What Jurgen Klopp said after Liverpool's League Cup final loss in 2016 and what happened next
Yesterday at 11:00 AM
Liverpool felt the familiar sting of a cup final defeat on Sunday after being beaten by Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup.
The Reds have of course tasted victory in this competition more than any other side, but they’ve also been on the receiving end, too.
Sunday was Liverpool’s 15th League Cup final, with 10 having been won and five now lost.
Before Newcastle’s historic win at Wembley, the Reds most recent loss at the stadium was in 2016, when Jurgen Klopp brought Liverpool to face Manchester City during his first season in charge.
It was a tough day for the Reds, who’s four-year wait for a trophy went on after City came out on top during a penalty shootout.
But, as ever, Klopp struck the right tone after full-time. And as he aims to pick the current Liverpool squad up for the Premier League run-in, Arne Slot would do well to listen to his predecessor.
Jurgen Klopp urged Liverpool to ‘carry on’
Liverpool were never favourites for the 2016 cup final against City. They were still far away from the machine they would eventually become under Klopp.
Still, the German seemed to know his team were on the right track and urged them to ‘carry on’ after being defeated.
Asked by Sky Sports to reveal what he’d said to his players in the aftermath of defeat, Klopp suggested it was up to them to feel the defeat in their own way.
“Nothing until now because we all have to feel it now,” said the former Liverpool manager. “Of course it is like this, you can fall down and you have to stand up, that’s how it is.”
With Liverpool facing Man City once again at Anfield just a few days later, Klopp then issued a rallying call for the Reds not to feel sorry for themselves and channel the frustration into a better performance.
“We have the next chance to play on Wednesday against Man City, it’s another game, another tournament,” he said.
“We cannot change this game now, but we have to carry on, we will carry on of course.”
What happened next?
Unlike the Liverpool of nine years ago, Slot’s team will now have to wait more than two weeks until their next Premier League fixture.
Nevertheless, they can still learn from what Klopp and his boys did in the days following their cup final defeat.
Faced with City once again, Liverpool came out roaring at Anfield, righting some of the wrongs from just three days earlier to win 3-0.
It was the game which prompted Jurgen’s famous ‘Boom’ post-match interview in which he claimed the game was the best he’d experienced at Anfield so far.
It may be some way off, but the Reds also have a big match coming this time, with a Merseyside Derby under the lights at Anfield on April 2nd next up.
Liverpool, Slot and the home crowd must channel the same feeling Klopp did almost a decade ago to ensure this latest cup final defeat can be another catalyst for something great to follow.
