Klopp disproves Carragher's 'distraction' claims in latest Liverpool win

Jurgen Klopp may have been accused of viewing the FA Cup as merely a "distraction" in the past, but the German's Liverpool line-up against Benfica on Wednesday night proved that is no longer the case.

The Reds kept their quadruple hopes alive as they secured their passage to the Champions League semi-finals following a frantic 3-3 draw at Anfield. Though many may see the scoreline as cause for concern, there can be no denying Klopp's decision to shuffle his pack paid off.

The German made seven changes in all for the Anfield return as he continued to successfully negotiate what is a critical week in the Reds' season. The Benfica bout came smack-bang in the middle of a mega seven days which started with last Sunday's potential Premier League showdown and ends with yet another Manchester City meeting, this time at Wembley in the FA Cup semis.

All eyes were on Klopp ahead of Wednesday's second leg as many pondered what plan the German tactician had hatched with regards to team selection. His star-studded squad could be forgiven for their exhaustion following Sunday's Etihad epic and with Champions League and FA Cup commitments to come, something had to give.

In the past, Klopp has prioritised Europe, but this season, it's been a different story - as proven by the Reds' League Cup success back in February. On Wednesday night, Klopp went some way to further disproving Jamie Carragher's "distraction" claims.

Back in December, the Liverpool legend accused Klopp of having regarded English football's domestic cup competitions as a hindrance. In a Telegraph column, he wrote: "The club have to maximise their chances of winning all four competitions they enter every season, recognising the League Cup and the FA Cup as worthy prizes.

HAVE YOUR SAY! Will Liverpool win the quadruple this season? Let us know in the comments section

"The team Klopp inherited was close in the 'lesser' competitions, losing the Europa League final and League Cup final in his first season in 2016. Since then there has been a sense of the League Cup and FA Cup being distractions, the main focus being on finishing in the top four or, more recently, saving the energy of star players for the Premier League and European Cup bids...

"Liverpool need to get on board that Wembley bus to ensure the promise of another campaign packed with brilliant collective and individual performances does not go unfulfilled."

There can be no accusing the German of not valuing the cup this time around. So far, Klopp's plan has worked to perfection. A 3-1 win in Lisbon last week has enabled him to fully focus on Saturday's semi and silence those calling for him to show the world's oldest cup competition some respect.

The Reds will go into the clash relatively well-rested and Klopp will have all his stars at his disposal, which is more than can be said for Saturday's opponents City. Fresh injuries to Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker against Atletico Madrid will have left Pep Guardiola sweating as his side's failure to clinch a commanding first leg lead left the Spaniard unable to tinker.

As for Klopp, it seems cup distractions are a thing of the past. The 54-year-old has created an all-conquering squad capable of creating history this campaign and they are on the cusp of achieving just yet.

There can be no more condemning Klopp for his previous decisions to pick his priorities. He should only be lauded for transforming Liverpool into a formidable force capable of fighting on all four fronts.