Shane Long strike seals Southampton’s final dream at Liverpool

In the 2015-16 campaign, the Ireland global had arguably the best year of his career, reaching double figures in the Premier League for the first time over the course of a season.

Puel faced criticism when his side drew with Hapoel Be’er Sheva to exit the Europa League group stage this season.

“It is important for all of the players, the squad, to play this game with a positive attitude”.

Southampton players were understandably in a jubilant mood on Wednesday night.

Progress might be even more satisfying for the south-coast team because it has acted as a virtual feeder club to Liverpool in recent seasons with the likes of Nathaniel Clyne, Adam Lallana, Sadio Mane, Dejan Lovren and Rickie Lambert making the journey from St. Mary’s Stadium to Anfield.

Meanwhile, Southampton manager Claude Puel revealed after the Premier League win over Leicester City at the weekend: “We know Liverpool“.

Southampton secured their first League Cup final since 1979 with a stunning 1-0 victory at Anfield, deservedly claiming a 2-0 aggregate semifinal win over Jurgen Klopp’s team, who are now under threat of seeing their season unravel. Oriel Romeu was outstanding as the repeller-in-chief and Fraser Forster will never make a better save, or saves, than he did to deny Emre Can, first blocking then batting the ball off the line with a great swipe of a right hand.

If Liverpool come out with their fluid, attacking game-play, they can destroy the Saints easily, but if the visitors remain defensively solid and can counter at a blistering pace, then it will be a tight contest. Despite creating a lot of chances, the Saints could only get a one-goal advantage; courtesy Nathan Redmond. A lucky save, a good save but a lucky save by Forster.

Most notably, he highlighted a potential handball from Long in the Saints’ penalty area, which he believes should have been awarded as a penalty.

“The handball was for me obvious. Look, maybe it’s not interesting and I don’t look for excuses or anything, but it’s really hard to accept it week, by week, by week, by week”, Klopp said.

Liverpool now have failed to win any of their last four League Cup semi-finals at home.

Having said that, Klopp accepted that Southampton was the deserved victor. They always, always carried that goal threat. “We are not the favourites, it is the second leg away against a great team with great players but it is a positive because the pressure is on them not us”. On the past two occasions where they have been down, they succeeded in coming back, but this was many years ago.