Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen has hit out at criticism of manager Brendan Rodgers' selection for defeat to Real Madrid.
Allen insists the critics have insulted those players who selected.
He said: "Yes I think it probably is.
"You sometimes can't win with a squad rotation policy but that is the only way to go. With the added demands we have this season, that has to be the way to do it. That is definitely going to get us results over the course of the season.
"The game plan in the summer was to recruit and get that bigger squad. We knew we had to deal with the demands of the Champions League as well as the Premier League, so now I think we have shown everyone the quality we have throughout.
"Everyone is genuinely competing for spots now and that is exactly what you need if you want to be successful. We had a lot of young players out there in Madrid and there's no doubt they have gained massive experience from it."
