James Milner has said our whole squad are focused on winning the League Cup this season, before adding that it was a fantastic time to be a Liverpool player.
“It is a great chance of a trophy”, Milner told a Daily Mail reporter. “The League Cup gets some bad press at times for whatever reason, but if you ask every team they would take a League Cup this season.”
“It is the first competition you can win this season, no one will be complaining if we are sat there in February or March whenever the final is with a trophy in the cabinet with plenty more games to go. Everyone would be delighted with that”.
Klopp will also presumably be focused on winning some silverware. Rodgers became the first Liverpool manager in more than 50 years not to win a trophy in his first three seasons in charge of the club – if Klopp could do it inside six months his already high levels of popularity amongst the fans would go stratospheric.
We’ll presumably play a strong side on Wednesday. Bodgan is set to start in goal, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Clyne and Moreno also rested, but everyone else will probably play. We’d like to see Henderson and Sturridge both given a berth in the starting eleven to help get themselves match fit, but we’ll have to wait and see if Jurgen thinks their inclusion is worth the risk.
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Later in the same interview Milner praised the current feeling around the club, both on and off the pitch.
“I think we have a talented squad; we have a great mix of youth and experience and obviously a new manager, the stadium is being upgraded as well so I think it is a great time to be involved at the club”, he said. “It is exciting times for everyone. If we keep working hard, keep improving, keep doing our job then hopefully we can be successful”.
It’s not the first time a player has come out and spoken about the positive atmosphere around the club since Klopp’s arrival. As much as Brendan deserves credit for the 2013-14 season, there were clearly deep divisions in the dressing room by the end of his tenure.
Long may the feel-good factor continue!