Slot defends Liverpool's squad and playing style amid slump

Arne Slot staunchly defended his squad selection and playing style amid Liverpool's recent dip in form.

The Reds were knocked out of the EFL Cup by Crystal Palace on Wednesday, suffering a 3-0 defeat at Anfield, which marked their sixth loss in seven in all competitions.

In that match, none of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk or Hugo Ekitike were in the squad, among other first-team players, leading to some criticism of Slot's selection.

They have a trio of testing matches before the international break, with Aston Villa and Manchester City coming up in the Premier League on either side of hosting Real Madrid in the Champions League.

After losing each of their last four top-flight games, Liverpool's title chances have also slimmed down, with the Opta supercomputer giving them a 9.7% chance of retaining the trophy. Arsenal, as favourites, are given a 67.8% chance.

Slot is expected to rotate his squad once more, noting that it was vital to make changes due to being unlucky with injuries so far.

"I'm happy with the quality of the team. But I'm also convinced by the strategy and policy we have," said Slot in his press conference.

"What makes it 'the issue' – not all of them have had a proper pre-season. When three or four are injured, you go down to having 16 players.

"I am a firm believer in 21 or 22 players are enough. But you have to keep them fit as we did last season. We are struggling to keep them fit this season for, in my opinion, obvious reasons.

"Alex [Isak] came to us on September 1. A few others missed out in pre-season. It has been more difficult than last season to keep them more available. When players are not available, it [the workload] comes down more to the same players.

"Maybe last season we were more lucky [with injuries], this season we are more unlucky. No excuses for results, but we have had to play a lot of away games with only two days in between. That would have been difficult last season, and for any player that has been fit this season through pre-season, but it has not been the case this season.

"Then you have to manage it. The upcoming week is three games in eight days. It has nothing to do with squad depth, but it has how we have run through the season in terms of injuries, availability and playing every two or three days.

"That has been something what every team has. It's not an excuse for us. What was a bit different than last season is last season they all had one year Premier League experience as a minimum, and they all stayed fit.

"Now they weren't all fit from the start, then some players have to play more than you want them to do, which is a risk for them getting injured as well.

"But it is what it is. We have more than enough players on Saturday to get a result, to play the game on Tuesday and Sunday. But I have to take care of a few of them. That's why I decided not to play seven or eight players a few days ago."

Slot has been vocal about Liverpool's struggles to play against long balls this season, with those being exploited in the defeats to Manchester United and Brentford.

Liverpool’s opponents have played 571 long passes against them in the Premier League this season, the most any side have faced, while that works out as 20.5% of their opponents’ passes coming via long passes, also the highest percentage any side has faced.

While Villa and City are not expected to use that style against Liverpool, Slot admitted his side cannot get complacent and says he remains confident in his own tactics.

"It does go against my beliefs, but I have won games in the past, like Man City away, that went against my beliefs, but it was necessary to play it like that over there in the second half," he added.

"I would be more than open to adapt in certain situations, but I don't think the story is that we conceded chance after chance or that we are too open – every single game, maybe apart from Palace and Brentford – all the other games we deserved much more than we got, and we hardly conceded a chance.

"Even with the team this week, which played for the first time together, I think they only conceded three big chances, but unfortunately, they all went in. But that's because they were big chances, not chances, they were big chances.

"I don't see a reason to change our playing style completely, but we need to do better in not conceding goals that for sure."