The trophy was key in the latest Manchester United revival- but one only has to look at Arsenal last season to see what is at risk.
Kenny Dalglish has the look of a man who is just getting started.
A trophy win this season will surely quell any supporter dissent among Liverpool fans, who are watching their recently maligned side go through a rebuilding phase.
The club’s fall from Premier League title contenders to failing to even qualify for a Europa League spot was a far sharper decline than ever could have been imagined.
But climbing back up the ladder is far tougher than it is to fall off.
So a steady improvement, and a trophy win in Dalglish’s first full season will be a good indicator of progression, and bode well even for a title charge next season if the club make the right moves in the summer.
Manchester United also fell off the radar in the middle of the last decade, and while Liverpool fans may not relish it, it is worth looking to their rivals how they again became successful.
After two years without a league title, and heading for a third, United went all out to win the 2006 Carling Cup.
They won it, beating Wigan 4-0 in the final, and the following year they went onto win the league the next three seasons in succession.
United’s players and staff have described the Carling Cup win as key in the side’s progression, boosting confidence and alleviating pressure from fans.
Liverpool fans may also remember an exciting Carling Cup final just one year earlier, which they lost 3-2 to Chelsea after extra time.
This was Jose Mourinho’s first piece of silverware in England, and gave the side the confidence to go on and clinch the Premier League later that season.
So for Liverpool, winning this year’s Carling Cup can unlock the door to future success, which could even mean a second trip to Wembley via the FA Cup.
But as Arsenal learned last season it can also lead to disaster.
The Gunners were odds on favorites to beat Birmingham City, just like Liverpool are with Cardiff City this year.
Arsenal blew their big chance, crashed out of other competitions and key players decided enough was enough and quit the club, which is now entering a state of turmoil after another trophyless season.
Dalglish’s Liverpool are on a similar knife-edge.
He spent a lot of money on players last year, most of who are yet to convince fans.
If they can become trophy winners in their first season that will be a great help in winning over the supporters, and may even lift a great weight of expectation off their shoulders and allow them to flourish.
Lose, and they and Dalglish will be denounced as failures.
Will Liverpool win the Carling Cup or can Cardiff spring an upset?
image: © Ben Sutherland
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