The full-back says the players are ‘buzzing’ for the final on Sunday
For many Liverpool fans, the Capital One Cup final on Sunday will feel like the first final in decades, such has been the paucity of success in recent years. For many of the current squad however, the big game represents their first major cup final.
Such is the case with Liverpool’s Nathaniel Clyne, who admits that the players are ‘buzzing’ ahead of the final on Sunday.
Speaking to the Mirror, Clyne said: “Everyone is buzzing about the cup final and, for me, it’s my first major cup final so all my friends and family are coming and it’s very exciting for the whole club.
“I think the biggest thing you notice with the manager is the hunger and desire to win the ball back.
“The midfielder, defenders and full backs like me have to work very hard. It has been tough but it’s also been paying off.
“It was something I was used to with the previous manager, I was used to pressing high up the field and it’s no problem. I’m fit and I’m young.
“I think you can see that it’s working and I’m sure we are going to shoot up the table.
“We’ve actually been playing well in games, not always getting results and hopefully if we can win a trophy that will give us confidence and mean we can go on and win a lot more.”
With such a young and, in many cases, new squad, the Reds will be taking to the field with a much less experienced side than Man City but having already overseen a resounding win over Pellegrini’s sides this season, and having Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho to call upon, Jurgen Klopp will surely be quietly confident.
Clyne continued: “We’ve had a lot of players out injured, I think the win at Aston Villa showed that we are capable and I’ve felt for a while that a result like that has been coming.
“A lot of players got on the scoresheet, we’ve got a lot of talent in the squad and when everyone is back I’m sure we’ve got a squad which can be successful.
“It’s definitely exciting times if we can put together a decent run of form because we’ve got the cup final, still got the Europa League and hopefully it can be the start of things to come.”
Despite the disappointing away leg against Augsburg last week, Liverpool have the chance to put things right this week in the return leg. A strong win at home to the German side should see the Reds go to Wembley in a confident mood.
