Jurgen Klopp might have achieved major trophies in Europe, but he is yet to win the domestic cup with Liverpool.
Liverpool have enjoyed major success in the last two seasons, with Champions League in 19/20 and Premier League in 20/21. But the Reds haven’t won a domestic cup since 2012.
However, these accolades have made the German boss win Best FIFA Men’s Coach back to back. His CV looks pretty good, but there’s still a missing element.
Despite Liverpool’s previous dominance in the FA Cup and League Cup, Klopp is yet to win a domestic cup. The closest he got to winning either award came in his debut season as manager, when he led his team to the League Cup final in February 2016. As they were defeated by Manchester City on penalty shootouts at Wembley in the finals. Thus, the Reds have not been in a domestic cup final since then.
In fact, Liverpool has struggled to reach the League Cup semi-finals in each of the previous four seasons, which is astonishing given their dominance in the Champions League and Premier League during those seasons.
Will Klopp turn the tables around for Liverpool ?
An obvious reason for Liverpool’s lack of success in domestic cups under Klopp is his leniency.
The 54-year-old is a critic of the frantic fixture schedule and has brazenly utilized such matchups to rotate his starting XI. He has provided much-needed rest to regular starters.
In prior seasons, this cycle has signalled the end of many domestic cup runs, but this season it may change.
The Reds breezed past Norwich as fringe players emerged to the fore. This demonstrates that Klopp finally has a team with the quality and breadth to make wholesale changes.
The German has plenty of options in attack and defence but lacks depth in midfield. Injuries have hit hard at Kirkby with Thiago, Jones, and Elliot all out for a long haul.
Nevertheless, Klopp will likely shift his focus on domestic cups now and make necessary rotations in the squad. The Reds are preparing for the Carabao cup clash against Preston, with fringe players getting summoned.
