Tuesday 19 September 2017 23:12, UK
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp should have picked a stronger team in their 2-0 defeat at Leicester City in the Carabao Cup third round on Tuesday night, says Tim Sherwood.
Liverpool, who made eight changes from Saturday's 1-1 home draw with Burnley in the Premier League, exited the competition at the first time of asking to cap off a miserable winless past 10 days for Klopp and his players.
However, Sherwood - who captained Blackburn to the Premier League in 1995 - has criticised the German for not fielding a full-strength side at the King Power given they were up against fellow top-flight opponents.
"Certainly when you are playing against another Premier League club, you have to pick a team that you think can win the game," the former Tottenham boss told The Debate.
"And I think he [Klopp] has got it wrong tonight. Those Liverpool fans travelling home, they want to win a trophy. There are not many trophies out there to win and this is a good one to start off with.
"He has already been to a final and he needs to go one step further and nick a trophy, because at the moment it is not good for Liverpool Football Club.
"The pressure is mounting on him and this will not help tonight. It is alright being unlucky all the time, but people stop listening in the end. You need to get results."
The pressure is mounting on him and this will not help tonight
With Liverpool already five points behind early pace-setters Manchester United and Manchester City at the top of the table, Klopp should be targeting success in the cup competitions, according to Sherwood.
"They should show it more respect," he said. "There are not many trophies out there to go for. Winning the Premier League is very hard to do as people have seen. Winning the Champions League is even harder.
"Then you are left with the FA Cup and the League Cup and the longer you go in this tournament, people start playing their strongest sides.
"Why not be in it? They have got big squads now these teams and the kid [Ben] Woodburn will now end up playing more for Wales than he will for Liverpool.
"They probably kept him and did not put him out on loan because he would get League Cup experience of playing competitive football.
"But now they are out and he is going to have no football unless he plays in the Premier League and I cannot see much action for him once the pressure comes on them."
