"I am happy with the peformance of my team and the work rate of the players was fantastic," said the Reds' boss.
"It is always important to win against the top sides and always important when you win a trophy. It is very good for the confidence of the team.
"We have a better team and a better squad than last season and we have more pace and energy in the attack. I was really pleased to see Crouch score and it is really important for him because scoring goals gives strikers more confidence."