Liverpool youngsters handed the chance to become 'a proper legend'

Assistant manager Pep Lijnders backs squad players to step up against Leicester

Liverpool's English midfielder Tyler Morton is among those who has prospered since making his debut. AFP

Tuesday marked the second anniversary of what was, in one respect, Liverpool’s biggest trophy. If the Club World Cup was a product of conquering Europe, it came half way between securing the pieces of silverware they prize most: the 2019 Champions League winners lifted the Premier League title in 2020.

Jurgen Klopp has brought the major prizes to Anfield in his reign, but not some of those that seem minor in comparison. The German reached the League Cup final in his first few months in England but Liverpool’s last domestic knockout trophy came in 2012 under Kenny Dalglish.

Klopp has seemed to prioritise two competitions but his assistant Pep Lijnders argued Wednesday's Carabao Cup quarter-final against Leicester can help his players cement their place alongside the Anfield greats. “If you want to be a proper Liverpool legend you need to win national cups as well,” the Dutchman said. “That is part of our club mentality, to see the next game as the final. We will put everything into the game: our hunger, our desire.”

The challenge is for a weakened Liverpool team to show their strength, just as they did in San Siro. “If you saw our line-up against AC Milan away, everyone probably thought: ‘Wow, that’s brave,’” Lijnders said. “We thought: ‘Game on.” Liverpool won 2-1. Now they host Leicester unsure which players Brendan Rodgers will pick, after a Covid-enforced break, but conscious that Tottenham returned from a similar spell on the sidelines with a terrific display in Sunday’s 2-2 draw against Liverpool.

Now Klopp is without the suspended Andy Robertson. Nat Phillips, Harvey Elliott and the San Siro hero Divock Origi remain injured, while coronavirus rules out Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara and Curtis Jones. Jordan Henderson could make a surprise return after a cold. “He called to train again,” said Lijnders. “He is the kind of player we have to slow down. He reflects our willpower and determination.”

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If Liverpool end up with a youthful side, Klopp’s preference for a smaller squad can create chances. “The one thing if you want to have a healthy club is to have a proper inside pathway to become a first-team player,” Lijnders said. “We want to give them the opportunity to grow inside our club. We have five Liverpool debuts in the League Cup this year. That is healthy.”

One of those debutants, midfielder Tyler Morton, has gone on to start against Porto, AC Milan and Tottenham. Lijnders looked at the recent past to see other benefits. “It is a clear strategic decision we made,” he explained. “Without a small squad, we would not have Trent Alexander-Arnold, we wouldn’t have Curtis Jones, we wouldn’t have Nat Phillips, we wouldn’t have Neco Williams.”

Now Alexander-Arnold could be among the rested regulars as Klopp. Liverpool wanted the Premier League to postpone the games on December 28, when they face Leicester again, two days after meeting Leeds. “If you want a quality team it is important the players don’t accumulate fatigue,” Lijnders said. “We have to respect the fact that a Premier League player needs 72 hours to recover. We think it is absurd we have to play within 48 hours.”

But for Wednesday, they will turn to some of the supporting cast. Manchester City equalled Liverpool’s record of eight League Cup wins last year but the current campaign offers the Merseysiders the chance to re-establish a lead and Lijnders said: “In the beginning of the season we speak with our players to say we want to create memories together, we want to create special games together and we are going to try and make it a cup night for the fans.”