There isn’t much I can say about Liverpool’s incredible Carabao Cup victory that hasn’t already been said. But even so, it would be wrong of me not to at least acknowledge one of the most unusual games of the season.

The way Jürgen Klopp’s Under-12 team held off the challenge of “billion-pound bottlers” Chelsea despite it being past their bedtime has made this one of the most written about finals in decades.

But one point I haven’t seen mentioned so far – but which is a thought that is definitely bouncing around in my head – is whether seeing his children lift this trophy will have any bearing on Klopp’s decision to leave the club at the end of the season.

Had this victory been achieved by a full-strength Liverpool including the likes of Alisson Becker, Mohammed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Dominik Szoboszlai, Joel Matip, Diogo Jota and Trent Alexander Arnold, then I am sure Klopp would have been overjoyed.

Nothing helps shake off that feeling of being drained and listless quite like standing on the threshold of something special
However, the fact that the 1-0 triumph came in the absence of so many established stars, with young and inexperienced players stepping up to the plate, will have made the victory so much sweeter. It will have given Klopp an enthralling glimpse of the future which is, evidently, bursting with potential.

And nothing helps shake off that feeling of being drained and listless quite like standing on the threshold of something special.

The simple truth is walking away from a bunch of massively promising youngsters is going to be a damn sight harder than saying goodbye to a group of players who are either firmly established or entering the latter stages of their careers.

Let’s not forget, Sir Alex Ferguson announced he would be retiring at the end of the 2002 season before changing his mind and going on to lead Manchester United for more than another decade.

So, this sort of decision is not irreversible by any stretch of the imagination.

Having said that, I still believe Klopp will end up leaving Anfield in a few months’ time, possibly and probably with a couple more trophies to his name.

But what his young lads achieved last Sunday will make his departure a whole lot more emotional.

Meme attack

Meanwhile, has a football game ever generated as many memes as that final?

There were tons of them, of wildly varying humour levels, pretty much all focussed on the staggeringly young age of the Klopp’s team.

My favourite? The simple one that said, in the wake of Liverpool’s win, post-match doping tests revealed that four of the squad tested positive. For Calpol.

Class.

Haaland on the rampage

If there were any doubts about Erling Haaland’s form, I think it’s safe to say he put those to bed on Tuesday night.

In fact, he didn’t just put them to bed but took them a mug of cocoa, tucked them in and read them a bedtime story.

After two months out with a foot injury, the Norwegian hitman hadn’t been showing his usual prowess in front of goal since his return. And this prompted some people to start wondering if he would be able to get back to his best this season.