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There was something strangely encouraging about Jurgen Klopp's immediate post-match interview following the demolition of Southampton in midweek.

Having kept Liverpool on track for a ninth League Cup, the Reds boss donned the headphones, picked up the mic and began chatting to Sky Sports about the club's record-breaking exploits in the competition.

“I've heard about it,” responded Klopp. “But nobody's told me about it until now.

“Are people alive who won this title last time? When was the last time?”

When, amid no little jocularity, the German was informed Liverpool last lifted the trophy as recently as 2012, he said: “Oh yeah, then hopefully! Good! Then I can ask a few people.”

It's almost become customary for a new manager, on his arrival at Anfield, to immerse himself in the history of the club, burying his head in books and poring over clips of the glory days of yesteryear.

Brendan Rodgers did it with great panache. Gerard Houllier, a Liverpool fan for decades, didn't need to. Nor did the likes of Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness or Roy Evans.

Roy Hodgson, meanwhile, went too far the other way, and unsurprisingly failed to ever win over the supporters.

The only other incoming manager not to overly gen up on his Anfield past was Rafael Benitez.

Sure, he understood the size of the club, its standing in world football and the strength of the relationship with the fans.

But of more concern was getting the job done. Of where the club was going, not the past. Of the day to day.

As a result, you never got the impression Benitez was weighed down by the weight of history that has sat uneasily on too many Liverpool shoulders over the last 25 years.

And with some off-field manoeuvres (such as popping out for a pint in Leverkusen) and the odd trophy or two (winning the Champions League always helps) Benitez forged such a bond with the city that his family still live in the region.

Klopp is cut from the same cloth. He's not daft – as a fan of the game, he'll have known a potted history of Liverpool before he arrived.

But it was refreshing to discover that he doesn't know it all about the club. He doesn't want to impress with his intimate knowledge of what's happened in the past.

And, to be honest, why should he?

All Liverpool supporters primarily care about where the club is going.

And by openly admitting to the nation he didn't have a clue the Reds were lifting the League Cup less than four years ago, it's a further example of how Klopp is simply concentrating on the task in hand.

Bigger is not always better

Nice try, FIFA.

Their attempt to deflect attention from the ongoing investigations into corruption and wrong-doing didn't quite hit the mark.

No sooner had they announced a proposal for a 40-team World Cup then the FBI were swooping to make a few more arrests and the headlines were already written.

Unlucky.

Mind you, the idea of inflating further an already bloated tournament is so ridiculous that it's amazing nobody at FIFA hadn't thought of it earlier.

The governing body have apparently taken heart from the manner in which interest in the European Championships has been reignited by the qualification process that has given many of the smaller nations a route to the finals.

The worry, though, is the quality will be diluted when the competition begins in earnest next summer, a point that could be reinforced when the draw for the finals is made next Saturday.

And by making the World Cup bigger, it's effectively ruling out most of the globe from actually hosting the event.

Thankfully, the proposal has seemingly been immediately placed on the back-burner.

Much like most of FIFA's prominent officials, it would appear.

Should we start hating Gary Neville again?

Taking over as head coach at Valencia should hold no fears for Gary Neville.

After all, he's already proven he can achieve things no-one in their right mind would have ever thought possible.

He's made Liverpool supporters like him.

Such has been the former Manchester United shop steward's transformation from hate figure to, well, at least somebody to be respected.

As anybody who has witnessed him on Sky Sports will acknowledge, Neville certainly talks a good game. He knows his onions.

And his banter with Jamie Carragher underlined he is unafraid as ever to speak his mind.

All that, then, will be put to the test in La Liga where he will work alongside brother Phil, who has been on the coaching staff at Valencia since the summer.

The big question now, though, is for Liverpool fans.

Is it okay to start hating Gary Neville again now he's back in football?