Post: The League Cup was supposed to be a shot in the arm, but Slott’s major strategic misjudgment trampled on Liverpool’s Cup tradition

On October 30, Liverpool defeated Crystal Palace 0-3 at home in this round of the League Cup. "Mail" reporter Craig Hope wrote an article stating: The League Cup is the most valuable domestic cup in the world. Arne Slott trampled on Liverpool's proud tradition through self-harming formations.

Of all Slott's recent mistakes, the lineup he chose to knock Liverpool out of the League Cup was the first major defeat. Don't accuse this of disrespecting the competition - the Carabao Cup would still be great without this Liverpool side. No, this is simply self-harm. The only thing Slott trampled on was the club's proud cup tradition. In the context of the team's difficulties this season, this is a serious strategic misjudgment.

Unlike the FA Cup, the League Cup can boost the season rather than drag it down. Like a sponsor's energy drink, the event energizes the season and its schedule has its own unique advantages.

The Cup comes at a stage of the season full of endless possibilities. A winning streak can both ignite excitement in the stands and shape the tempo on the field. It defines the narrative of the season, writing the opening chapter with the adventure and promise of fulfillment.

The core dilemma facing the FA Cup is this: when the competition begins, the hopes and fears of the Premier League have taken over. The early optimism was drowned out by other priorities - including the League Cup, which was already in its late stages.

For the wealthy clubs, the Champions League has also entered a critical stage at this time. The third and fourth rounds of the FA Cup are more like distractions than training opportunities, and a bye weekend is even more precious.

But the League Cup is completely different, especially at the beginning of the season when the lineup is more complete and the players are still competing for the main position. The passion of autumn can always overcome fatigue, and even rotation is a good opportunity to prove yourself. This tournament has never felt tasteless, partly because as early as the fourth round, most of the matchups were already Premier League civil wars. These are spark-scattering contests, not insignificant cutscenes.

I asserted after the semi-finals last season and I reiterate it again now - the League Cup is the world's top domestic cup. The two-round semi-final showdown was broadcast live on prime-time television, and all Premier League clubs fielded their strongest lineups, which is unique.

League Cup chairman Rick Parry quoted my views to distinguished guests in the Royal Box at Wembley before Newcastle's final against Liverpool in March. As far as I know, no one at the scene raised any objections.

I witnessed that final and the subsequent FA Cup final live - I must admit that both were wonderful feasts. But the League Cup final was even better. Why? Because it's more deeply rooted in the main narrative of the season, and it's crazier and more intense. The result itself is very important (especially for Newcastle, the champions who have not had a domestic trophy in 70 years), and it also affects the subsequent journey. Newcastle then advanced to the Champions League, just as they did after reaching the final in 2023.

In contrast, the FA Cup final is more like a sunny celebration at the end of the season, like a grand curtain call. It's great for Championship Palace, but it feels more like tying a decorative ribbon on the season. At that time, apart from the participating clubs, fans were either hung up on their respective fates or already looking ahead to the summer holidays. The League Cup final held in mid-March is closely intertwined with the context of the season.

On Wednesday night, I was at the sold-out St James' Park to witness Newcastle's 2-0 victory over Tottenham. The two sides made a total of 12 rotations, but the overall strength of the Premier League makes it impossible to accuse either side of being "perfunctory". Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali, who is worth 55 million pounds, played his best performance of the season, showing his absolute dominance of technology and physical fitness. German center Nick Waltermed, worth £69 million, scored for the Magpies for the sixth time.

This is a heavyweight showdown, its significance far exceeds the League Cup of the past and even the early rounds of the current FA Cup. In fact, the quality of the game even surpassed most games in the Champions League during the same period.

The scores of each game were circulated in the media room. Every goal has a hidden secret: Liverpool fell behind by two goals at halftime! Wolves are launching a counterattack against Chelsea that could save their manager! Manchester City suffered defeat at Swansea! Even on a Premier League match day, it is rare for five focus games to be staged at the same time.

In the following hour, the quarter-final draw ceremony took advantage of the situation to continue the heat. When the draw was broadcast live on television in the pubs around St. James' Park, the cheers when the home match against Fulham was shown was no less ebullient than when Walter Mede scored. The cup's importance extends far beyond Tyneside.

That's why Slott's decision was so wrong. A victory could have been a shot in the arm for Liverpool, but instead they were once again suffering from a hangover. What they need most at this moment is the desire to open champagne.