Jamie Carragher suggested that Liverpool’s ambitions of winning the Premier League this season could have been aided after losing to Chelsea in the EFL Cup on Wednesday.
The Sky Sports pundit delivered his verdict on the Reds’ trophy ambitions for the season following them crashing out of the League Cup courtesy of their Premier League rivals and was positive about the defeat.
Carragher shared that the Reds needed to win a trophy but went on to state that without League Cups games to play in midweek then there will be times the side gets a full week of training unlike the club’s league rivals.
“I don’t think so, I think Klopp said in his interview, both styles of the team will change at the weekend, players will change, we see from Klopp’s interview he is disappointed to go out,” said Carragher on Sky Sports Main Event (Wednesday September 26, 22:10).
“But if Liverpool were to get a win on Saturday then Sunday morning the way Liverpool will feel, they will forget totally about this game because Liverpool need to win a trophy.
“It’s not imperative that it has to be this season, but it’s another one they’ve gone out but if Liverpool are going to go close to winning the league then sides in and around them are getting to the semi-final or final of this competition then it means league games are getting rearranged.
“Certainly with the final, semi-finals, if Liverpool aren’t playing, it’s not about extra games, another game, it means a manager and the coaches can have another proper week of training.
“You hear coaches speaking about that a lot, y’know how important that is, that you can train properly, very rarely do the top teams have an ability to or can train properly for a full week.
“The last time Liverpool went close to winning the title under Rodgers was when they had no European football so every week they were getting to weekend fit and firing.”
OPINION
After the meltdown over Manchester United crashing out of the EFL Cup on Tuesday to Derby then the Reds’ exit isn’t causing as much as a stir based on Carragher’s reaction. The Reds’ Premier League rivals have fans shouting crisis and calling for Jose Mourinho’s head, yet everyone seems calm about Jurgen Klopp’s side exiting the EFL Cup at a very early stage. Whether the fact the Reds were knocked out by Chelsea, who are flying high in the Premier League, helped soften the blow is debatable but it is still odd for a pundit to be so positive about missing out on trophy. While the League Cup isn’t the most prestigious on offer this season if the Reds end up with nothing, they may regret letting the game against Chelsea on Wednesday pass them by. The Reds were 1-0 and looking comfortable against the Blues before their opponents completely turned the game on its head to emerge 2-1 winners. Carragher’s points make sense but you feel that perhaps it’s better to still be in as many tournaments as possible at this stage.
