Programme notesArne Slot: Be inspired by League Cup tradition - but let's take our own steps

The Reds lifted the trophy for a record-extending 10th time in February under Jürgen Klopp, beating Chelsea 1-0 after extra-time on a day at Wembley that saw several youngsters play their part in glory.

The team’s defence of the cup begins with an Anfield third-round tie versus West Ham United tonight (8pm BST kick-off) and Slot is eager to see his squad write a new chapter in the club’s rich history in the competition.

“I am well aware that under Jürgen, Liverpool won this trophy in special circumstances last season and that the club has a very strong tradition in this competition,” writes the head coach in the official matchday programme.

“These are the kind of elements – the moments, the history and the glory – which make Liverpool the club that it is and we should always look to use them to inspire us because they show what is possible.

“Tonight, though, is only the start of a journey for us as a group. Yes, the players will have muscle memory from last season and this can help us of course but at the same time we know we have to take our own steps and see where they take us. We cannot depend on what happened before.”

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Slot suggested during Tuesday’s pre-match press conference that he could shuffle his options for the visit of Julen Lopetegui’s Hammers.

But, continuing on the theme in his programme notes, the Dutchman insisted Liverpool’s line-up will be crafted with the emphasis on delivering another positive result.

“There has been a lot of focus on which team I would select for this tie but the reality is quite simple – I will select one that I feel is in our best interests both in terms of looking to qualify for the next round and using the squad as best as we possibly can,” says Slot.

“At the time of writing these notes the players have not trained since the win over AFC Bournemouth so, as usual, it will be a case of assessing who is best placed to start this game but one thing should be very clear – whoever takes to the field will be capable of contributing to what we hope will be another strong team performance.

“This is what we got against Bournemouth on Saturday and there were many things that pleased me about how we played and the way that we competed.

“The goals speak for themselves of course but there were many other positives that do not grab attention in the same way and it is important that we recognise them because we will need them going forward.

“One of the areas that pleased me most was our willingness to defend and our desire not to concede goals. One of the best examples was Caoimhin Kelleher, who was determined to keep a clean sheet and made some very good saves, but there were many other examples from players in all positions whether this involved making blocks, winning duels, chasing back or being in the right position.

“Which is not to say we got everything right. The fact that Caoimhin had to make as many saves as he did shows that there were occasions when we could have defended better but the overall commitment to defending was very pleasing to see, especially as it is a quality that we are going to need, not just tonight but in every game going forward.

“Before the last game I actually told the players that I am still learning from them day by day and one of the things I was curious about was how they would react to beating AC Milan in the Champions League.

“I had already seen their reaction to the defeat against Nottingham Forest and this was very positive, but reacting to a big win against one of Europe’s most historical clubs is also a test in its own way.

“We had faced a similar situation after beating Manchester United and we followed that up with the loss to Forest so it was very pleasing to see us cope with these kind of challenges the way we did over the last week because it shows a strong mentality. Again, we will need this tonight and in the future.”

• Get your copy of the matchday programme at Anfield tonight or order online here