Marc Guehi helps expose Arne Slot gamble as Liverpool supporters make feelings clear

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Ian Doyle with the main talking points as Liverpool crash out of the League Cup with a miserable defeat against Crystal Palace at Anfield on Wednesday eveningFrom the moment he accepted the onerous challenge of following in the footsteps of Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool boss, Arne Slot has shown he isn't averse to taking a gamble. And there is no doubt the Reds boss very much placed his eggs in the one proverbial basket by naming such an understrength side here, Milos Kerkez the only player to retain his starting role while the likes of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ibrahima Konate and Cody Gakpo, although all fit and available, watched from the stands.READ MORE: Arne Slot defends controversial Liverpool selection as point made over squad sizeThe priority is instead the forthcoming week, when a Premier League visit of Aston Villa and trip to Manchester City sandwich a glamour Champions League clash against Real Madrid at Anfield.Slot reasonably explained the season-ending injury to Giovanni Leoni and needless suspension accrued by Hugo Ekitike when beating Southampton in the last round highlighted the risks of naming a stronger team, especially with Alexander Isak, Jeremie Frimpong, Curtis Jones, Ryan Gravenberch and Alisson Becker already out.But there was an overwhelming feeling among those inside Anfield the selected team were on a hiding to nothing against a Palace outfit who, while rotated, still possessed the rhythm of selection of several key players including two-goal Ismaila Sarr and skipper and continued Liverpool transfer target Marc Guehi.Now the onus will now be on Slot and his rested players to ensure his calculated gamble pays off and this meek surrender of their League Cup aspirations was not in vain.Gomez highlights issueThe dangers of rustiness were always going to lurk menacingly given Liverpool’s experimental line-up.

And so it proved.For much of the first half, Joe Gomez had been the Reds’ stellar performer, decisive on both the ground and in the air and eager to impose his experience while staking a claim for more regular inclusion.But then a poor touch surely borne from so little first-team football this season invited Sarr to score the game-breaking opener.A few minutes later, Wataru Endo, here on the right of a back three and another to begin the game strongly, was dragged out of position and Sarr again capitalised.Such was the risk Slot took with this team, a mixture of under-utilised first-team squad players, fringe youngsters and Academy hopefuls.And there were precious few options from the bench, among whom only Kaide Gordon had previously started a game for Liverpool.With Federico Chiesa having to drop deep to avoid the physical might of Palace’s rearguard, the Reds lacked presence up front with only Rio Ngumoha coming close during a fleeting period of promise in the opening quarter. For only the sixth time under Slot, his team failed to score.At least Alexis Mac Allister, another lacking sharpness, gathered more much-needed minutes under his belt.But this was a night of very few positives for an Anfield support that pointedly offered their backing for Slot and his players after the final whistle.

Having been sent off just four minutes into his Liverpool debut at PSV Eindhoven in January, here the teenage centre-back lasted eight more minutes having been introduced before he was dismissed for bringing down Crystal Palace substitute Justin Devenny.The game, of course, had long been lost by then. After all, there will be much easier evenings than this one.Criticism of the continuation of such raw, alarming defensive statistics from Liverpool – conceding first in the last seven games, no clean sheet in 10, only one shutout in 11 home games – must also be tempered by the line-up and a shift of tactics to 3-4-3 in an attempt to counter Palace’s threat.And perhaps the only Liverpool player to genuinely impress benefited from the new system, Calvin Ramsay a forceful presence as right-back on his first Liverpool outing in almost three years.