King Kenny’s 2012 Liverpool v the 2001 TREBLE cup winners – can the Reds use League Cup glory to Kop the lot again?
Liverpool may have won the League Cup, but Kenny Dalglish and owners FSG will want the team to push on and claim a Champions League place for next season, as well as a return to Wembley in the FA Cup. In that sense, the Reds are seeking to repeat their memorable 2000/01 campaign, when Worthington Cup glory paved the way for one of the most memorable climaxes to a Liverpool season in the club's illustrious history.
How does the current Liverpool situation compare with the 2001 vintage? talkSPORT takes a look at both eras and assesses the modern day Reds' chances of a triumphant end to the season…
2001 AND 2012: THE SIMILARITIES
When Liverpool met second tier Birmingham in the 2001 League Cup final, they did so having gone six years since their previous major silverware (the 1995 League Cup) and five since their last cup final (the 1996 FA Cup final defeat to Man United). Despite being expected by many to sweep aside Trevor Francis' Blues with ease, the Reds conceded a last gasp equaliser and emerged victorious only after a nerve-wracking penalty shoot-out. Sound familiar?
In 2012 Liverpool found themselves facing Championship opposition in the League Cup final again, once more looking to end a six-year trophy drought in their first final appearance in five years (since the 2007 Champions League defeat to Milan). After Cardiff grabbed a late equaliser, the Reds lifted the trophy following another dramatic shoot-out. As in 2001, Liverpool find themselves with little time to enjoy their League Cup success as they attempt to clinch a Champions League spot via the Premier League as well as further cup glory.
HOW THE 2001 AND 2012 TEAMS COMPARE
Going in to the 2000/01 season, Reds boss Gerard Houllier boasted a squad strengthened considerably over the summer, with the likes of England midfielder Nick Barmby, top class full-back Markus Babbel, left-sided attacker Christian Ziege and experienced free transfer Gary McAllister adding depth to the team. Likewise, Kenny Dalglish brought in England's Jordan Henderson, Spanish full-back Jose Enrique, left winger Stewart Downing and free transfer Craig Bellamy, as well as bolstering the midfield with Charlie Adam. The previous season Andy Carroll had arrived as a new target man for the Reds, just as Emile Heskey signed during Liverpool's 1999/2000 campaign.
GOALKEEPERS
In 2001 Dutchman Sander Westerveld was the Reds' number one and was the hero in the League Cup final when his penalty save from Andy Johnson sealed Liverpool's victory. He kept 14 clean sheets in the league that season, but conceded soft goals in a key Premier League game with Chelsea and in the UEFA Cup final that May (see video below), which set alarm bells ringing as the Reds looked to build on their success. Neither prevented Liverpool from achieving their aims that season, but when Westerveld was found wanting in a match at Bolton three games into the next campaign, Houllier ruthlessly replaced him with Jerzy Dudek, also signing Chris Kirkland to completely push the Dutchman out of the picture. By contrast, Pepe Reina is going nowhere, having been one of the Premier League's best 'keepers consistently since arriving at Anfield in 2005 to replace Dudek.
DEFENCE
The 2001 team's success was founded on the best central defensive partnership seen at Anfield since the days of Hansen and Lawrenson. While Sami Hyypia and Stephane Henchoz may not have been as comfortable on the ball as their illustrious predecessors, the Finnish-Swiss pair were formidable defenders in their own right and contributed greatly to the side's success. Aided by the brilliant Markus Babbel at right-back, with a youthful Jamie Carragher as an unlikely left-back, the 2000/01 Liverpool team demonstrated their dogged defensive capabilities most obviously when the Reds faced Barcelona in a tough UEFA Cup semi-final and kept a clean sheet over 180 minutes. Bearing in mind that in recent seasons Barca had, over 90 minutes, put five past Chelsea, four past Arsenal and Leeds and three past Man United and Newcastle, to keep the Catalans at bay over two legs was mightily impressive.
In 2012 Liverpool's defence is again looking impressive, having kept 10 clean sheets in the league to date, with a goals against record second only to leaders Man City. Over a decade on from the Hyypia-Henchoz axis, another Nordic-central European duo are at the heart of the Reds' defence, in the shape of Denmark's Daniel Agger and Slovakian Martin Skrtel (although the former has been ruled out for a few weeks with a fractured rib sustained in the Carling Cup final). Jamie Carragher is still involved, having written his place in history as a true Liverpool legend, although at the age of 34 he has recently become the third choice centre-back, while Glen Johnson and Jose Enrique are arguably the best pair of full-backs seen in a red shirt for many years.
MIDFIELD
In 2001 Liverpool could boast a fantastic midfield blend of defensive steel, attacking flair, experience and youthful energy. With Dietmar Hamann and Gary McAllister, Houllier's team had solidity and class, good enough to stand up to the likes of Man United, Barcelona and Italian champions Roma. Steven Gerrard, then 20, was a threat from the right flank and chipped in with 10 goals, including a sweet strike in a 2-0 home win over Man United and one in the 5-4 UEFA Cup final victory against Alaves. Fellow midfielder Danny Murphy also scored 10 in all competitions, grabbing the winner at Old Trafford, while Nick Barmby scored eight. Vladimir Smicer got seven, as did McAllister, with the veteran Scot's late season scoring streak including vital winners against Everton and Barcelona, as well as a decisive contribution in the UEFA Cup final. As the treble cup campaign drew to a close, Houllier could also call upon the sublime skill of Patrik Berger, with the Czech returning after a five-month spell out injured. Berger's FA Cup final cameo included a brilliant pass to set up Michael Owen for his dramatic late winner against Arsenal (see video below).
Steven Gerrard remains a key man in the 2012 Anfield engine room, but injuries have restricted his contribution this season. In the skipper's absence, new boys Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson have failed to weigh in with goals, with a meagre two between them in all competitions to date. Although deployed from the bench more often than not, thirtysomething attacking midfielders Dirk Kuyt and Maxi Rodriguez have eight strikes so far, including a crucial goal in the League Cup final for the Dutchman, not to mention key goals in cup wins over Man United and Chelsea. If the 2012 Liverpool team are to have any hope of going on to further success in the coming months, as the 2001 team did, the midfield must begin to match their predecessors' contribution in the goals for column. It should also be pointed out that Dalglish's men have been missing key defensive midfielder Lucas, since the Brazilian was ruled out for the season in November, and have done well to cope with his absence considering the lack of a like-for-like replacement.
ATTACK
Robbie Fowler scored 17 goals for Liverpool in 2000/01, yet finished only third highest goal scorer at the club that season. Gerard Houllier had the luxury of picking from three players in rich form at various stages of the season, meaning that Emile Heskey (22 goals) and Michael Owen (24) were also vital components in a campaign that yielded three cups and a Champions League place. The ability to clinically punish the opposition was a key feature of Liverpool's success, as Owen demonstrated with this finish, one of two he scored as the Reds beat Serie A leaders Roma 2-0 away from home…
By contrast, at this stage of the 2011/12 season only one of Liverpool's biggest goal threats has reached double figures, with Luis Suarez leading the way on ten goals (although his tally has probably been affected by being banned for nine matches). Craig Bellamy, usually deployed on the left side by Dalglish, has scored a very respectable nine goals from 13 starts (29 appearances in total. See the video below for his Carling Cup semi-final goal), but is used sparingly, while Andy Carroll has just six from 20 starts (32 games in total). This lack of cutting edge has led to Liverpool drawing eight of their 12 games at home this season, against the likes of Blackburn, Swansea, Norwich and Stoke City (although their excellent defensive record means they are also unbeaten at Anfield).
2001 AND 2012: THE DIFFERENCES
No European football
Having won the League Cup in 2001, Liverpool faced five games in the space of 15 days as March rolled around. They duly lost their next match 2-0 at Leicester in the Premier League, followed by three more cup games, with an FA Cup quarter-final win at Tranmere (see video below) sandwiched by a 2-0 aggregate win over Porto in the UEFA Cup, then a tired 1-1 draw with Derby at Anfield. A weekend of international matches interrupted Liverpool's run, but didn't help them when Reds attacker Jari Litmanen broke his wrist playing for Finland against England at Anfield, ruling him out for the run-in.
This time round Liverpool have no European commitments and, while that means there is one less trophy to aim for, Dalglish's side still have a congested fixture list to tackle in March 2012. The Reds have six games in 21 days, with the huge Premier League home match against Arsenal followed by league fixtures at Sunderland away, Everton at home, Stoke at Anfield in the FA Cup quarters, then QPR away, before finishing off a punishing schedule at home to Wigan. If they can emerge from those matches closer to the top four and still in the FA Cup, Dalglish will be confident that momentum can carry the team to further glory.
Different Premier League positions
When Gerard Houllier's Liverpool were celebrating their 2001 League Cup success on the Millennium Stadium pitch, they did so with 45 points from 26 games on the board already in the Premier League, sat in third place (which at that time was the final position that offered Champions League football). Houllier's Reds were fighting off the likes of Sunderland, Ipswich Town, Leeds United, Leicester and Charlton for that final Champions League spot, having agonisingly missed out on qualifying for Europe's premier tournament on the last day of the previous season. This was a team primed and ready to bring European Cup football back to Anfield for the first time since the European ban was imposed in 1985.
Fast forward 11 years and, while Liverpool harbour hopes of returning to the Champions League, the situation is not nearly as promising. The Reds were never in contention for the top four last season and now find themselves with three clubs above them in the race for Champions League football, sat seven points behind fourth-placed Arsenal and fifth-placed Chelsea (far tougher competition than existed in 2001), with Newcastle four points clear of Liverpool in sixth place. Kenny Dalglish's team do have a game in hand (the Merseyside derby at home to Everton), but realistically must beat the Gunners at Anfield in their next match if they are to begin a run of results capable of securing fourth.
Goals scored
After 26 games of the 2011/12 Premier League season, Liverpool have scored 29 goals and have a goal difference of plus six. By comparison, after 26 games of the 2000/01 season, Liverpool had scored 47 goals and had a goal difference of plus 19. A 4-0 win at Charlton in the club's final 2000/01 Premier League fixture sealed Champions League football and took the Reds' goal tally to a remarkable 127 in all competitions that season, second only to the 129 goals scored in 1981/82. As described above, Houllier's 2001 Liverpool team had plenty of players in goal scoring form (see video below), which certainly can't be said of the current team so far this season.
Liverpool put eight past Stoke City in the 2000/01 League Cup…
COULD LIVERPOOL'S 2012 LEAGUE CUP WINNERS BE MORE 2003 THAN 2001?
The worry for Kopites is that the 2012 League Cup success could prove to be more like their last victory in that competition, which came two years after the 2001 win. In 2003, Houllier led Liverpool to their second Worthington Cup triumph of his reign, beating arch rivals Man United to make it a sweet success (see video below). However, despite putting silverware in the trophy cabinet, that win only briefly papered over the cracks of a disappointing season, in which Liverpool's summer signings - El-Hadji Diouf, Salif Diao and Bruno Cheyrou - flopped as the team failed to claim a Champions League place, finishing fifth after losing to fourth-place rivals Chelsea on the final day of the season. Having finished second in 2001/02 and started the 2002/03 season with nine wins and three draws from the first 12 games, a shocking winter run of 12 games without a Premier League win sent the Reds from first to seventh. It was the beginning of the end for the Frenchman at Anfield and he was given the boot at the end of the 2003/04 season, having guided Liverpool into the Champions League, although mainly thanks to the paucity of rivals for fourth spot than any improvement in his team.
TALKSPORT'S VERDICT
While Liverpool's present side will hope to emulate the 2001 team - adding to their League Cup win by clinching a Champions League place and lifting more silverware - they cannot match their predecessors' achievements. The 2012 team can 'only' do a cup double, of course, while the 2001 side added the UEFA Cup to their domestic victories. The modern day team will also find it far harder to seal a Champions League spot, despite needing to finish fourth, rather than the third place required in 2001. That said, even if Kenny Dalglish's side miss out on fourth and don't add the FA Cup to the Anfield trophy cabinet, the Scot has assembled a group of players on the up this season, unlike Houllier's 2003 League Cup winners.
Perhaps the most important lesson to learn from looking back at the 2001 team is that, despite the ups and downs that followed, during a five-year period under Houllier and then Rafa Benitez, Liverpool lifted two FA Cups, two League Cups, a UEFA Cup and, most famously, the European Cup. As Benitez might say, that's a fact! There is no doubt that in 2001 the Reds regained a winning feeling that is integral to all serially successful teams - a feeling that was commonplace during the 1970s and 1980s at Anfield, but faded away in the 1990s. Lifting the 2001 League Cup was the catalyst for a period of success that yielded plenty of silverware for the likes of Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Sami Hyypia and Dietmar Hamann. The only trophy missing was that elusive Premier League title and, if the club can add a goal scoring edge to Dalglish's squad, just maybe this time round they can go on to win number 19, too.
What do you think the current Liverpool team and manager can go on to achieve this season and beyond? Have your say by commenting below…