Thommo: Carabao Cup a ‘great opportunity’ to end trophy drought

Liverpool legend Phil Thompson insists Jurgen Klopp has to win a trophy this season and reckons he should take the Carabao Cup seriously in his efforts to do so.

The Reds meet Chelsea in the third round of the competition at Anfield on Wednesday night.

Should they come out on top, they will only be two wins away from a place in the semifinals.

Thompson understands that managers are reluctant to field strong teams in the early part of the competition, but says it should be seen as a big chance for Klopp to land his first silverware since taking over back in 2015.

“It would be great, I would love to do it and it’s a trophy,” Thompson, who won more than 20 major honours with the club as a player, told Sky Sports. “Jurgen has to win a trophy this year. For the quality of squad he now has, he has to win a trophy.

“It gives him a great opportunity and I would gladly take the Carabao Cup, but you have to look where your priorities lie, which is what most managers do and make changes in these early rounds.

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“Dare I say it, a lot of managers over the years, in the big six clubs, have put out weakened teams thinking if they do get knocked out they will take it on the chin and it will give them a better chance in Europe and the Premier League.

“They obviously don’t want to go out at the early stage, it’s not very nice, but come later in the season they will view it as a godsend.”

However, Thompson wants to see a balanced team selection, warning Klopp not to risk his key players.

“What I would certainly hope is for Jurgen to have the cavalry on the bench, a lot of the first-team players,” he said.

“The priority, because of their start to the season, is winning the Premier League. That should be the number one target.

“It is closely followed then by the Champions League, so this would be the ideal opportunity for him to get a rest for the players.”

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Source: anfieldhq.com