Arne Slot did not fix problem he spotted in February and it cost Liverpool the Carabao Cup final - opinion
Yesterday at 12:00 PM
Liverpool’s dreams of a double were dealt a fatal blow by Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final.
It’s safe to say Arne Slot’s side weren’t at their all-firing best at Wembley, with the Magpies leaving the capital as worthy winners.
Newcastle’s intensity was simply too much for the Reds as Steve Nicol highlighted Liverpool’s lack of legs on the day.
The Reds looked tired and jaded all afternoon – a particular problem which has come back to bite Liverpool boss Slot.
Arne Slot first highlighted Liverpool ‘fatigue’ issue against Wolves
Despite picking up results in recent weeks, Liverpool’s Wembley performance was the latest in a string of lacklustre displays.
The Reds for example were lucky to come away from Paris with a win, meanwhile, basement club Southampton nearly caused a shock at Anfield.
With this in mind, it seems as if the busy fixture schedule is starting to catch up with the Liverpool squad – which is actually something Slot first highlighted back in February.
Speaking after Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Wolves, the Dutchman claimed that was the first time he noticed the fatigue of his players.
“Fatigue comes from running a lot and a bit of mental fatigue a lot. We were mentally tested today. We thought we’d scored a third and then got a penalty for the third but both were correct from the referee,” he said.
“Maybe it did lead to us being a bit tired. I did see for the first time this season that players were more tired than they have been.
“If you want to achieve something it is not only about bringing the ball out from the back or Mo scoring goals, it is also about defending.”
Slot should have rotated more to fix fatigue problem
With Slot highlighting the tiredness issue back in early February, it begs the question as to why he didn’t do anything about it.
Since that game, the Dutchman has barely rotated his starting XI, which has ultimately cost him and his side in recent games.
Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch were two players in particular that looked out on their feet at Wembley and it is no surprise given their recent minutes.
| Minutes played | Alexis Mac Allister | Ryan Gravenberch |
| Aston Villa (A) | 81 | 90 |
| Man City (A) | 90 | 90 |
| Newcastle (H) | 87 | 77 |
| PSG (A) | 90 | 79 |
| Southampton (H) | 45 | 81 |
| PSG (H) | 90 | 120 |
If Slot wants to fix the ‘fatigue’ problem Liverpool is currently facing, he is going to have to start trusting his squad more – otherwise, he could end up running his players into the ground.
