‘Exceptional’ Liverpool star let down again by Slot during Crystal Palace loss, it needs to change - opinion
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Arne Slot simply isn’t giving all of his players a fair crack of the whip.The Reds have now made it six defeats in their last seven games in all competitions, with Crystal Palace comfortably knocking them out of the Carabao Cup.Slot decided to put out a very weak side, with Milos Kerkez the only player surviving from the XI that lost to Brentford on Saturday. Join our newsletter for news & smart analysis.
The pressure is certainly starting to increase slightly on the Dutchman, with fans starting to question his team selection week after week.And against Palace, there was one star who got the chance to prove himself, although he was let down by his manager massively. Photo by Sebastian Frej/Getty ImagesFederico Chiesa let down by Arne Slot (again)If there is one player who has shown this season that he deserves more minutes than most, it is Federico Chiesa.It feels like something that is said every week, but the Italian has been pushing for starts every game, but Slot almost always opts against it.However, he put the winger in the starting XI for this cup game and he was, arguably, the Reds’ best player, although his manager let him down due to the team he put out.Chiesa felt isolated a lot at times in the forward line and when he would bring the ball under control or produce a neat bit of skill, he often had no one to give it to.Although he still impressed to some degree, he could not have the impact he would have had should stronger and more experienced players been around, with Slot not giving him the best chance to shine.Liverpool had just one shot on target across the whole 90 minutes, with this coming from Chiesa, a damning statistic that proves just how little impact the attack had as a whole.READ MORE: Arne Slot made one glaringly obvious error during Liverpool’s defeat to Crystal PalaceChiesa needs minutes and he needs them surrounded by the best players, but Slot just seems unwilling to give him that opportunity.
Federico Chiesa’s versatility can come in handy for LiverpoolThe Italian’s best position is probably off the right, with this where he shone in the Euros for Italy and during his time in Serie A.However, he can also play on the left, and as shown against Crystal Palace, he is also not a bad option through the middle.Versatility is an absolutely essential trait to have in a Slot team, and the fact he is backing it up with ‘exceptional’ performances only strengthened his case to start more games.He stood out in a very sub-par performance and he is certainly a fan favourite, suggesting that Slot may have to start listening to the fans a little more and trust that Chiesa can get them out of this rut.