a rest could give them a bit of a boost.
Their upcoming games against City and Real will not be easy, and the Reds will almost certainly need to be on top of their game to even get a draw out of them.
Man City boss Pep Guradiola pictured during a Champions League press conference.
Photo by Dennis Agyeman / AFP7 via Getty Images
If Slot’s decision to more or less throw Liverpool out of the Carabao Cup ends up working out for the better and the Reds win their next three games, he’ll be seen as a genius.
However, if Liverpool continue in this downward spiral and keep losing, it could be the end of the line for the Dutchman.