The thought of Liverpool intentionally trying to exclude themselves from home cup competitions, even for the good thing about their total marketing campaign, rightly wouldn’t sit properly with the fanbase.
It’s a membership constructed on a never-say-die perspective, on a perception that we should always be going for each honour on the desk.
But, regardless of that, we’ve seen pundits, together with Champions League winner Jamie Carragher, urge Arne Slot to desert the pursuit of home cup glory in favour of the larger image.
To not counsel that this recommendation borders on madness – there’s a chilly logic that appeals. Actually so if Liverpool end the 2024/25 marketing campaign as Premier League and Champions League winners.
However is that price compromising the membership’s core values?
Have Liverpool created a nightmare situation for themselves?
It’s arduous to not sympathise with Carragher’s feedback given we’ve seen a push for optimum honours is completely able to derailing a season come the March/April mark.
Paul Merson, likewise, appears to share this view, having expressed some concern at what he views to be a ‘nightmare’ state of affairs for the membership following a Carabao Cup victory over Southampton.
“Getting via to the semi-final is a nightmare for them as a result of now they must play two further video games in January and that’s an enormous load on this group,” the Sky Sports activities pundit wrote in his column with Sportskeeda.
“If I’m being trustworthy, that win for Liverpool within the cup was not outcome. These video games simply mount up and it might find yourself being an issue. If you get to the semi-final, you can’t mug round, that you must play your finest group!”
We’ll now be set to play out the primary leg of a two-legged conflict with Tottenham on the week starting January 6, with the second leg commencing on the week starting February 3.
On a constructive word, an FA Cup third spherical assembly with Accrington Stanley on January 11 ought to grant Arne Slot a uncommon alternative for rotation.
With Liverpool having already assured a spherical of 16 place within the Champions League knockout stage, we’ll skip the dreaded play-offs (going down on February 11/12 and February 18/19. So there will probably be some respite forward of the spherical of 16 fixtures in March.
So, sure, there’ll be some further mileage in our legs, however issues don’t look fairly so dangerous total.
