This League Cup may well be a first on a few levels, if also an end.
It is at least possible this is the last chance Klopp has of winning a trophy at Liverpool. It might be his last trophy. It could well be a special afternoon, even if it isn’t totally realised on the day.
That points to the typically curious place of the League Cup final in the modern game, all the more so because debate about the calendar is only growing. Even though the four wealthiest clubs have dominated it for the past decade – with Manchester City winning it six times – the constant theme is whether they might be absolved from playing in it.
They’ve always got more on the horizon, not least expanded Fifa competitions, although that’s ironically why the third-ranked English trophy ends up being afforded greater importance than might be expected.
It is always about more than the day. You don’t even have to repeat Brian Clough’s by now well-rehearsed line about how winning any trophy brings more the urge for more trophies. Everyone is aware, particularly Pochettino. This could well be the first trophy of both his and the Clearlake ownership’s time at Stamford Bridge, as well as his own first major silverware in England at all.That is one of the greater significances to a showpiece like this. It is almost always presented as being important because of how it can serve as a landmark in a team’s development.Klopp himself saw that from the other side on his last appearance in this final, which was also against Chelsea. That 2021-22 victory on penalties was the penultimate trophy for his first great Liverpool team, as they similarly went out on four fronts.
It’s remarkable how much has changed from that day. The world has changed. That match came mere days after Russia had invaded Ukraine, eventually forcing Abramovich’s sale of the club, to the upheaval of the current owners.
This is what Pochettino has inherited. The circumstances have led to a lot of debate about his capability at Chelsea. The reality is probably that he took over a squad that was too young and put together too expensively. There is known to be regret within the club at some of the prices paid, even at some of the signings that have worked out.
All the while, with Klopp keeping the players so focused, the executives have been left to concentrate on replacing the German.
Both Bayern Munich and Barcelona are looking at the top candidate, Xabi Alonso. There have even been comments within German football that the announcement of Tuchel’s summer departure from Bayern was to make a point to Alonso. They’re serious about their interest in him. They also know, according to well-placed figures, that Liverpool are currently ahead. Alonso and Sporting’s Ruben Amorim have emerged as the main two candidates, with the Basque well out in front of the Portuguese.
Which all brings us right back around to the point of how the League Cup final often ends up meaning more than just a trophy that people dismiss until they are close to it.
The result, or even the performance, could well have some say in what comes next for both clubs. It’s not everything, but it might well be a first and a last.
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