STEVEN GERRARD believes judgment should be reserved on Liverpool’s season until after Saturday’s FA Cup final but insisted a domestic cup double would compensate for major underachievement in the Premier League.
Fulham’s first league win at Anfield on Tuesday means Kenny Dalglish’s team will equal the club’s worst home campaign of only five victories – set in 1948-49 – should they fail to beat Chelsea in their penultimate game of the season next Tuesday.
Before that rearranged fixture, of course, is the Wembley date between the two clubs and the Liverpool captain accepts the outcome of the FA Cup final will determine the success or otherwise of Dalglish’s first full season back in charge.
“This club is all about winning trophies, big trophies, and the FA Cup comes under that,” Gerrard said. “We will assess the season after the weekend. If we can look back and say we have won two cups, then we will be happy. But we need to address the problem of our league position.
“Silverware is success. That’s why we play the game. Some of the biggest experiences we have had over the years is from winning cups – the European Cup, the FA Cup, the Uefa Cup, the Carling Cup. Those are the nights and days that you look back on with fond memories.
“The FA Cup is special, but we got a taste of success from winning the Carling Cup. That will help the younger players in the squad. Winning breeds confidence and you want more.”
Gerrard, who lifted the Carling Cup in February, added: “We are all aware we have underachieved in the league and the squad of players is certainly better than where we are. We will assess the season and if we win two trophies I think it would alleviate the pressure slightly. People will judge us after Saturday. People will say: ‘You haven’t done well in the league,’ but we can say: ‘Yes, but we have won two cups’. I think that’s a fair argument.”
Gerrard was among several Liverpool players rested against Fulham in readiness for Wembley and, although the midfielder claims the final is too close to call, he believes Chelsea’s focus on three targets – finishing fourth, the FA Cup and the Champions League final – could count against Roberto Di Matteo’s team.
“Chelsea are an experienced team full of quality players and it will boil down to the small details and who gets the big decisions or stroke of luck in their favour.
“There’s not much between the sides. It’s a 50-50 game. It’s a one-off. I’m sure none of the Chelsea players will be thinking about the Champions League or the top four once the game kicks off on Saturday. But if anything, their situation helps us slightly. We can’t do anything in the league and have nothing else going on, so we can solely focus on this game.”
Guardian Service
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