When Liverpool won the League Cup last month, Jurgen Klopp was quick to praise his entire camp rather than just the matchday squad selected on the day. After all, with 33 players utilised throughout the Reds’ run in the competition, a plethora of players not selected at Wembley against Chelsea had contributed to the overall success.
Listing a number of youngsters who had been blooded in the competition, along the likes of Takumi Minamino and Divock Origi in attack, the German bemoaned, “It would have been perfect if we could have had more players on the teamsheet.
“Today I had to make a few real tough decisions, and I said to the boys in the meeting, including the ones that were not on the teamsheet, ‘This is my squad , plus – and I hope I don’t forget anyone – Tyler Morton, who was slightly injured, Conor (Bradley), Owen (Beck), Harvey (Blair), Elijah (Dixon-Bonner) played some minutes as well, Adrian saved our ass in Preston’.
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“The whole journey was absolutely outstanding. Without Takumi and Divock, the goals they scored in the competition, we would not be here.”
With Liverpool chasing an unprecedented quadruple this season, it won’t just be the League Cup which will have been an entire squad effort if Klopp’ s men are to lift more trophies. Now one point behind Man City after winning their game-in-hand against Arsenal, his side weren't at their best against the Gunners but still found a way to win, with the German previously admitting his side are feeling the strain of such an intense fixture list and he is rotating bodies to protect them.
Fortunately for Liverpool, their squad are coping well in the circumstances and are as well-placed as can be to challenge on all fronts as they continue to share the workload. This was demonstrated by the latest Player of the Month awards for February. The Reds camp were delighted to see Joel Matip’s efforts in the month earn him the Premier League award, following in the footsteps of Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold who clinched the accolade in October and November respectively.
Centre-back partner Virgil van Dijk was named the club’s winner of their own monthly award on Tuesday, while Salah picked up the PFA fans award for his contributions following his return from the Africa Cup of Nations. In truth, he is the favourite for the end of season awards as things stand following another exceptional campaign.
Comfortably the Premier League’s leading goalscorer, the Egyptian looks certain to win the Golden Boot for the third time after scoring his 20th league goal of the season against Brighton. Yet he faces competition from team-mates Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane who currently sit second and joint-third in the rankings alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Kane.
Salah could also have his eyes on the playmaker award too, with the Egyptian currently having 10 assists to his name in the Premier League this season. Trailing Alexander-Arnold, who is arguably in the best form of his career, by one, he sits joint-second in the rankings alongside Andy Robertson and ahead of Paul Pogba.
But with Liverpool chasing this quadruple, it isn’t just these award winners and hopefuls who are playing a key role to their efforts.
Following his January arrival from FC Porto, Luis Diaz has been a breath of fresh air at Anfield in recent weeks, while Sadio Mane has impressed in a recent central role after winning the Africa Cup of Nations in the absence of the recently injured Jota and Roberto Firmino. The Portuguese’s thunder has been somewhat stolen as a result, but he was one of the Reds’ star performers during the first half of the season, and he was back in the goals along with the Brazilian in the 2-0 win over Arsenal on Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, Firmino has had to adjust to more of a squad role because of recurring injury problems this season, but still boasts a respectable goals return given his minutes. The same can be said of Origi and Minamino also, with them contributing significantly to Liverpool’s cup runs with only four of their combined 14 goals coming in the Premier League.
Fabinho has emerged as a goal threat from midfield, with six of his nine Reds goals coming this season alone. One of eight senior midfield options Klopp has at his disposal, Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara, Naby Keita, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones have all contributed alongside him, with the vice-captain the only one yet to score.
At the other end of the field, Alisson has returned 16 clean sheets so far this season, and is now level at the top of the Golden Glove rankings alongside compatriot Ederson, with it feeling like he is making crucial world class saves on a weekly basis. Yet when rested in domestic cup action, Caoimhin Kelleher has stepped up and was the Carabao Cup final hero at Wembley when scoring the decisive spot-kick.
And in defence, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez ensure competition at centre-back is stiff, while Kostas Tsimikas has more than justified his move to Anfield last season, emphatically silencing his doubters by rivalling Robertson for a starting berth after a challenging first year in England.
Including youth players, Liverpool have fielded 37 players altogether so far this season. 27 have been used in Premier League action with 28 being turned to in the Champions League. Meanwhile, Klopp has called upon 29 different players in the FA Cup, with that total likely to rise if Liverpool progress courtesy of Salah and Matip not yet featuring in the competition.
If the Reds are to go all the way in the Champions League and FA Cup this season, they will finish the season having taken part in 63 matches - the maximum total available to them at the start of the campaign.
That total is the same number Liverpool played when winning the treble in 2000/01, as they went all the way in the League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup before qualifying for the Champions League.
Gerard Houllier used 28 different players that season, with 15 of them getting on the scoresheet as opposed to the 19 that have scored for Klopp’s side this year.
The likes of Michael Owen, Markus Babbel and Gary McAllister were the heroes that season, with the striker’s 24 goals - four less than Salah’s current total - helping him win the Ballon d’Or, the German playing in all but three of the Reds’ matches and the Scot enjoying a spring-time Indian summer to see Liverpool over the line on each front when it mattered most.
Meanwhile, Steven Gerrard enjoyed his best season yet to win his first PFA Team of the Year inclusion, and pick up PFA Young Player of the Year, while Sami Hyypia’s efforts saw him named in the UEFA Team of the Season.
But while they might be the names remembered best for such efforts, what about the likes of Nick Barmby who scored eight goals in his maiden season with the club with half of them coming in the UEFA Cup? Or Robbie Fowler who top-scored in the League Cup with six of his 17 goals that year coming in the competition, with Vladimir Smicer and Danny Murphy not far behind on four apiece. And in the FA Cup, it was Emile Heskey who top-scored, netting fire times to fire the Reds to the final.
Houllier’s side scored 127 goals that season. With Klopp’s men already on 111, with at least 13 matches and at most 18 games left to play, such a total looks certain to be toppled.
If Liverpool are to emulate the treble-winning side’s success, it won’t just be the likes of Salah and Van Dijk who emerge as leading men. For starters, the workload is shared more than it ever was in 2000/01.
Sander Westerveld appeared in all but two of the Reds’ 63 matches, with 12 of Houllier's 28-man squad featuring in three-quarters of Liverpool’s games and 14 making 46 appearances or more. The French manager might have utilised a plethora of players, but he had a clear spine in place over the course of the campaign.
In contrast, only seven of this year's 37 players have featured in 75% of the club’s fixtures so far this season, with Henderson leading the way with 40 appearances from 46 games. Meanwhile, Alisson, Van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold and Matip are the only regulars to have started every one of their outings this season. The Brazilian and Dutchman have made 37 appearances each, with their defensive colleagues not far behind on 35 and 33 respectively.
Klopp's strongest starting XI might seem clear but he can't turn to it every week. As he continues to spread the workload, he will hope such a stance can be the difference between the 2001 cup treble and a mass-trophy haul including Premier League and/or Champions League glory come May.
Under the German’s watch, the Reds have been English, European and world champions, toppling the success of Houllier's treble-winner and Rafa Benitez 's European champions. Yet, his current squad are arguably even better and on the cusp of writing their names into Liverpool immortality.
Salah will be the obvious favourite for the annual awards come May, but as February’s monthly accolades showed, the entire Reds camp are sharing the burden. If they are to win more than the League Cup this season, it won’t just be because of their obvious A-list stars.
And with so many of Klopp’s ranks gaining recognition for their efforts, it’s no wonder they are continuing to push Liverpool towards what would be their greatest ever season.
