Liverpool's Carabao Cup Dilemma: Should Tottenham Clash Be A Priority For Andoni Iraola?

Liverpool play Tottenham with a spot in the next round of the Carabao Cup on the line, and after a mediocre start to the season under new manager Andoni Iraola, some are calling for the Spanish coach to give high priority to this competition. 

The Carabao Cup, or League Cup as it is known by some, is often seen as the least important or valuable trophy a top-level club can win each season, with the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup seen as better trophies to win. But on the flip side, a trophy is a trophy, and just because the Carabao Cup, on paper, is the easiest of those to win, it shouldn't mean that Liverpool should disregard it. 

Here are a few reasons for and against the idea that the Reds should be prioritising victory over Spurs.

For:

A Club Like Liverpool Should Be Challenging For Everything

Within English Football, there isn't a club more successful than LFC. 20 league titles, eight FA Cups, 16 Community Shields, six Champions Leagues, three Europa Leagues, Four Super Cups, one Club World Cup, and a record 10 League Cups. All this success was not built on past sides ignoring the chance of silverware; no matter how big or small the trophy is, winning becomes a habit, and it should be at Liverpool. 

You have seen from teams in the past that performing well in a different competition can allow the squad to take that confidence into other games. And when you are under new management, as the players are at Anfield, early confidence is huge. 

It Could Be The Best Chance at Silverware This Season

As previously mentioned, the Carabao Cup is seen as one of the easier trophies to win during a season, due to it having fewer teams in it compared to some of the others, and the number of top-quality opposition is even fewer. This, alongside the fact that the likes of Arsenal have come off the back of a Premier League title and Champions League final, makes both those competitions look increasingly difficult to win, especially in Iraola's first season on Merseyside.

Offers Opportunities for Fringe/Young Players To Impress the New Head Coach

Taking the Carabao Cup seriously does not necessarily mean that all of the Reds' first-team players need to feature, with it being vital that Iraola uses his squad to the maximum, especially given the small pool of players he has to work with. Spurs could offer the likes of Trey Nyoni, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Luke Chambers and Lewis Koumas the chance to impress, while in and around some established first-teamers, early in the new head coach's reign.

And that last part is important because, due to the arrival of the new coach, everyone starts from square one, no favourites or preferred players, meaning if you can prove yourself early on, you can establish yourself firmly in the manager's plans for his entire tenure at the club, especially if that tenure begins with cup success. 

Against:

The Premier League & Champions League Must Be The Main Focus

The bread and butter for any side in world football is their domestic league, and being as successful as possible in their respective league, with Liverpool being no exception. So, the issue you have is that by pushing forward in a cup competition, you may risk your league form dropping off, and given how competitive the Premier League looks at the start of this season, it would be a huge issue if the Reds could not maintain strong league form while challenging for a domestic trophy. 

The Premier League also has serious long-term consequences for the club in terms of the amount of money you receive, in particular when a club secures a top 4/Champions League spot for the next season. Without Champions League football, it can severely restrict the amount of money the manager has available to him in the transfer window, with a non-UCL spot possibly costing teams up to £100 million in revenue just from the league phase alone. 

It is not just the money side of things that missing out on the top tier of European football can affect. The calibre of players that can be attracted to the club can also be reduced. Now, Liverpool are fortunate; they are one of the world's biggest football clubs, meaning that even without European football, they can attract good players in the market, but if you want to compete season after season at the sharp end of the league, you need more than just good players; you need elite players.

The Busy Schedule May Force Iraola's Hand

Another issue with raising the importance of this cup tie is the busy schedule that Iraola is having to tackle for the first time in his coaching career. It will be the third game in six days for the squad, and given the lack of senior depth within the LFC ranks, it may force Andoni Iraola to sacrifice a competition for the sake of being competitive in the other three, with rotation for this game something the Spaniard has indicated in his press conference. 

And many will argue that perhaps the club's hierarchy hasn't backed the manager with enough players to cope with the hectic schedule, but be that as it may, it does not change the fact that Iraola is left in a difficult position, and he will know that he is judged primarily on his side's performances and, more importantly, results in league and European games.

So if he feels the best way of meeting those expectations is by rotating heavily and reducing the importance of the Carabao Cup, then so be it. 

Young/Fringe Players Need The Chance To Prove Themselves, The Same XI Can't Play Every Week

If Iraola decided to play his usual starting XI against Spurs in the Carabao Cup, he may well get a positive result on the pitch, but how could that affect things off the pitch? By not playing any of the young or fringe players in a cup game, it shows that not only does the manager not trust you to play, but it could also put future players off signing for the club, as they may see it as too difficult to make their breakthrough into the first team due to a lack of opportunities. 

And the club needs these types of players, ones who may not start week in, week out, but are pushing the first-team players every day in training, knowing that if they impress or the first-team player is in bad form, they might be given an opportunity.

Not rotating may risk players becoming unhappy at a lack of game time, and then you start losing players in an already small squad, which will only make the club weaker and the manager's starting XI choices more difficult in the long run. 

Author's Verdict:

The Carabao Cup should be taken seriously by any manager of any club, and that applies to Liverpool. As stated at the beginning, a trophy is a trophy, and success is built upon gaining momentum and going out there to win every game.

But that doesn't mean that Iraola shouldn't rotate, because whether you agree or disagree, he will be judged on his league and European success or failure.

Iraola should field the strongest lineup he can, while also protecting and resting the players who need it. In your first year in charge of LFC, winning a trophy could be a huge moment and a catalyst for further success.

And if the best chance of that is through the Carabao Cup, the Reds should go for it.

Comment Below: Should Andoni Iraola Prioritise Carabao Cup Success This Season?