Jurgen Klopp finally has a squad capable of returning a domestic cup without compromising on other priorities, according to one former Liverpool player.
The Reds face Championship side Cardiff City at Anfield on Sunday in the FA Cup, having comfortably despatched Shrewsbury Town in the previous round using a mix of first-team players and flourishing youngsters.
With a trip to Wembley in the Carabao Cup final already secured, Jason McAteer believes Liverpool boss Klopp has now built a philosophy so strong that several changes to his starting XI will not necessarily harm the club's chances of progressing deep into knock-out competitions.
Speaking to the ECHO on behalf of LV BET, ex-Reds wing-back McAteer said: “I won’t lie to you, there is a pecking order when it comes to expectancy. For me it would be Premier League then it would be Champions League, then the FA Cup and the League Cup, but they do serve a purpose - the FA Cup and the League Cup.
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“I think for the first time in Jurgen’s managerial career at Liverpool he’s had a squad that is very capable (on all fronts). What I mean by that is, we’ve seen in past years, kids being given opportunities and fringe players who haven’t played a lot of football and maybe not up to speed the way that Jurgen wants them to be.
“I think now, you look through the squad, every player knows what to do in that team. Even the younger players - the likes of Curtis Jones, (Ibrahima) Konaté, (Kostas) Tsimikas - these are players now who you feel very confident can slot in and play for the first team against a Chelsea or a Manchester City. You wouldn’t put it past them to put good performances in and know what to do.
“So when he (Klopp) plays an FA Cup tie and everyone goes, 'oh it’s a weakened team', it’s actually a very strong team.
“Okay, it’s probably not the first XI you would pick for a Champions League final, but you fully expect them to win and I think that’s been the case through the League Cup and we’ve ended up in the final because of the strength of the squad and where they’re up to at the minute."
At just 17 years old, Kaide Gordon became Liverpool's youngest ever FA Cup goalscorer in the 4-1 victory against the Shrews in the third round.
Cardiff are likely to offer a stiffer test on Sunday, but Klopp is still expected to field a very different side to the one that will trot out against Leicester City in the Premier League four days later.
But despite the anticipation of some heavy rotation, McAteer believes the Reds will go deep in the famous knock-out competition.
“I certainly don’t see the FA Cup as being a competition that we can’t go and win and there’s no reason why we won’t," said the former Republic of Ireland international, who played in the 1996 FA Cup final for Liverpool against Manchester United.
“I still think it would be, to the eye, a weakened team, but for me it’s a team that should be able to get through anything that’s thrown at them.”
The Reds are still competing on all four fronts, with Internazionale to come in the Champions League round of 16, the pursuit of Manchester City in the Premier League, and the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley on the horizon.
But when pushed on what Liverpool will actually finish the season with, McAteer plumped for two cups out of four.
He added: “I personally think they’ll win the Champions League. I think they’ll push City all the way, but I’m going to sit on the fence with the Premier League.
“I’m going to go, we will win the Champions League and we will win the League Cup.”
