were decided for Liverpool in the shootout against Stoke so
Joe Allen took the initiative in sudden death to seal
Liverpool’s place in the League Cup final.
An offside Marko Arnautovic goal put the visitors level on
aggregate at Anfield following Jordon Ibe’s winner in the
reverse fixture. Penalties were needed to settle the
encounter and the Reds edged matters from the spot 6-5
with Simon Mignolet saving efforts from Mark Muniesa and
Peter Crouch before Allen converted the decisive kick.
“We only decided the first five, but we recognised that Joe
usually should shoot," Klopp explained after the match.
"We already had five, but there was no real decision – he
[Allen] took the ball and not only because of the Arsenal
goal.
“He is a really, really good boy, a good lad, and it’s not the
most easy of situations sometimes for players if you are in
good shape – which he obviously is – but you don’t play
from the beginning or in matches like this.
“He came in, he is a really good character, and he did well.
He decided the game for us.”
Klopp admitted he did not watch the shootout due to
impeded vision, as well nerves.
“Until now I have not seen one penalty, to be honest – I was
behind the wall my players built up [in front of me] so I will
watch them at home,” he said.
“It was a mixture. Usually I want to see but we couldn’t see
anything. I can’t be on my knees – I had an ACL 20 years
ago and it’s still not 100 per cent! That’s why I sat on a
chair and you could see nothing. And it felt good, to be
honest, only watching the crowd. In the end, we won without
me watching and that’s good.”
Klopp will lead Liverpool out at Wembley on February 28,
but maintained the occasion is all about his players.
"I’m pleased, but you can’t believe how unimportant it is
that I’m in a first cup final and things like this – it’s not
important," he said.
"I am really pleased with being in a cup final for my players
because they deserved it because of so many things that
have happened in the last weeks, how we’ve done in this
tournament, how the game was tonight and the kind of goal
we conceded tonight.
"We stayed in the game, learnt in the game to make it better.
The first half was not too good because it was a second-ball
fight. I spoke about the changing style of Stoke, but I think
they maybe found a way back for one game. It was really
difficult for us.
"There were a lot of set-plays and we did really well tonight.
You saw a very good reaction from the lads. Then we
conceded this goal - half-time and everybody tells us it was
‘double offside’! – and then we went out and had to play
better.
"Winning the first ball is important in a game like this and
winning the second ball is very important, but if you win the
second ball then you have to play. That’s what we forgot in
the first half, although in the second half we did it better.
"We played quick, easy, let them run and you saw control we
got more control in the game, but always when they had the
ball it was difficult around our box to defend these long
balls.
"We did it, we fought hard and had a useful bit of luck in the
penalty shootout. Now we’re in the final – that’s great!"
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