Steve Nicol has strongly defended Arne Slot’s team selection in Liverpool’s FA Cup defeat to Plymouth Argyle on Sunday.
The Reds tamely bowed out of the competition in the fourth round after losing 1-0 to the Championship strugglers, with the Dutchman making 10 changes from the side which destroyed Tottenham in the Carabao Cup semi-finals three days previously.
Aside from Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones, the substitutes’ bench comprised a host of academy players, with a number of first-team regulars given the weekend off prior to the Merseyside derby on Wednesday night.
Nicol defends Slot’s team selection
Speaking on ESPN FC, Nicol felt that Slot had every right to treat the Everton game as top priority, insisting that the Premier League is the single most important trophy for Liverpool this season.
The former Reds defnder said: “The question you’re asking yourself if you’re Arne Slot – do I go all-out on Wednesday against Everton, because the Premier League is 100% the most important thing for Liverpool.
“That’s the question he had to ask himself, and clearly with the team that he put out, he is absolutely committed to winning the Premier League over anything.”
When asked if Slot should’ve named a stronger substitutes’ bench, Nicol replied: “No, no. I think at the end of the day, he’s done the right thing because of this game coming up. For Liverpool, this season is about winning the Premier League. If I’m Arne Slot, I am prioritising that.”
Everton result will determine the wisdom of FA Cup rotation
The much-changed line-up for the Plymouth Argyle game is likely to polarise the Liverpool fan base. Whilst some would agree with Nicol in that the season will be defined by our fortunes in the Premier League, others will angrily claim that Slot effectively wrote off the FA Cup with his team selection on Sunday.
What seems far less debatable is that the starting line-up he did pick should have been good enough to win at Home Park. How many top-flight clubs would love to have a front three of Federico Chiesa, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz, yet they all disappointed hugely against the Pilgrims.
There’s an argument to be made that, whatever about rotating the first XI, the Reds boss should’ve had the likes of Mo Salah and Cody Gakpo in reserve to turn the game in our favour, something that those who played were unable to do yesterday.
The wisdom of Slot’s team selection on Sunday will be determined by the result against Everton in midweek. Drop points in that fixture and the questioning will intensify, but win at Goodison Park and the Liverpool head coach will feel very much vindicated by the decisions he made for the FA Cup tie.
The 46-year-old is paid handsomely to make such tough calls. Let’s hope that, in this instance, the gamble ultimately pays off.
