Gary Lineker Supports Arne Slot’s Decision on Liverpool Lineup
Gary Lineker backed Arne Slot’s choice to omit an "exceptionally talented" Liverpool player from the starting lineup on Saturday night. Most of Liverpool’s key players returned after missing the Carabao Cup defeat to Crystal Palace the previous week.
The decision seemed justified as Liverpool secured a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa, earning their first Premier League points since September. Despite this, Florian Wirtz only came on as a substitute in the 77th minute, replacing Hugo Ekitike. This was the only substitution Slot made, despite facing Real Madrid just 72 hours later.
Lineker’s Praise for Florian Wirtz
On the latest episode of The Rest Is Football podcast, Lineker spoke highly of Liverpool’s number 7 but agreed with Slot’s cautious approach. He suggested easing Wirtz back into the team once confidence improves.
“It’d be good for Wirtz to come back into the team when there’s confidence in the squad. I think that would be sensible man management at the moment, take him out of the firing line a little bit, and then bring him on. I mean, Wirtz is a really good player, and you don’t buy these players for the first three months. He’s an exceptionally talented young player.”
Summary
Lineker believes Slot’s tactical patience with Wirtz will benefit Liverpool as they aim for a sustained period of strong performance.