Slot’s selection gamble backfired, but Liverpool boss is sensibly playing the long game | OneFootball

Over the past three days, Arne Slot will be able to resonate with how two of his predecessors in the Liverpool hotseat once felt.

It was 20 years ago that Rafael Benitez was pilloried by the media in this country for fielding a weakened Reds side as they suffered a shock FA Cup exit to Burnley, while in 2019 Jurgen Klopp also saw his team selection gamble backfire in the third round of that competition against Wolves.

Both managers would ultimately feel vindicated by those contentious line-up decisions when they won the Champions League a few months later, and the incumbent LFC head coach will hope for a similar lightning strike after his side bowed out of one domestic cup at the hands of Plymouth Argyle on Sunday.

Liverpool facing fiendish Merseyside derby clash

Liverpool have a high-stakes Merseyside derby tonight, a fixture which is bound to be even tougher than usual given Everton’s motivation not just to win Goodison Park’s last-ever local match-up, but also to hinder their rivals’ Premier League title charge.

Although Slot paid the price for fielding a much-changed starting XI at the weekend, he clearly views the midweek fixture as priority number one; and when it comes to football betting odds, the Reds still have a strong chance of lifting multiple trophies this season.

Should LFC triumph against the Toffees, when the likes of Mo Salah, Cody Gakpo, Virgil van Dijk, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch will undoubtedly be recalled for action, the torment of losing at Home Park will quickly subside.

(Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

Liverpool’s season is usually defined by how they perform in the Premier League and Champions League rather than domestic cups, even though silverware of any description is to be appreciated and never taken for granted.

As a Reds supporter, which of these campaigns do you recall with greater fondness – 2008/09, when we didn’t win a trophy but pushed Manchester United all the way in the title race; or 2011/12, when we lifted the League Cup but finished a miserable eighth in the top flight?

Liverpool could take giant step towards potential Premier League glory this month

In two of Klopp’s final three seasons at Anfield, LFC approached the business end of the campaign with genuine aspirations of an unprecedented quadruple. They came agonisingly close to achieving that historic feat in 2022, but ultimately faded in their pursuit of multiple prizes last spring.

The fixture list is rather unkind to Liverpool in February, with progress to yet another Carabao Cup final having the side effect of the away match against Aston Villa being brought forward to leave Slot with five Premier League matches to navigate before the end of this month.

Careful squad management will be paramount if the Reds are to come through that period with a double-digit points haul from the 15 on offer, and such a return would feel impressive given that three of those games are away to Everton, Villa and Manchester City. Newcastle at Anfield will be no picnic, either.

Losing to Argyle on Sunday was galling, especially when the line-up that Slot did select should still have been strong enough to secure victory. However, if either or both of the Premier League and Champions League trophies reside in L4 by the end of May, yesterday’s result will be no more of an irritant than having to swat away a persistent wasp.