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Cape Town — Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp believes the 1-0 win over Merseyside rivals Everton in the FA Cup sent an ‘important message’ to the critics.

The Reds boss made nine alterations, handing two starting debuts to Nat Phillips —brought back from a loan spell at Stuttgart to play in the game — and new signing Takumi Minamino, and a third to 19-year-old Yasser Larouci.

Another academy graduate, 18-year-old Toxteth-born Curtis Jones, scored a brilliant 71st-minute winner, but the whole team — with a value of just £43.9 million at kick-off —showed why Klopp put faith in them to give his first team stars a day off.

When James Milner was forced off after nine minutes, to be replaced by Larouci, and handed the armband to Adam Lallana, it meant the latter had more appearances for the club than the rest of the side put together.

That did not show, though, as the Reds weathered an early Everton storm before clinically taking victory.

“We never take it for granted. I would love to see a few people and ask them what they thought about the line-up, and all these bad things about me and the FA Cup and no respect,” Klopp said.

“It’s a very important message. If you want to be a Liverpool player, you have to respect the principles of this club.

“We cannot always play the best football in the world, but we can fight like nobody else, and as long as we use our principles then we will be a difficult opponent to play against.”

This tie was the fifth competition Liverpool had played in the previous 27 days, so it was little surprise Klopp decided to give his jaded Premier League leaders a rest.

Had the injury situation at the club not been as bad as it is — the return of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain left six senior players unavailable — Klopp would have fielded a stronger side, but what was essentially a third-string line-up did him proud.

“It’s very important we give the boys this opportunity. I tell them in training that it’s important not all of them, in their first impulse, go out on loan. There is something to learn here as well,” he added.

“We saw these boys come closer and closer to being ready to play for us. I’m really happy about that.

“It made me really proud and I told the boys they have to be proud in that performance because it was exceptional.” 

Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta believes winning the FA Cup could be a great catalyst for the club to build a winning mentality again.

The Gunners host Championship leaders Leeds yesterday in the third round and the tournament appears a good bet for the club to secure silverware this season.

Arteta has an illustrious history with the FA Cup having won the competition with Arsenal in 2014 and 2015 while also helping Manchester City to success during the past two seasons as assistant to Pep Guardiola.

Now a head coach in his own right, the Spaniard is eager to give this squad an early taste of success under his management.

“I think winning brings togetherness and when you have beautiful experiences together and you win trophies, those experiences stay within that group,” Arteta said.

“You like more the people you work with and you believe more in them and share some fantastic moments and that stays.

“That habit of winning, winning and winning. After you win, you don’t want to stop winning and you become addicted to that and that is what we have to try and implement at this club.”

When Arteta lifted the FA Cup with Arsenal in 2014, it ended their eight-year spell without a trophy under Arsene Wenger.

The Gunners would go on to win it two more times — making them the most successful club in the history of the tournament with 13 triumphs overall.

He added: “When I arrive here, obviously we were trying to fight for the Premier League, but at the time we didn’t quite have the level to sustain it every year, so the cups become very important.

“This club has a massive history with that, and it was eight years without winning absolutely anything, so for us to lift that first FA Cup was a massive relief.

“It generated a really good belief and unity around our team and that helped that group of players to achieve what they achieved later when they won other cups.” — Sport24.— AFP.