It’s hard to believe that 2022 will mark Jürgen Klopp’s seventh year as Liverpool manager. The fiery German has turned around the club’s fortunes in that time massively, quashing what many in the football world call a ‘banter era’ by guiding the Reds to a sixth Champions League triumph in 2019, while also ending their 30-year Premier League title drought in the 2019/20 season.
It is perhaps down to that success, along with the fact Klopp has made Liverpool a figure of consistency in the English top flight with those who bet with Karamba in all UK markets, that it is not often talked about that the former Borussia Dortmund boss is yet to get his hands on one of England’s two domestic cups — the League Cup and the FA Cup.
For how far Liverpool have come in the last seven years under Klopp though, it’s hard to fathom how they have not lifted either of those trophies. You could argue that the 54-year-old does not give them maximum effort, often massively rotating his XI as he turns his focus to the league and Europe, but surely the passionate Merseyside fanbase would have enjoyed a trip to Wembley every now and then during the Klopp tenure?
While the League Cup has arguably lost some of its shine over the last couple of decades, the FA Cup still has a huge reputation in the English game — that’s why Liverpool’s struggles in the world’s oldest national cup competition are of particular interest. The Reds are yet to progress past the fifth round under Klopp’s guidance, losing to the likes of West Ham United, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers in previous campaigns.
However, they have had relatively more success in the EFL Cup. Klopp’s side went all the way to the final in his first year in charge, ultimately losing 3-1 on penalties to serial League Cup winners Manchester City. Other than when Tottenham Hotspur were using the national stadium as their temporary home while their new stadium was being built, that’s Liverpool’s and Klopp’s only trip to Wembley.
Semi-finalists the year after and quarter-finalists in 2019-20, that is the closest the Reds have come to booking a trip back down south to the capital for a cup final. Until this year that is! That’s right, two goals from Diogo Jota at the Emirates Stadium were enough for Liverpool to dispatch of Arsenal in the last four and seal their place in next month’s final — where they will go head-to-head with Chelsea.
The pair have drawn their two Premier League matches already this season, finishing 1-1 at Anfield before a 2-2 thriller at Stamford Bridge earlier this month. However, in a one-off game on the biggest stage, you’d have to fancy Liverpool’s chances and perhaps rather fitting, it has been exactly 10 years since the Reds’ last League Cup success — when they beat Cardiff City on penalties under club legend Kenny Dalglish.
Klopp’s assistant, Pepijn Lijnders, claimed before the Arsenal fixture that: “If you want to be a true Liverpool legend, you have to win national cups.” That is arguably a bit extreme given what the German coach and his current crop of players have achieved.
By no means would Klopp, who is without a doubt one of the best football managers out there, or any of his players not be deemed a club legend if they were to leave Anfield without an FA Cup or League Cup winner’s medal considering what have the done over the last few years, but it is about time they finally lifted one of England’s domestic cups and it would be no surprise if they do so with a victory over Thomas Tuchel’s side on February 27th!
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