Alan Shearer left in no doubt about Slot sack talk and has 'no sympathy' for him

Arne Slot made 10 changes to his Liverpool side for the Carabao Cup defeat by Crystal Palace, and Alan Shearer admits he will be under 'massive pressure' if they lose to Aston Villa

Alan Shearer has claimed that talk about Arne Slot facing the sack is 'an overreaction', but admitted he will face 'massive pressure' if Liverpool don't beat Aston Villa on Saturday.

Slot has been hit with a barrage of criticism after he made wholesale changes for the Carabao Cup defeat by Crystal Palace. The Dutchman only kept one player from the loss at Brentford in the Premier League – Milos Kerkez – giving most of his senior players a break and choosing not to even include them in the matchday squad for the last 16 tie.

Giorgi Mamardashvili, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Conor Bradley, Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike were all rested and didn't even secure a spot on the bench.

The decision didn't pay off, as the Reds were trounced 3-0 by a ruthless Palace side. Ismaila Sarr netted two goals in the first half for Oliver Glasner's team, before Yeremy Pino sealed the victory late on. The result marked Liverpool's sixth loss in seven matches across all competitions.

Reflecting on Slot's choice to make such drastic changes and leave out his star players, Shearer believes it's a huge gamble and the Liverpool boss will only know if it was the right decision if they manage to beat Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday.

Should the Reds suffer another defeat, that would mark the end of their realistic hopes of being involved in the Premier League title race, according to Shearer.

"In terms of Arne Slot losing his job – yes, without a doubt it's an overreaction. He did a great job last year," he shared with Betfair.

"I know he came into a very good football club with some excellent players, and they didn't add a lot to it, hardly anything, really. But he still did a great job last year, and obviously Liverpool are really struggling now.

"I wouldn't say crisis just yet - but they're in a very sticky situation. We might have to use the word crisis if Villa beat them at Anfield on Saturday. For now, I'd say it's a sticky situation rather than a full-blown crisis.

"I thought it was a huge gamble that backfired against Palace. Having said that, if they win on Saturday and again on Tuesday, then from his point of view it could prove to be the right decision - because the Carabao Cup would have been low on the priority list.

"But when you're a club already struggling and desperately in need of a result, it's risky to put out that sort of side and those substitutes. If you lose narrowly, say 1–0 to a dodgy decision - fine. But when you're battered at home and Palace fans are singing 'Can we play you every week?', that's damaging.

"We won't know the full extent of the fallout until after Saturday evening's result. It's put more pressure on the players who'll come back in for the Villa game at Anfield. If they win, he'll say it was the right decision - but they have to win now after that selection.

"If they lose on Saturday, I don't see them in the title race. If they win, build confidence, they've still got the quality to go on a big run. Saturday evening is huge - another defeat, and I think they're out of it."

Speaking post-match match, Slot bemoaned his side's limited squad options, despite the Reds investing over £400million in new signings during the summer transfer window. He suggested Liverpool don't possess the same resources as Chelsea - highlighting Brazilian talent Estevao as a case in point - and Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.

However, Shearer isn't buying his reasoning. "Slot is not going to get any sympathy from me for saying his squad is too thin, nor should he with the team he had last season," Shearer added.

"I know they sold one or two, and obviously there was the tragedy that happened in the summer as well. But when you've spent nearly £450 million, you won't get any sympathy about the size of your squad or lack of depth.

"He had good players available that he chose not to play against Palace. It looks like a gamble that's backfired - but he can put it right on Saturday. The problem is, it piles on more pressure, and that team already had plenty of that.

"What would concern me most is how easily Liverpool have been rolled over lately - the lack of aggression, they haven't competed anywhere near enough. They haven't done that, and they've been punished - all eyes are on Saturday evening at Anfield.

"You need leaders. You need players to put in performances and show some character. When things are going well, it's easy to play your game, but when your backs against the wall, that's when you find out who really wants the ball. Liverpool need to show that on Saturday night."

However, Micah Richards offered a contrasting view and insisted that Slot was justified in selecting an inexperienced starting XI for Palace's Carabao Cup visit.

"In fairness to Liverpool, I remember in previous seasons they've always used their youngsters certainly at this stage of the cup," Richards said on Friday's episode of the Rest Is Football. "So, maybe for a little bit of confidence he could have put a couple of bigger names on there, but I actually think it was the right decision.

"I know they've been through a difficult time, but the League Cup compared to the Premier League and the Champions League it's not as big if we're being honest.

"At the moment, Liverpool are just searching and expectation levels are massive because of last season. They've brought in some new players, the new players haven't performed at the level, it's as simple as that.

"We've tried to give Liverpool all the excuses they want and things take time, but top players are brought for £100m plus because they're not supposed to take time, that is the thing that with Liverpool.

"The manager has got to pick and chose the right moments for the players to get the wins and losses. And Wednesday wasn't the biggest competition so I totally understood why he did it."