League Cup win can be a catalyst for Liverpool, says Milner

REUTERS – Liverpool’s transition under Juergen Klopp will become easier if the team can win the League Cup title, according to midfielder James Milner.

England’s second most successful football club have won just one trophy in the last nine years, the League Cup in 2012, and will face Manchester City in the February 28 final.

Milner said the change of manager, from Brendan Rodgers to Klopp, has been difficult but believes the Merseyside club can lay foundations for further success by winning the Wembly contest against his former club.

“This club is built on success – they’re used to winning trophies. It’s always tough changing managers,” Milner told British media.

“We can win a trophy and be in the hunt for others during a transition season when it’s easy to say: ‘There’s been a lot of changes – let’s see how we do; do the best we can and go again next year’.

“Hopefully we can do both: the transition with the new manager and keep improving – get a few players back as well. At times we haven’t performed with the quality we want but the bottom line is we’re still in every competition.”

Milner remains optimistic about Liverpool’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.

Klopp’s men are currently seventh in the league with 34 points after 23 games, eight points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

“We’re not a million miles off in the league. With a few more points and a few more goals, we’ll be closer (to the top four),” the England international said.

“With a strong finish, we can be in a reasonable position. There’s definitely a lot more to come from this squad.”

(Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru; editing by Amlan Chakraborty)