The Albany Gazette - Klopp hungry for more trophies to burnish Liverpool legacy

The match at Wembley offers the German the chance to add to the haul of Champions League, Premier League and Club World Cup titles he has won since arriving at Anfield in 2015.

But he has also been a losing finalist on three occasions in that time.

Liverpool were beaten in the final of both the 2016 League Cup and Europa League before losing the 2018 Champions League final.

And the Merseysiders also narrowly missed out on winning the Premier League in 2019.

While Klopp is managing arguably the best Liverpool squad since the mid-1980s, he is keen they reap tangible rewards.

"We all know that in the moment the people are really happy (with this team)," said the Liverpool boss.

"But in 20 years if you want to talk about this team, I would not be surprised if people would then say if we don't win anything any more, 'Yeah they were good, but they should have won more'.

"That's why we should try now to win a few things. And the next chance, the best chance we have this weekend, is against Chelsea when it's really tricky."

Klopp has been criticised in the past for seemingly taking the League Cup lightly with some of his team selections.

But he still took Liverpool the semi-finals in 2017 and the quarter-finals in 2020.

The German denied he had a cavalier approach to the competition.

"I don't think we ever could have lined up differently in the specific games considering the intensity of the schedule around it," he said.

Klopp added: "I just collect the bones and use the last of the few guys we have.

"Usually we go out in December, historically, pretty early, and it's a time when we play every three minutes. Then you have the wrong draw."

Roberto Firmino has been ruled out of the final after failing to recover from a groin injury, while fellow forward Diogo Jota faces a race to be fit after suffering ankle ligament damage.

(O.Joost--BBZ)