LEWIS STEELE: There is life after Jurgen Klopp for Liverpool. Wembley marked the beginning of the end… but there’s no need to worry for a new era

When Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds was belted out by Liverpool fans during the post-trophy lift celebrations at Wembley, it was hard not to notice that the lyrics were perfectly appropriate for the next era.

The Carabao Cup victory marked the beginning of the end of the Jurgen Klopp dynasty on Merseyside, a trophy-laden period full of memories that will last a lifetime for Liverpool fans. But given the quality of the next generation, you have nothing to worry about.

And everything will probably be fine when Klopp leaves in May. Of course, things may not go back to business as usual straight away, but there is too much talent in this squad, be it the first team or those waiting in the reserves, to fail without the German on the sidelines.

That is not a negative for Klopp. Sunday’s victory will long be remembered as a mastermind effort from the 58-year-old. Not in a conventional sense, mind you. This was not won by a clever tactical plan, but rather by a defiant display of fighting spirit, hunger and faith.

Football is often too complicated these days, but this final was decided for the simple reason that Liverpool wanted victory more than Chelsea. Their players – and fans – didn’t give up, kept believing they could get over the line and did just that.

The Reds get their first trophy of the season by beating Chelsea at Wembley

“I don’t care about my legacy,” Klopp said after the match. “I’m not here to create one. It’s not about me… as long as our people and supporters are the way they are, Liverpool FC will be fine.”

He’s right, but even if he doesn’t care how he will be remembered, it will be days like Sunday and weeks like that one that come to mind when fans in the decades to come are asked which memories were the best under Klopp.

With the injury list in double figures, Ryan Gravenberch the latest casualty and Wataru Endo also leaving Wembley with his ankle in a support brace, Liverpool had to dig deep and the limits of the threadbare squad were tested.

But as Klopp said last week: ‘It’s not about who plays, it’s about how we play’. He added on Sunday: “Age is not in our thoughts (when they send teenagers).” He doesn’t care that people like Bobby Clark, Jayden Danns and James McConnell are teenagers.

For him it will be a matter of ‘if you’re good enough, you’re old enough’. And those guys are certainly good enough, as are many more guys waiting in the wings, like Trey Nyoni and Lewis Koumas who didn’t advance, or Kaide Gordon who didn’t quite make the roster.

Many of them will get the chance to prove their worth again against Southampton on Wednesday in an FA Cup tie in which the starting XI forecasters will earn their keep. Klopp cannot afford to risk more injuries by asking those who have played 120 minutes to return to the pit.

Liverpool have an FA Youth Cup tie at Leeds on Thursday evening and poor Marc Bridge-Wilkinson’s under-18 team could be decimated before that, with Klopp likely to be forced to ask for more young stars to fill the numbers for the visit of to make up for Southampton.

But the biggest legacy of last week, including that win over Luton, which the boss described as being ‘up there with beating Barcelona’ as his proudest days as a coach, will be the willingness of players to fight for the shirt regardless whether they had played 500 games. matches or five minutes in advance.

Liverpool’s injury list was already in double figures before Ryan Gravenberch was stretchered off midway through the match

There is more than enough talent in the squad so that fans can have confidence in a bright future

So while Liverpool fans are right to worry about the future in the post-Klopp era, Sunday’s triumph showed that, like Marley’s song, everything will be fine.

Regardless of who is at the helm, Kirkby’s production line continues to deliver these gems.