“I’ve had a few finals in my life and I know there was never an easy one”.
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He said: “The second half is my responsibility”.
Emre Can teed up his second in the 29th minute with a ball even more audacious than Allen’s, bent into Sturridge’s path with the outside of his foot.
There was further misery for a stunned Southampton as Moreno’s drive from a partially cleared corner received a faint touch from Origi as it fizzed past Stekelenburg.
Klopp appeared to feel similarly when, as a precaution, he replaced Sturridge with Ibe in the 59th minute, and had he any remaining doubt it would have vanished only nine minutes later when Origi extended their lead.
Ibe got in on the act on 73 minutes when Moreno’s cross from the left by-line dropped to him on the edge of the box and he chest the ball down before firing low into the net.
Substitute Brad Smith crossed, again from the left, deep into the penalty area towards Origi, and the striker routinely headed in to secure Liverpool’s sixth, and his treble.
The attacking midfield positions are likely to be occupied by Phillipe Coutinho, Adam Lallana and Roberto Firmino.
It was an encounter that could hardly have gone much better for Liverpool and Klopp.
“He doesn’t have to play in all the games, but if we can decide when is the right moment to fight, and when is the right moment for recovery, everything should be okay”.
‘It’s in January, though, so we have to wait a bit.
Last week, Klopp said the England worldwide must overcome the pain barrier to put his injury nightmares behind him.
Klopp made seven changes from the team that beat Swansea City at the weekend and perhaps he thought he might come under the cosh after Southampton went up only thirty-six seconds in. The Liverpool supporters would love a second consecutive semi final run in the competition, giving us a chance to win our first trophy since lifting the same cup back in 2011.
“I said to Sturridge after the game “now I know what everybody is talking about so thank you”, said Klopp of the striker who, owing to injury, has scarcely featured since the conclusion of the 2013/14 season in which his 24 goals nearly inspired Liverpool to the league title. The boss told his team’s news site “I was very pleased how Steven came onto the pitch and did a great job against City and he will start”. We had such a bright start in the game and we didn’t seem to keep up that intensity.
He displayed all the qualities needed of a forward to flourish under Jurgen Klopp’s “fighting football” system in his first start for the German: movement, pace, technique and the ability to trouble defences and destroy a goalkeeper.
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“We fought very hard, we have quality and we press very high”.
