Former Liverpool midfielder Nigel Spackman feels the Reds’ senior players looked rusty during the defeat to Wolves, but insists the youngsters did justice to their selection on the night.
Jurgen Klopp’s men were handed a shock defeat at Molineux on Monday in the third round of the FA Cup as Wolves registered an impressive 2-1 win over the Premier League leaders.
The hosts took the lead through Raul Jimenez in the first half before Divock Origi’s equaliser in the 51st minute was answered by Ruben Neves, who scored with a sublime long-range effort, just four minutes later.
Liverpool opted to make nine changes to the side that suffered their first loss of the season against Manchester City in the Premier League last week and were forced to introduce 16-year-old Ki-Jana Hoever after an injury picked up by Dejan Lovren.
Despite hitting the woodwork through Xherdan Shaqiri and showing further impetus after the introductions of Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino, Liverpool failed to mount a comeback.
Spackman admitted the Liverpool senior players looked disjoined and rusty during the defeat at Wolves, but insisted the youngsters managed to give a good account of themselves on the night.
“Well, I think that comes when you have not played together as well”, Spackman said on LFC TV after the game.
“Lovren going off very early on, Hoever coming on, the 16-year-old did exceptionally well. [Rafael] Camacho at right-back did well as well.
“But, I think some of the senior players weren’t up to the tempo of the game either and reluctant to run in behind and stretch the game, that is down to really wanting to put the hard work in sometimes when you have not played.
“And, I think there were too many of the senior players that were off the game, the fringe players I mean, whereas the youngsters I thought did themselves justice tonight, did very well.”
Liverpool will next face Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium on Saturday in the Premier League.
