Up and down the country on Saturday Premier League managers will ring the changes. Key players will be given the weekend off and rookies handed a chance to shine.
The FA Cup is now viewed by many as an unwelcome distraction from the riches on offer in the top flight.
An early exit will be greeted by a casual shrug of the shoulders amid talk of how they don’t have the strength in depth to compete on both fronts.
However, one former Wembley winner is hoping the oldest club cup competition in the world has leapt up Rafa Benitez’s list of priorities.
With their Champions League and title dreams in tatters, Michael Thomas believes the
FA Cup now represents Liverpool’s best chance of securing a first trophy since that unforgettable final against West Ham in 2006.
All the talk ahead of tomorrow’s third round clash at Championship strugglers Reading has been about the race for fourth place, but Thomas insists silverware should still be the major goal.
“The FA Cup is very special and when Premier League teams put out weakened teams I think it’s a disgrace,” he said.
“It’s a very prestigious competition watched by people across the world and it should be treated with respect.
“These days it’s all about the Champions League. If you want to get in that because you think you’ve got a genuine chance of winning it then fair enough, but when your sole target is qualifying just for the money that’s very sad.
“Nobody gets remembered for finishing fourth. At the end of your career you might be rich but you make your mark on the game by winning trophies.
“Medals are what every player wants and the FA Cup would do nicely for Liverpool this season.”
Maximum points against Wolves and Aston Villa over Christmas have lifted spirits at Anfield and breathed new life into their Champions League qualification hopes.
Thomas, who scored 12 goals in 163 appearances for the Reds between 1991 and 1998 and who has since made Merseyside his home, believes it’s crucial that momentum is maintained at the Madejski Stadium.
“Hopefully the win over Villa will really kick-start things and a victory in the Cup would breed more confidence,” he added.
“The team is just getting used to winning again so I hope Rafa plays his strongest team.
“I’m sure Liverpool will finish in the top four. When they hit top gear they will put together a long unbeaten run.
“The season has been disappointing so far and they’ve really missed Xabi Alonso. He was the one who got everything going. The defence released the ball to him and he always knew what to do with it. But there have been some promising signs from Alberto Aquilani. He needs more games under his belt but he’s going to be crucial.
“Going well in the FA Cup isn’t going to harm the league form. Winning trophies just makes you hungry for more.”
The 42-year-old got his hands on the FA Cup back in May 1992 at the end of a roller-coaster first season with the club.
The midfielder, who broke Kopites’ hearts with his dramatic late winner for Arsenal to clinch the league title at Anfield in 1989, was snapped up from the Gunners in December 1991 for £1.5million.
He joined a squad with high hopes of clinching the championship but injuries dogged their season and Graeme Souness’ side could only finish sixth.
The Cup run provided some welcome relief and Thomas was crucial to the Reds’ progress.
Having thrashed Crewe 4-0, they needed replays to see off Bristol Rovers and Ipswich before Thomas’ sweet strike settled a quarter-final tie with Aston Villa at Anfield.
The semi-final with Portsmouth also went to a replay and the Reds held their nerve to win on penalties and book a Wembley showdown with Sunderland.
Thomas said: “It was a strange season because we believed we could have won the league that year. We backed ourselves to beat anyone and we were close to the top early on but injuries to players like John Barnes, Jan Molby, Barry Venison and Ronnie Whelan really did us in.
“We couldn’t get into a rhythm and it was so stop-start. As we weren’t doing well in the league, we were under pressure to deliver in the Cup.
“We had some nervy moments but we kept progressing and the goal against Villa, my first in front of the Kop, is a special memory.”
The final surpassed that as Thomas broke the deadlock early in the second half with a stunning right-footed volley into the top corner of the net.
The midfielder also provided the pass for Ian Rush to settle the contest as he famously scored for the fifth time in three Cup finals to eclipse the long-standing record of Stan Mortensen.
Thomas’ Wembley heroics secured his place in Liverpool folklore and now he’s hoping to see the current crop write another chapter in the club’s illustrious FA Cup history.
“It had been a dream of mine since I was a kid to play at Wembley and score in the Cup final,” he said.
“Growing up, you don’t think about scoring a winning goal to secure the title, it was always the FA Cup. And to fulfil my dream that day was very special.
“The moment the ball left my boot I knew I had caught it perfectly. I hit it just right and to see it fly into the top corner was amazing.
“It was a real highlight of my career and to be able to say I scored in a winning Cup final side is something I’m very proud of.
Hopefully this is the year Liverpool bring the trophy back to Merseyside again. Going to the Cup final used to be almost an annual trip for Liverpool fans. It’s about time those supporters had their first day out at the new Wembley.”
The FA Cup is now viewed by many as an unwelcome distraction from the riches on offer in the top flight.
An early exit will be greeted by a casual shrug of the shoulders amid talk of how they don’t have the strength in depth to compete on both fronts.
However, one former Wembley winner is hoping the oldest club cup competition in the world has leapt up Rafa Benitez’s list of priorities.
With their Champions League and title dreams in tatters, Michael Thomas believes the
FA Cup now represents Liverpool’s best chance of securing a first trophy since that unforgettable final against West Ham in 2006.
All the talk ahead of tomorrow’s third round clash at Championship strugglers Reading has been about the race for fourth place, but Thomas insists silverware should still be the major goal.
“The FA Cup is very special and when Premier League teams put out weakened teams I think it’s a disgrace,” he said.
“It’s a very prestigious competition watched by people across the world and it should be treated with respect.
“These days it’s all about the Champions League. If you want to get in that because you think you’ve got a genuine chance of winning it then fair enough, but when your sole target is qualifying just for the money that’s very sad.
“Nobody gets remembered for finishing fourth. At the end of your career you might be rich but you make your mark on the game by winning trophies.
“Medals are what every player wants and the FA Cup would do nicely for Liverpool this season.”
Maximum points against Wolves and Aston Villa over Christmas have lifted spirits at Anfield and breathed new life into their Champions League qualification hopes.
Thomas, who scored 12 goals in 163 appearances for the Reds between 1991 and 1998 and who has since made Merseyside his home, believes it’s crucial that momentum is maintained at the Madejski Stadium.
“Hopefully the win over Villa will really kick-start things and a victory in the Cup would breed more confidence,” he added.
“The team is just getting used to winning again so I hope Rafa plays his strongest team.
“I’m sure Liverpool will finish in the top four. When they hit top gear they will put together a long unbeaten run.
“The season has been disappointing so far and they’ve really missed Xabi Alonso. He was the one who got everything going. The defence released the ball to him and he always knew what to do with it. But there have been some promising signs from Alberto Aquilani. He needs more games under his belt but he’s going to be crucial.
“Going well in the FA Cup isn’t going to harm the league form. Winning trophies just makes you hungry for more.”
The 42-year-old got his hands on the FA Cup back in May 1992 at the end of a roller-coaster first season with the club.
The midfielder, who broke Kopites’ hearts with his dramatic late winner for Arsenal to clinch the league title at Anfield in 1989, was snapped up from the Gunners in December 1991 for £1.5million.
He joined a squad with high hopes of clinching the championship but injuries dogged their season and Graeme Souness’ side could only finish sixth.
The Cup run provided some welcome relief and Thomas was crucial to the Reds’ progress.
Having thrashed Crewe 4-0, they needed replays to see off Bristol Rovers and Ipswich before Thomas’ sweet strike settled a quarter-final tie with Aston Villa at Anfield.
The semi-final with Portsmouth also went to a replay and the Reds held their nerve to win on penalties and book a Wembley showdown with Sunderland.
Thomas said: “It was a strange season because we believed we could have won the league that year. We backed ourselves to beat anyone and we were close to the top early on but injuries to players like John Barnes, Jan Molby, Barry Venison and Ronnie Whelan really did us in.
“We couldn’t get into a rhythm and it was so stop-start. As we weren’t doing well in the league, we were under pressure to deliver in the Cup.
“We had some nervy moments but we kept progressing and the goal against Villa, my first in front of the Kop, is a special memory.”
The final surpassed that as Thomas broke the deadlock early in the second half with a stunning right-footed volley into the top corner of the net.
The midfielder also provided the pass for Ian Rush to settle the contest as he famously scored for the fifth time in three Cup finals to eclipse the long-standing record of Stan Mortensen.
Thomas’ Wembley heroics secured his place in Liverpool folklore and now he’s hoping to see the current crop write another chapter in the club’s illustrious FA Cup history.
“It had been a dream of mine since I was a kid to play at Wembley and score in the Cup final,” he said.
“Growing up, you don’t think about scoring a winning goal to secure the title, it was always the FA Cup. And to fulfil my dream that day was very special.
“The moment the ball left my boot I knew I had caught it perfectly. I hit it just right and to see it fly into the top corner was amazing.
“It was a real highlight of my career and to be able to say I scored in a winning Cup final side is something I’m very proud of.
Hopefully this is the year Liverpool bring the trophy back to Merseyside again. Going to the Cup final used to be almost an annual trip for Liverpool fans. It’s about time those supporters had their first day out at the new Wembley.”
1 comment:
nice post. thanks.
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