Liverpool are top of both the Champions League and Premier League this season and have already booked a spot in the EFL Cup final to be played next month. Slot, much like any top manager, has been extremely busy trying to manage his squad in such a way that allows players to get the rest needed to cope with their copious amount of fixtures.
It is no secret that the football calendar is congested and is in need of a rethink, especially at the top of the pyramid for teams like Liverpool who are pushed to the absolute limit in terms of stamina and endurance. The game against Plymouth was the perfect example of how even the best sides can run out of steam even if it is against the worst side in the Championship who have nearly had the same number of managers as wins this campaign.
The likes of Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Caoimhim Kelleher, and Harvey Elliott were joined by James McConnell, Trey Nyoni, Isaac Mabaya and Trent Kone-Doherty in what was a makeshift squad filled with ambition but little talent compared to the usual first team. Liverpool’s 75% possession, 1xG and 593 passes look great on paper but this was the worst performance from the Reds in a long time.
Slot’s decision to leave out the likes of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk was not down to ego or arrogance but instead because of anxiety and the safety of his top players. The Dutchman could have started his first team and arguably wiped the floor with Plymouth but with the fixture being less than a week away from the Merseyside derby he would have run the risk of not only injuries like Joe Gomez picked up but also sheer exhaustion.
Despite Liverpool’s excellent form, they do not have a squad large enough to compete in four competitions, it can barely stretch to three. They do not have the finances of clubs like Chelsea to have multiple teams that split in two when it comes to European games therefore allowing half the squad to relax at home while the rest jet off to Kazakhstan.
Some would argue that Slot threw many of the young players to the wolves to escape an even heavier fixture list and that may be right. However, when Liverpool visit Goodison Park for the final time on Wednesday night, Slot will have a side who have been able to rest and recover for 6 days which may give them the much-needed edge over the Toffees in their bid for the title.
Being knocked out of the FA Cup by a failing Championship side is embarrassing but if Liverpool can bypass Everton and hunt down a treble then this moment of misery will be completely forgotten. Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal have all been knocked of the competition in these early stages, is this an advantage or a sign of disrespect to the cup? Only time will tell but with less games comes more fitness and that undeniably gives you a better chance elsewhere in a football calandar made to push players to complete fatigue.