One of the strangest things about Liverpool this season has been some of the selection decisions under Arne Slot.
The situation at Old Trafford summed it up perfectly.
Liverpool had four outfield players on the bench who had never started a league game before, while Harvey Elliott sat at home completely unused.
Honestly, it felt farcical.
No one is saying Elliott is the perfect player or the answer to every problem Liverpool have had this season.
But when the squad has been stretched by injuries and inconsistency, it’s hard to understand why a player with genuine creativity and technical quality has barely been trusted.
Especially when Liverpool have often looked completely short of ideas in attacking areas.
That’s why a growing number of supporters now believe Slot simply does not rate certain players, regardless of the situation.
Even when options are limited, some players still seem completely frozen out.
And Elliott has definitely felt like one of them.
What makes it even worse is how badly his loan move to Aston Villa has gone.
Instead of getting regular football and building momentum, Elliott has hardly played.
For a young player at such an important stage of his development, that’s close to being a wasted season.
Personally, I think Elliott could have helped Liverpool plenty of times this year.
He brings energy, creativity and the ability to make things happen in tight spaces — qualities Liverpool have badly lacked in far too many matches.
Yet somehow he has spent most of the campaign watching from the sidelines.
Football managers will always have favourites and players they trust more than others.
That’s normal.
But when results are poor, the football is struggling and you’re still refusing to use certain players even during injury crises, supporters are obviously going to start asking serious questions.
And that’s exactly where many Liverpool fans now are with Slot.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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