Former Barcelona striker Gary Lineker has accused Arne Slot of taking Championship side Plymouth Argyle lightly during their FA Cup clash last weekend.
The Pilgrims knocked out the Reds with a 1-0 victory at Home Park on February 9, causing a major upset.
Slot must have felt that the match did not require the attention of some key players, whom he rested entirely, showing his faith in fringe and academy players.
Liverpool failed to create many chances against Miron Muslic’s side, with Ryan Hardie scoring the only goal of the game from the spot in the 53rd minute.
Slot’s side somewhat upped their game after the goal but could not find their way past an inspired Conor Hazard.
Gary Lineker, a former England international, claimed that the manager underestimated his opponent and had to pay for his selection calls.
He told The Rest Is Football, as quoted by Empire of the Kop, “I just wonder whether perhaps his inexperience of cup competitions in this country and how small clubs can rise up for the occasion…
“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.”
The defeat killed every hope of winning the quadruple for Liverpool.
The Reds are comfortably leading the Premier League table and also won the league phase of the Champions League.
