Lineker accuses Slot of ‘underestimating’ lower league teams in England after FA Cup exit | OneFootball

Liverpool should have beaten Plymouth but instead, we sit here on Monday with the Reds out of the competition and Gary Lineker has begun the autopsy.

Speaking on The Rest Is Football, the 64-year-old said: “I just wonder whether perhaps his inexperience of cup competitions in this country and how small clubs can rise up for the occasion and whether because…

“That wasn’t just resting a few players was it, they weren’t even on the bench the big guns.

“And I understand why he would do it, I totally understand, because they’ve got so many games and if they’ve got to sacrifice something…

“But you know, I just wonder whether he underestimated perhaps teams in the lower leagues.”

It seems a little harsh on our head coach, especially given the fact we have just booked our place in the Carabao Cup final.

Arne Slot has learned how difficult the FA Cup can be

(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

It probably wouldn’t have come as any surprise to Arne Slot that it was a tough game at Home Park, despite the fact he played a weakened team.

The decision to rest the ‘big guns’ was a deliberate concentration on a big run of five Premier League games in 15 days, where we need them all at the their best.

Add on an injury for Joe Gomez in the early stages of the game and the fact that Curtis Jones wasn’t fit enough to come on in the game, there wasn’t much chance to positively change the match.

It’s likely that if the 46-year-old could play the tie again, he would tweak tactics more than personnel which is perhaps telling to where his priorities lie at present.

You can watch Lineker’s comments on Slot (from 16:59) via The Rest Is Football on YouTube:

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