Jurgen Klopp has shared the difficulty of having to select a matchday squad and ‘disappointing people’ ahead of the Carabao Cup final.
The German was forced into a late change ahead of the first whistle as Thiago Alcantara withdrew due to a warm-up injury.
“These games come in a part of the season where the demands on the team are crazy,” the German wrote in his programme notes, as reported by liverpoolfc.com.
“Premier League games, Champions League games and international football. So everyone has to contribute and play their part. Without everyone we have no chance.
“The worst part of my job is disappointing people who don’t deserve it. When selecting a squad in the circumstances we had to on Sunday, this was so hard.
“But the truth is, even without being on the teamsheet for the final, the win is still just as much about them and what they did for us and this club.
“It’s not the best comparison, but when you win a league title it’s not just the players who feature in the final matchday who are considered champions.”
Several players who were key throughout the competition missed out on minutes in the final – including the likes of Taki Minamino and Kostas Tsimikas.
There wasn’t a total disavowment of sentimentality on the manager’s part, however, with the decision to stick with Caoimhin Kelleher in goal contrasting with Thomas Tuchel’s pragmatic swapping of Edouard Mendy in for Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Ultimately, however, we have Klopp’s decision-making to thank in part for our latest acquisition of silverware, with the Irish shotstopper proving pivotal in the penalty shootout.
When it comes to the remaining domestic cup competition in the FA Cup, we’ve no doubt the 23-year-old and those stars in the periphery will continue to be vital to our efforts of securing further domestic success.
#Ep36 of The Red Nets Podcast: Is Thiago the one we can’t do without? The title race… and more!