"Don't get me wrong" - Paul Merson makes huge Liverpool claim while talking about Mohamed Salah and Jurgen Klopp

Paul Merson has claimed that Liverpool would rather lose Mohamed Salah than Jurgen Klopp if they had to choose between the two. The pundit believes the German manager is irreplaceable.

The Reds lifted the Carabao Cup trophy on Sunday night (25 February) after a 1-0 win over Chelsea in the final. Raheem Sterling and Virgil van Dijk had a goal each disallowed during the regulation 90, leaving the two teams to battle it out in extra time.

While the Liverpool skipper's first header was ruled out due to offside, Van Dijk's second one in the 118th minute stood to secure his side's first trophy of the season.

Speaking after the triumph at Wembley, Merson highlighted the importance of Jurgen Klopp for the Merseysiders. The Sky Sports pundit said:

"If you are Liverpool, you'd rather lose Salah than Klopp. Don't get me wrong, Salah is one of the best players in the world. He's arguably the best in his position."

Merson added:

"However, you just have to see what happened at Wembley on Sunday to see Klopp's importance to Liverpool. He's phenomenal. I was at Wembley and said right after the final whistle that it was the greatest achievement Klopp has ever had in football. Later on, he came out and said it."

"You can't have anything but massive respect for Klopp."

The Reds will next face Southampton in the FA Cup at Anfield on Wednesday night (28 February).

"This was so special" - Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp reacts to Carabao Cup triumph

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has claimed that his side's Carabao Cup win over Chelsea is the most special trophy of his career.

The Reds were without several first-team players, including Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, and Diogo Jota. The Merseysiders were able to overcome Chelsea despite their lengthy injury list.

The encounter saw youngsters Harvey Elliot and Conor Bradley feature in the starting XI while multiple academy players earned a chance to play in the final from the bench.

Speaking after the victory, Klopp said (via BBC):

"In my 20 years, this is easily the most special trophy. I couldn't care less about my legacy. I was not here to create one. This was so special."

Klopp added:

"What happened here was absolutely insane, these things are not possible. The team, a squad, an academy full of character. I am so proud I could be part of that tonight."