Rise Again: Four Legendary Managers Who Triumphed After Losing Their First Cup Final

Arne Slot has experienced defeat in his first significant final match as
Liverpool
Manager – their 2-1 loss to
Newcastle United
At Wembley, there was a disappointing glitch during what has otherwise been an outstanding first season for Jurgen Klopp’s replacement.

Nevertheless, Liverpool maintain a significant 12-point advantage over pursuers Arsenal atop the Premier League standings as they head into the concluding stretch. This presents them with a great chance to ensure their defeat in the League Cup final fades from memory swiftly.

Slot would not be the first manager to bounce back from the disappointment of losing their first cup final in England. We’ve identified four managers who went on to achieve great success after suffering an early setback.

Rafael Benitez

Jose Mourinho’s first piece of silverware in English football was the League Cup in 2005, an important early springboard for everything else he’d go on to achieve with Chelsea.

Chelsea, led by Mourinho, claimed the title at Liverpool’s expense during a season when the Reds had a new manager in Rafael Benitez sitting in the dugout.

Although the league performance was uneven—with Benítez’s Liverpool finishing four positions and 37 points below Mourinho’s Chelsea—the disappointing loss from the 3-2 extra-time match at the Millennium Stadium quickly faded away.

Three months later, they emerged as the European champions following another nail-biting final that went down to the wire.

Mauricio Pochettino

“What success?” we can imagine some of the more grumpy among you might be questioning. And that’s a valid point.

Pochettino was dismissed by Tottenham following five years without a trophy in November 2019. However, such a statement would significantly undersell the profound impact he made at the club.

Seven years after Juande Ramos led Tottenham Hotspur to an unexpected victory over Chelsea in the 2008 League Cup final, Pochettino failed to replicate this success as his team suffered a rather tame 2-0 loss against Jose Mourinho’s side — which went on to win the Premier League title comfortably that season.

Nevertheless, Pochettino’s first season as manager indicated significant potential, which was later fulfilled in the following years when they transformed into a formidable team. In the 2016-17 campaign, they secured second place in the Premier League with an impressive total of 86 points. A few seasons thereafter, they advanced to the UEFA Champions League final.

In the end, Spurs were unable to cross the finish line and claim any trophies under the Argentine coach. They will likely be remembered as one of English football’s notable ‘almost’ teams – without question, they fielded arguably their strongest squad in the contemporary Premier League period.

Who can say how long it will take until they assemble another team of such caliber?

Jurgen Klopp

“Nothing so far because we all have to sense it right away,” Klopp replied during his post-match Sky Sports interview when questioned about his comments to the team following Liverpool’s penalty loss to Man City in the 2016 League Cup final.

Obviously, this is how things go; you might stumble but then you must rise again, that’s just the way it is.

We can’t alter this game at present, but we must continue, of course we will keep going.

During that season, the Reds experienced more disappointments by losing in the Europa League final.

However, they continued nonetheless.

In the subsequent year, they secured a spot within the top four. Following this achievement, they advanced to the Champions League final. After that, they claimed victory in that competition. Later, they clinched their first-ever Premier League title after a wait of thirty years for the club. Finally, they added an FA Cup and two League Cups to complete their trophy collection.

READ:
The three managers in English soccer history who have claimed victory in all four principal competitions.

Eddie Howe

Since Harry Redknapp last won a significant trophy for an English club in 2008, Eddie Howe has become the first English manager to claim such honors with Newcastle United. He etched his name into the club’s history books by securing their initial major domestic award since 1969.

After suffering defeat in the 2023 League Cup final against Manchester United two years prior, Howe’s team managed to pull off an impressive victory over impending Premier League champions Liverpool at Wembley, defying the odds once again.

What did Newcastle do differently this time around? Apparently, not much – however, there was a small, unexpectedly logistical alteration.

“The most significant alteration since 2023 has been our accommodation,” the Newcastle manager stated to Sky Sports before the match began.

Our hotel was located just outside of London; this happened about two years back when we were situated very close to Wembley. During that time, we experienced everything—supporters, atmosphere—but perhaps we got into the buildup phase too soon.

Perhaps being off the beaten path might have a negligible impact.

Only time will reveal if this trophy will usher in a glorious new epoch for the Tyneside club, yet regardless of future outcomes, Howe has etched his name into the annals of Newcastle United’s history as a legendary figure.

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TRY A QUIZ:
Could you list all the managers who have won the League Cup since 1990?