Luis: Liverpool will have to adapt to Cup challenges
Luis Garcia knows from his own experiences of the FA Cup that Liverpool will have to adapt to the unfamiliar conditions when they kick off their quest for the trophy at Exeter City tonight.
With a series of injuries limiting the options available to Jürgen Klopp and a jammed January fixture list making rotation a must, the Reds can expect a challenge in the third-round tie at St James Park.
The manager has spoken repeatedly since his appointment about the importance of his team responding to the changing factors in any given game – something they undoubtedly achieved in securing a 1-0 win over Stoke City in their Capital One Cup semi-final first leg on Tuesday.
Garcia expects it to be crucial again as his former club face the League Two outfit, having learned from similar potential banana skins during his time with Liverpool.
The Spaniard told Liverpoolfc.com: “I remember a couple of games where we struggled – you try to play football but it’s not easy playing against lower-league teams.
“You can’t think that you’ll just go onto the pitch and win, it’s not like that, it’s always difficult to beat them. You have to change because normally the pitches are not quite the same.
“You go to different places, teams go deep at the back, very compact and it’s difficult to try to play your football. You have to change and maybe play long balls and adapt to the situation.”
Though he was ruled out of the incredible final against West Ham United due to suspension, Garcia played a pivotal role in helping the Reds lift the FA Cup in 2006.
It was the forward’s dipping, swerving volley past the stretch of Carlo Cudicini that decided a 2-1 result over Chelsea in the semi-final at Old Trafford and sent Rafael Benitez’s team to the Millennium Stadium.
“It was a fantastic run and we had to face Chelsea once again,” reflected Garcia, who scored twice for the Liverpool FC Legends during a 4-0 win in Sydney on Thursday.
“We knew it would be difficult but we managed to go through with a 2-1 win at Old Trafford. Going into the final, it was very important to try to get another trophy for the club and one of the good ones.
“When I arrived there, the guys told me that it was a very important cup, one of the most important for the supporters and English people.
“You understand that when you arrive in the final. I didn’t have a chance to play in it, unfortunately, but it was a fantastic road and I enjoyed it so much.”