League Cup Victory Could Point to a Bright Future for Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool
It proved to be a long slog, but Liverpool's 6-5 penalty-shootout win over Stoke City on Tuesday night, securing passage to February's Capital One Cup final, may have shown a bright future for the Reds under Jurgen Klopp.
After Marko Arnautovic's first-half strike levelled the scores on aggregate, the two sides played out a dour contest with few opportunities at either end, leaving referee Jonathan Moss to preside over a shootout.
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With Simon Mignolet saving twice, including a decisive stop to keep Marc Muniesa's effort at bay in sudden death, the pressure was on Welsh midfielder Joe Allen to seal the victory for the Reds. Responding emphatically, the former Swansea City star capped an emotional night at Anfield.
Liverpool can now look toward a final against either Manchester City or Merseyside rivals Everton as the Reds battle for their first piece of silverware in four seasons.
That an unconvincing side were able to reach the final is a testament to Klopp's management, and with the German at the helm, Liverpool look set to enjoy long-term success.
Poor Performance
Over 120 minutes at Anfield, Liverpool were arguably the worse side, with Stoke's attacking line working towards fluency and Klopp's selection failing to find balance in any area of the pitch.
Fielding a makeshift back four that included centre-back pairing Kolo Toure and Mamadou Sakho, the out-of-form Alberto Moreno and 23-year-old right-back Jon Flanagan—making his first start for the club in 20 months—Klopp witnessed a shambolic defensive display.
While Flanagan performed with typical strength and aggression on the right defensive flank, his lack of sharpness was evident, with Arnautovic enjoying plenty of space on the wing.
Meanwhile, the previously steadfast partnership of Toure and Sakho continued to showcase signs of frailty; the 34-year-old Ivorian was making his fifth start of the month after long playing a bit-part role on Merseyside.
Arnautovic's goal was the perfect example of Liverpool's defensive discord, with the Austrian able to find a gap between the centre-backs and Mignolet after a slaloming run. Despite being in an offside position when he fired his effort into the back of the net, that he wasn't tracked into the box is worrying.
Jonathan Walters and Marco van Ginkel found similar space between the lines at points, with Liverpool's defence focusing on the physical presence of Peter Crouch.
In the midfield, a three-man unit of Lucas Leiva, Emre Can and Jordan Henderson showed a familiar lack of stability, with the Brazilian struggling to operate with any diligence in the holding role and his youthful partners confused in their duties. Henderson was withdrawn on 58 minutes after a dismal display.
After proving his ability as a centre-forward in Saturday's 5-4 win away to Norwich City, Roberto Firmino was starved of service at Anfield, with both James Milner and Adam Lallana toiling to no avail on the flanks.
But there were positives, with Sakho and Milner showing their experience in the latter stages, Flanagan hinting at a long-term future in Klopp's squad after such a lengthy layoff and Allen performing with intelligence and composure.
Furthermore, for all of Liverpool's failings, their ability to grind out the victory showed a newfound, hardened edge.
Winning Mentality
Though the achievements of Brendan Rodgers—particularly 2013/14's remarkable title challenge—should not be whitewashed following his sacking earlier this season, that Klopp has managed to drag his side to their first Capital One Cup final since Kenny Dalglish was in charge underscores the German's mentality.
In a line taken from his first interview as Liverpool manager—now sickly in its ubiquity—Klopp underlined one of the key flaws in the last 18 months of Rodgers' reign: The Reds lacked belief.
"We have to change from doubter to believer," he told the club's official website, transcending the media-tread narratives of personnel overhaul and strict coaching regimes.
Klopp's first objective was to instil a winning mentality within a Liverpool squad he described to the Telegraph's Chris Bascombe in December as possessing "high quality."
The arrival of a proven, top-level manager has injected the Reds with a fighting spirit, and this has been seen throughout his short spell at Anfield so far.
Liverpool recovered from early setbacks—Ramires' first-half header and Sadio Mane's early strike—to defeat Chelsea 3-1 and Southampton 6-1 in October and December, respectively, while Divock Origi's stoppage-time goal sealed an unlikely 2-2 draw at home to West Bromwich Albion last month.
The resolve shown in 1-0 victories over Leicester City, Sunderland and in the first leg of this League Cup semi-final against Stoke showcased a grit within Klopp's squad that was magnified as Brad Smith fired home a late equaliser in Liverpool's FA Cup third-round clash with Exeter City at the beginning of January.
Saturday's 5-4 win at Carrow Road was perhaps the most obvious example of this mentality, with Liverpool's touchline celebrations evoking a spirit not present in the last days of Rodgers' reign.
Returning to the battleground of his most disappointing defeat—Borussia Dortmund's 2-1 loss to Bayern Munich in 2013's UEFA Champions League final—Wembley Stadium, Klopp will be desperate to enjoy victory this time around.
That he was able to inspire a meagre Reds outfit to this stage shows the progress made under Klopp so far.
A Bright Future
The side that lines up against Everton or City at Wembley next month could look very different to the one that secured progress to the final on Tuesday night.
With Toure, Flanagan and Lucas among those unlikely to feature in Klopp's first-choice starting lineup, the return of several key absentees and the possibility of a major January addition could see the former Dortmund manager deploy a much stronger outfit.
On Tuesday, Klopp was without Nathaniel Clyne, Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge—three of the first names on his teamsheet when fit—while the improving Dejan Lovren had to settle for a place on the substitutes' bench after recovering from a hamstring injury.
With Henderson lacking fitness and Can and Moreno arguably fatigued, the benefits of a less congested fixture schedule next month could see this flagging trio return to form.
Meanwhile, the Reds' widely reported pursuit of Shakhtar Donetsk forward Alex Teixeira—which Joe Rimmer of the Liverpool Echo detailed—could see Klopp add another top-level attacker to his ranks.
Add this group to the likes of Sakho and Firmino, and Liverpool shape up as a side with cup-winning credentials—with further scope for development over the summer.
Klopp's ability as a manager has been reinforced in taking Liverpool to the League Cup final just months after his arrival in English football and with his side already showing signs of improvement.
Liverpool are far from perfect, but things can only get better under the German.
Statistics via Transfermarkt.co.uk.
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