Joe Cole hails 'unique' quality that Liverpool have amid suggestion of quadruple trophy charge
Today at 06:55 AM
Joe Cole has claimed that Liverpool have one particular quality which makes them 'unique' among the top clubs in Europe at the moment.
The Reds guaranteed their passage to the last 16 of the Champions League with a 2-1 win over Lille on Tuesday night, preserving their 100% record in the competition under Arne Slot and bypassing an awkward two-legged play-off round in February.
The 43-year-old's former club are also six points clear at the top of the Premier League with a game in hand and potentially just 90 minutes away from reaching another Carabao Cup final, along with progressing to the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Cole praises Liverpool's 'unique' squad depth
Speaking on TNT Sports after the midweek victory, Cole singled out a few Liverpool players who mightn't be guaranteed starters but have made a telling impact in recent matches.
The pundit said: "What's unique about Liverpool is the amount of quality and depth in their squad. I don't know how they've done it. The emergence of [Curtis] Jones, [Harvey] Elliott having an impact, players like [Darwin] Nunez who've been out in the cold coming in and impacting Premier League games.
"In the whole of Europe, they're the most equipped to deal with it, but it would be good for them not to have to deal with that [Champions League knockout play-off] round."
Cole then seemed to suggest that talk of a potential quadruple of trophies could soon surface around Liverpool, saying: "They're fighting on all fronts. Have we started talking about the full package yet? Has that been mentioned in that part of the world?"
Liverpool blessed with quality in reserve
Liverpool have indeed been blessed with the quality of players that Slot can call upon from the bench, with several substitutes making a decisive impact off the bench in recent games.
Diogo Jota came on to net an instant equaliser at Nottingham Forest, while Elliott played a part in both goals for Nunez in the stoppage time salvo against Brentford before the 21-year-old netted the winner against Lille.
The Reds boss has by and large had the luxury of rotating between high-quality options throughout the pitch, with Trent Alexander-Arnold sitting out most of the game in midweek, and the composition of the forward line often seeing the likes of Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz and Nunez each enjoying a healthy balance of minutes.
Wataru Endo hasn't had too many opportunities this season but hasn't let Liverpool down when utilised, and the potentially season-ruining injury to Alisson Becker in the autumn was offset by Caoimhin Kelleher stepping in to deliver consistently brilliant performances.
The Reds' squad depth is likely to be tested more rigorously from hereon, with Jones and Diogo Jota both succumbing to knocks in recent days, and talk of a quadruple is far too premature.
Things may be going serenely for LFC on the pitch thus far, but it's a difficult feat just to win one trophy in a campaign, never mind four. Hopefully we can just keep the results coming and see where it takes us.
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