This Sunday Liverpool will face-off against Manchester City in the League Cup Final.
It presents an opportunity for the Reds to shine in what has been, well, a difficult season to describe. Yet with other concerns in mind, like a solid showing in the Europa League, or the chance to rise above rivals Manchester United in the table, it does beg the question, is the League Cup worth the effort?
There are a lot of positives to winning the trophy, first and foremost, Liverpool is already in the final so they may as well go and take it. Starting his first season with a trophy would make a stuttering run more respectable for Jurgen Klopp, even if the tournament is viewed as having less importance. In addition, winning trophies, whatever their prestige, helps the squad develop a winning identity. Smaller tournaments can provide the background and experience to drive later success. Liverpool’s squad could certainly use more experience under pressure.
POPULAR ARTICLES
Top 5 most underrated players on AUSFIFA [PS4 Pro Clubs Rivals]
How Arsenal fans reacted to their 2-0 loss against Barcelona
FA Cup – What We Learned – Shrewsbury Town 0 Manchester United 3
Full FA Cup quarter-final draw
This final with Manchester City provides a great opportunity for optimism and a great opportunity to enlarge the trophy cabinet, which has grown dusty in recent years. Yet this final could distract the Merseysiders from achieving other, more important goals, like winning the Europa League and earning a spot in the Champions League. Is bringing this trophy home more important than rejoining Europe’s elite?
It is also interesting to consider the difficulty Liverpool faced reaching this final. Penalty shootouts against Stoke and Carlisle meant weaker sides in Premier League fixtures, and while fourth place in the league looks out of reach now, perhaps without these tiring and hard fought victories, the club find itself in a more favorable state. There can be no doubt that the heavy fixture list has weakened the squad.
There are certainly arguments against the League Cup, but this year winning is an important priority. Facing FC Augsburg in a must win game on Thursday, just two days before, the club must continue to keep a broad focus. Something Phillipe Coutinho has assured they will keep in mind, as he said to the Liverpool Echo, “It is a very important game but we have to think about Augsburg first.”
They is not allowing the League Cup to distract the team from other tournaments, but Coutinho also addresses the importance of the final they are in, stating, “winning a trophy with Liverpool would mean a lot to me.” A victory in this cup would inspire the squad and help instill a winning mentality. Though the League Cup may deserve less focus in coming seasons as bigger targets may become more attainable, this season it provides a great opportunity and great starting point for Klopp and for players like Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge, who are still eagerly awaiting their first triumphs as Liverpool players.
Is the League Cup worth the effort? This year certainly yes. In coming seasons the team will hope to focus on bigger fish. But until then, Manchester City is a top opponent against whom the Reds have had some really fun fixtures, so enjoy the final for what it is, an opportunity for Liverpool to find elusive success.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
