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The Reds endured their worst week under Slot after crashing out of the Champions League and losing the Carabao Cup final over the course of four days.

No team is perfect and no manager makes the right calls 100 per cent of the time, but as debut seasons go, Slot can claim to rivalling Premier League icons Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho, who also won titles with Chelsea in their debut campaign.

Yet, it may be too late for the 46-year-old to repair the damage done after freezing out two useful players in Harvey Elliott and Federico Chiesa.



Until Elliott and Chiesa were introduced in the 74th minute for Luis Diaz and Ryan Gravenberch, Liverpool had struggled to provide anything resemblant of a threat to the Newcastle goal - a trait rarely witnessed from Slot's men this season.

Of course, Liverpool fans may point to the smash-and-grab first leg win against PSG in the Champions League whereby they faced 29 shots and still walked away from Paris with a 1-0 win.

The common demonator from those two fixtures is that Elliott came off the bench late on and turned the game on its head.

But Elliott has started four games in all competitions and none in the Premier League, while Chiesa has been scarcely used at all.

Fans have been left scratching their heads, especially when Salah is starting to experience a slight dip in form.The pair are primed to head for the Anfield exit this summer, with Elliott almost certain to have a queue of clubs lining up to sign him.

Chiesa is poised for a return to his Italian roots less than a year after his £12million switch from Juventus.

Their departure will no doubt weaken Liverpool and, unless Slot is planning to promote players from the academy, they will need replacing to ensure their squad depth isn't weakened.

It may not be too late, however, if he uses them more frequently in the final weeks of the season.


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