‘Don’t mess with the FA Cup – Plymouth teach Slot a lesson’

Jurgen Klopp’s seamless appointment as Liverpool manager has demonstrated to him that he is a top coach and quick learner, but he also received a harsh lesson in one of the game’s oldest rules on a wild day’s day in Devon.

Never play fast and loose with the beloved FA Cup.

To those who would try to downgrade the magic and history of the competition, Plymouth Argyle, bottom of the championship, embarrassing Premier League leaders, and victory over previously all-conquering Liverpool in the fourth round, was a powerful response.

It was also the first mistake for Slot in a stellar debut at Anfield, demonstrating that you must play tricks with the FA Cup at your own risk.

Liverpool’s head coach will point, with some justification, to priorities elsewhere having reached the Carabao Cup final by sweeping Tottenham Hotspur aside on Thursday.

In Goodison Park’s final Merseyside derby on Wednesday, they also have the opportunity to strengthen their healthy lead over Everton in the Premier League.

This cannot disguise the fact, however, that Slot and Liverpool got this wrong.

In making 10 changes here, Slot was guilty of taking the FA Cup and Plymouth Argyle lightly, the result being acute embarrassment.

With the international trio of Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, and Federico Chiesa in the attacking lineup, Liverpool still had plenty of experience and quality in their lineup, perhaps enough to defeat a struggling Championship side.

This whole experience, though, was as much of a let-down for Slot’s team as it was a glorious one for Plymouth.

And those three forwards – Diaz, Jota and Chiesa – were particularly disappointing, playing as if the outing was a chore rather than a high-profile FA Cup tie.

Questions can also be asked elsewhere about Slot’s approach.

Slot did not even have the safety net of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch, Alex Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ibrahima Konate, Cody Gakpo and Andrew Robertson on the bench, just in case things went wrong for Liverpool.

It all started badly when Joe Gomez, wearing the captain’s armband, was injured early on, replaced by 20-year-old Isaac Mabaya.

With the senior players struggling, it was even harder for youngsters such as Trey Nyoni to cope, Slot’s picks leading to a perfect storm that played right into Plymouth’s hands.

After a late penalty shootout at Liverpool, the team found a hero in keeper Conor Hazard, who saved brilliantly from Jota and substitute Darwin Nunez.

Although it would be unfair to suggest Slot was uninterested in the FA Cup, the team’s teamsheet would have shown Liverpool’s priorities are at stake when it had soared when it fell onto their dressing room table.

Ryan Hardie almost had a second when Caoimhin Kelleher turned his shot on the post with his legs after 52 minutes when Harvey Elliott’s handball caused the decisive moment.

Plymouth, with only one win in three months but revitalised by charismatic new manager Miron Muslic, look like a team transformed following Wayne Rooney’s sacking.

The atmospheric Home Park was rocking, the ‘ Green Army ‘ assembling hours before kick-off to provide the welcoming committee for Liverpool’s party as well as their own players.

And they provided a deafening backdrop as Hazard faced off against Liverpool, with defenders Maksym Talovierov erecting a formidable barrier in front of him in the closing stages.

After being accidentally accidentally knocked out by a teammate in the first half, Katic will be making an appointment with the dentist. His manager was overjoyed when a member of his staff informed him of the damage.

Muslic makes the kind of sacrifice that is necessary for Plymouth’s survival in the FA Cup and future advancements.

Slot was dignified in defeat, saying: “Great game from Plymouth. Good gameplan. They deserve all credit for the performance. A result like this is what we were experiencing at the time.

” I think we are able to do better. It’s difficult to create chances against Plymouth because of their system and method of play. When we had the ball, they were very aggressive. We anticipated a better game from the players, but we also had to give Plymouth credit.

“It hurts everyone associated with Liverpool – fans, me and the players. We all aspired to compete in the FA Cup for the longest possible time. It is a setback”.

Since Wigan versus Manchester City in February 2018, Plymouth were the first team from outside of the top flight to defeat the Premier League leaders.

And this was the first time a lower league opponent had to take Liverpool out of the table while they were still top of the table as of January 1984, when they lost to Brighton.