Jurgen Klopp's biggest game as Liverpool manager isn't Manchester United but Stoke in the Capital One Cup... supporters at Anfield are desperate for a trophy.

Is this the biggest game of the season? For Louis van Gaal and Manchester United, absolutely — another defeat and he could be out of his job. But for Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool? No.

A frenzy will engulf Anfield on Sunday. It's always the way when United come to town and Klopp — given how animated he gets on the touchline — will certainly pump up Liverpool's fans, some of whom will think that beating their most bitter rivals will spark an assault on the top four.

I don't think Liverpool are good enough to make the Champions League this year and a loss to United could potentially mean they come out of the weekend eight points behind fourth place with five or six clubs ahead of them. They would virtually have no chance of qualifying from that position.

It is 100 days since Klopp was appointed and before he reaches 150, there is an outstanding chance he could become just their second manager in the last nine years to win a piece of silverware and that would be huge; two of the last three appointments, remember, left without achieving that. This a chance to get a monkey off his back.

How many times is that kind of opportunity going to come around for him? The demands for a Liverpool manager used to revolve around league titles and European Cups but it would be miraculous if Klopp moves the club back to those levels.

Klopp is facing a harder task to revive Liverpool's fortunes than any man since Bill Shankly arrived in 1959 because he has not inherited a world-class player; in modern times, every change in the dug-out has been triggered by the squad not being good enough.

Yet whether it was Graeme Souness or Roy Evans, Gerard Houllier or Rafa Benitez, Roy Hodgson, Kenny Dalglish or Brendan Rodgers, there were always a handful of players of the highest calibre — Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard or Luis Suarez — waiting for them.

 The new man doesn't have that bonus. Yes, there are some very good players — Daniel Sturridge, when he is fit, Philippe Coutinho and Jordan Henderson are excellent — but you need much more than that to get to the top.

Trouble is, Liverpool are finding it increasingly difficult to keep pace. Geography is a problem now, with the best foreign players increasingly drawn to London, and so too are wages. Fenway Sports Group will pay big transfer fees but a true indication of where a club finishes is gauged by the wages they pay.

I said recently that Liverpool are turning into Spurs, as they don't make the top four, sell their best players and don't win trophies. Until that changes, I will stand by that. Spurs are trying to alter perceptions and that's why I hope Klopp and the club see the importance of the second leg against Stoke.

The Capital One Cup offers a prime chance to restore the winning feeling and another attainable target is the Europa League, particularly with an inviting draw against German side Augsburg in the last 32.

These are the games that really matter for Liverpool. A victory over United would, of course, be enjoyed. This year, however, it wouldn't be enjoyed anywhere near as much as one that would lead the way back to Wembley.