Jurgen Klopp makes FA Cup pledge as Liverpool boss looks beyond Arsenal tie
Jurgen Klopp claims Liverpool will not bin the FA Cup to avoid any future problems.
Liverpool suffered a real hangover last season from their quadruple quest, finishing empty handed and missing out on Champions League football for the first time in a full season under Klopp. They face a tough tie at the Emirates on Sunday against Arsenal and Klopp insists he will not bale out because the Reds are top of the Premier League and challenging well in Europe and in the Carabao Cup.
Klopp says he loved the 2021-22 season, when Liverpool won two of the three major finals and lost the league title on the final day, and would relish another tilt at multiple trophies. When asked if last season’s disappointment was preying on his mind, Klopp said: “No, not at all.
“The season with the three finals, and a really intense Premier League season, was intense while we were in it, but it was good fun as well to be honest. It was good fun the games the boys played. The two finals against Chelsea were two of the best draws I saw in my life, unbelievably intense, technically at a super high level, so it was a wonderful experience.
“Playing at Wembley is a top experience. I would not change it for anything. It was absolutely great. Obviously a Champions League final is not on the horizon, but maybe there is a Europa League final, which is really difficult to reach because there are a couple of really good teams in it.
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“But no, you cannot really think like that. The summer is a longer summer for some, although there are the Euros as well. It’s always like that. We cannot go out of a competition just because we think we might have a problem next year. That would be a problem we have to sort then.”
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Liverpool won the 2021-22 FA Cup at Wembley (Naomi Baker/Getty Images)Liverpool face Fulham in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final at Anfield on Wednesday, but Klopp says he cannot rest players against Arsenal because of his long injury list and with Mohamed Salah and Wataru Endo on international duty. Liverpool have at least six games in January, compared to Manchester United’s two, and Klopp says every match is important.
“I’m not sure if Arsenal is a game to rotate,” said the Reds boss. “We have six days between the Newcastle game and this one, so that’s long. But then three days later we have another game. Both have the same importance. We want to win these games. We want to go to the final and the next round as well, but it’s probably the most tricky draw you can get.”
Arsenal is the first of up to seven games Salah will miss and Klopp says they are learning how to replace the irreplaceable. “We have different offensive options, who can all play that wing in a different way,” he said.
“Nobody else can play like Mo, it’s not possible, we just have to use the boys with their skills. Do we want to play without Mo? No. In the past we didn’t have to do it often, but we always found a way.”
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