Puel targets Wembley glory

JAN 2 Sunderland 2 Liverpool 2 JAN 8 Liverpool 0 Plymouth 0 JAN11 Southampton 1 Liverpool 0 JAN15 Man United 1 Liverpool 1 JAN18 Plymouth 0 Liverpool 1 JAN21 Liverpool 2 Swansea 3 JAN25 Liverpool 0 Southampton 1

this tie with his first-leg heroics that had Saints’ Claude Puel more angry than Klopp about the home side’s 1-0 victory. It should have been five and at Anfield, the German stopper again showed why his compatriot has such faith in him. Simon Mignolet has also been far more solid than he was when they were winning.

As there always seems to be with upsets, there was that tri-factor of ref justice, bad luck and an opposing keeper making a wonder save, but over the two ties, Saints deserved it. In the second half, with the Kop urging their favourites on, Liverpool laid siege, but it was a long way from the Alamo.

Adding to the sense of frustration was that Southampton were holding them with their third- and fourthchoice centre-backs having sold Jose Fonte to West Ham and the muchcoveted (by Liverpool among others) Virgil van Dijk out injured.

How the south coast club maintain their player production line is a story in which Liverpool have had a major involvement. Back in the desperate twilight of Brendan Rodgers’ reign, the major beef against the manager was that he’d “bought second raters from Southampton and Swansea”. It just happens that they’re the two clubs to have beaten Liverpool in the past week.

After the Swansea defeat, the portents had been better. A clear the air meeting had followed, Steven Gerrard was welcomed back into the fold as a coach and Coutinho extended his contract. “The best signing Liverpool could make in January” said Luis Garcia.

But Klopp has expressed his frustration at the lack of new signings and complained of the team being “too passive” on the field. After this, he should be concerned they’ve joined the peace movement.

In mitigation, they have been missing key players but so have their rivals. Besides Coutinho and Mane, gegen- SOUTHAMPTON manager Claude Puel set his sights on League Cup glory after masterminding his side’s semifinal triumph over Liverpool yesterday.

Puel’s team won 1-0 at Anfield as Shane Long’s late goal secured a 2-0 aggregate success that booked the club’s first League Cup final appearance since 1979.

It is also Southampton’s first final in any competition since 2010 and a first major final since their 2003 FA Cup defeat against Arsenal.

Southampton have never won the League Cup, losing their only previous final appearance against Nottingham Forest, but Puel is determined to make only his second ever visit to Wembley a victorious one on Feb 26.

Puel said: “In the two legs we deserved the win. We were fantastic in the first leg at home and tonight we had chances in the first half.

“In the second half it was difficult but now we go to Wembley, not just to participate but to win this cup. I have been there once, just to watch France beat England.”

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp missed out on taking his team back to Wembley after they lost last season’s League Cup final against Manchester City.

The German admitted Southampton deserved to reach the final, but bemoaned a rejected penalty appeal for handball by Long and claimed Liverpool had done enough to win on the night.

“They won both games, they deserved it, but we did really well. We cannot create more chances than we did in the second half,” Klopp said.

“We had big chances and no luck. A lucky save, a good save but a lucky save. Then the ref didn’t see the handball of Long and it doesn’t help in a game like this.

“We had seven good chances. You have to score, and we didn’t do so we lost. I’m fine with the performance but not the result.” – AFP