Gerrard Expects Carroll Call

Steven Gerrard believes Andy Carroll's recent fine form for Liverpool has made him an obvious candidate for a place in England's Euro 2012 squad.

Carroll has struggled at times to handle the weight of expectation that comes with representing a team of Liverpool's stature, while attempting to justify a £35million price tag.

He has, however, shown promise of late, with a number of eye-catching displays suggesting he has finally found his feet and is ready to repay the Reds' considerable faith in his ability.

Those in and around Anfield never doubted that Carroll would come good, with the 23-year-old blessed with all the attributes a top-class centre-forward requires.

They are hoping they will benefit from his talents for many years to come, and Gerrard feels England will also come calling this summer as they piece together their plans for a shot at European Championship glory.

After seeing Carroll step off the bench and come close to hauling Liverpool back into their FA Cup final tie with Chelsea on Saturday, Gerrard said: "Credit to Andy who came on and played brilliantly well.

"He changed the way we played. We were a lot better with him in the team, we were a lot more direct, we created more, we were more of a threat.

Carroll, who was introduced after 55 minutes at Wembley, scored one and came agonizingly close to overturning Chelsea's two-goal lead.

He saw a late header clawed away by Blues keeper Petr Cech, with the debate as to whether the whole of the ball crossed the line still raging on Merseyside.

"It is difficult for officials to give decisions like that," admitted Gerrard.

"There is an argument that maybe it is [over the line] on the computer image but when you look at the replay.

"Phil Dowd is standing by me and the linesman is 40 yards away - it is impossible to give a yes or a no on it.

"We have been debating technology for years and it will continue until it comes in. The officials need a bit of help.

"It was a final and there were 90,000 people there. I am not 100 per cent sure whether it was or it wasn't but there is certainly an argument there.

"Until the technology comes in we will continue to have these conversations after games.”

FA Cup Final Match Report: Chelsea 2 - 1 Liverpool

Didier Drogba became the first man to score in four FA Cup finals as Chelsea overcame Liverpool 2-1 at Wembley in a match with another massive goal-line controversy.

The Blues appeared to be cruising when Drogba scored at the start of the second half following Ramires' early opener, but the arrival of Andy Carroll turned the game on its head.

The burly Liverpool striker smashed home a superb goal not long after his arrival, then, with nine minutes left, rose to meet Luis Suarez's cross at the far post. Carroll was convinced he had scored, with Suarez equally certain the ball had crossed the line before Petr Cech clawed it back onto the crossbar.

Linesman Andrew Garratt was not so sure - and those who had the additional advantage of television replays were mostly of the same opinion.

Garratt could not signal the goal, so referee Phil Dowd did not give it.

And once another goalbound Carroll effort had been blocked in stoppage time, the Blues were able to complete their fourth FA Cup triumph in six seasons, and give Roberto Di Matteo his first piece of silverware as a manager in what could turn out to be a glorious double against Bayern Munich later this month.

There was no hint of the drama to follow when Ramires became the first Brazilian to score in this most prestigious of showpiece occasions.

When he first arrived on these shores two years ago, Ramires looked too slight to make an impact in England. Clearly though, he has guts, heart, drive and selfless determination.

If Roy Keane's endeavours for Manchester United in their Champions League semi-final triumph over Juventus in 1999 have gone down in history, then Ramires' performance in the Nou Camp 12 days ago deserves to go alongside it.

The yellow card he picked up means this will be the only cup final Ramires features in this season. And what a mark he made as Juan Mata slipped a pass beyond Jose Enrique.

The Liverpool full-back failed to recover his ground, allowing Ramires to bear down on the Reds goal.

Jose Reina elected to gamble rather than save the actual shot when it was unleashed. Reina chose incorrectly, diving to his right, allowing the ball to beat him rather embarrassingly at the near post.

Having fallen behind in both the semi-final against Everton and to Cardiff in the Carling Cup final earlier in the season, Liverpool had no need to fret.

What would probably have concerned manager Kenny Dalglish rather more was the way his team were outgunned in midfield.

It was not until the half-hour, when Steven Gerrard started to get in advanced areas, that the Merseyside outfit began to exert any influence on the game.

By that time Drogba, Frank Lampard and Salomon Kalou had all wasted half-chances.

Branislav Ivanovic, like Ramires banned from the Champions League final in Munich on May 19, had done well to block a snap-shot from Craig Bellamy early on.

That was Liverpool's only opportunity though, until Suarez rose on the edge of the six-yard box only to nod Jordan Henderson's knock-back wide.

Unfortunately for Dalglish's team, their momentum was halted by the half-time break and before they could get into their stride again, Chelsea had doubled their advantage.

Out of contract in the summer and with Chelsea apparently unwilling to offer the two-year extension he has demanded, Drogba could be in the final throes of his Blues career.

If so, he will leave behind plenty of good memories.

When he found space on the left side of Liverpool's area and rattled a shot through Martin Skrtel's legs and into the far corner, he was scoring for the eighth time in as many Wembley appearances.

It prompted Dalglish into making his move, introducing his £35million portion of the £85million worth of striking talent that had been left on the bench, with Fernando Torres not starting for Chelsea.

And Carroll responded immediately, twisting John Terry around superbly inside the area before lashing his shot into the roof of Cech's goal.

The former Newcastle man then used his power to set up the much-maligned Henderson, who drilled a half-volley narrowly wide as those ageing Chelsea legs began to creak.

And Liverpool were convinced Carroll had levelled nine minutes from time when he rose at the far post to power Suarez's cross goalwards.

But the celebrations were cut short as the officials ruled Cech had clawed the ball out before it had crossed the line.

Even after half a dozen replays, there was no clear verdict either way, meaning the linesman, with one look, was in an impossible situation.

Carroll carved out one more chance, only for Terry to block, leaving Dalglish to reflect on the moment of controversy that denied him.

Liverpool Adamant Andy Carroll Header Was Over The Line

Liverpool striker Andy Carroll claims that his late header should have taken the FA Cup final to extra time and denied Chelsea their 2-1 victory.

The Liverpool substitute had already scored once and thought he had equalized in the 82nd minute when Petr Cech clawed the ball out of his goal via the crossbar.

Video evidence was inconclusive but suggested that referee Phil Dowd had made the correct decision, sparking fresh debate over the issue of goalline technology in football.

“I thought it was over the line,” said Carroll. “I thought it was in. I thought it came off the other side of the bar, which means it is in.”

Kenny Dalglish, the Liverpool manager, said that Dowd and his assistants should be congratulated if they got the decision correct but added: “It seems some people would have given it and some people would not have. I thought it was in.”

Cech and Chelsea captain John Terry, however, were adamant that Dowd had made the right decision. “If the ball was behind the line I wouldn’t have been able to put it outside," said Cech.

"I’m sure it was not behind the line. I’m 100 per cent persuaded it was not in.”

Agger Admits Slack Defending

Liverpool defender Dan Agger admits that their poor showing in the first hour was the reason for their FA Cup final defeat to Chelsea.

The Reds did not seem to come alive until Andy Carroll's introduction in the 55th minute but by then they were 2-0 down to goals from Ramires, in the first half, and Didier Drogba.

Carroll pulled one back just past the hour and almost headed the equalizer late on only to be denied by a great save from Petr Cech, with television replays inconclusive over whether the ball crossed the line before the Czech clawed it away.

But Agger admitted Liverpool paid for their poor start.

"We can't use that (fightback) for much. It simply was not good enough for the first hour and we can only blame ourselves," said the Denmark defender.

"We definitely were not good enough.

"Andy did really well when he came on and got a lot of balls to work with but sadly it was not enough."

Debate continued long after the final whistle over whether Carroll's header had actually crossed the line but Agger said he had no idea from his position on the pitch.

"I definitely couldn't see anything because I was at the other end so people watching television will have to decide that."

Midfielder Jordan Henderson admitted he went up claiming the equalizing goal more in hope than expectation.

"I appealed because that is what you have got to do," said the England U21 midfielder, who was at a loss to explain Liverpool's sluggish start.

"I am not sure why we started quite slowly in the first half. In the second half we came out and played some good stuff and we should have got back into the game.

"I think we will be disappointed when we look back.

"We wanted to win this game and we didn't and we are very disappointed."

Dalglish: No Early Talks

Kenny Dalglish says the Liverpool owners will do the same as him and wait until the end of the season before assessing how it has gone.

The Reds lost 2-1 to Chelsea in the FA Cup final on Saturday and now has little else to play for this term apart from pride.

Anchored in mid-table, Liverpool take on Roberto Di Matteo's Blues in the Premier League on Tuesday before finishing their campaign against Swansea at the weekend.

However, there will be no summit meeting with owner John Henry to discuss a season which has brought some silverware in the Carling Cup, but got them no nearer to breaking back into the Premier League's elite.

"The owners will do the same as us," said Dalglish.

"They will sit and analyze the season when it is finished.

"That is what we said before a ball was kicked and there is no reason to change that."

The major positive for Liverpool on Saturday was the performance of substitute Andy Carroll, who almost managed to turn the game on its head.

Carroll scored one excellent goal, when he turned John Terry inside out before rifling past Petr Cech, came agonizingly close to grabbing an equalizer and then had a shot turned away by Branislav Ivanovic that would have brought the Merseysiders level.

It was a performance that is sure to have been filtered back to new England boss Roy Hodgson, and allowed Dalglish to underline exactly how much faith he has in the much-maligned forward.

"We have been happy with what big Andy has done since he came to Liverpool," said the Scot.

"If the ones who were critical of him are going to be fair and honest, they might have to re-write their pieces.

"If they don't want to do that, fine. It's not my problem.

"It doesn't change our opinion. He came on and lifted the team. He got the goal and was unlucky not to get another one."

Liverpool Were On The Brink

Former Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow has revealed the Reds were one day away from administration before the takeover of current owners Fenway Sports Group.

Purslow, a Liverpool season ticket holder, negotiated the sale to Fenway chief John W Henry and has cautioned criticism of that regime's first year and a half in charge at Anfield.

A 2-1 defeat to Chelsea means Liverpool, who cannot qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League through the Premier League because of a poor campaign, have only the Carling Cup to show for Fenway's first full season in charge.

Purslow said: "People have short memories, it's only 15-16 months ago we were a day away from being in administration. We are now stable financially.

"It's year one of what they (Fenway) said when they bought the club would be a long journey."

Purslow was appointed by former joint owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett in June 2009 with a brief of finding new owners, and left his post shortly after Fenway completed their takeover in October 2010.

He believes Fenway should be given more time, but stressed the importance of Champions League football and a move to a new stadium if Liverpool's fortunes on the pitch are to improve.

"The club has had some investment (under Fenway) and it will take time for that to work," he said.

"I think everybody's disappointed with the league performance but it's year one.

"One thing I will say about American owners is the idea that there is some emotional connection is obviously rubbish.

"It's an investment game, Liverpool is an investment and the value of that investment will hang largely on two key planks in the strategy they would have put in place when they bought the club.

"The first was to get the team back into regular Champions League football."

That would not only increase profits by £20-30million a year but also help the club retain and hire the best players, Purslow explained.

But he revealed his disappointment the club had not made any progress towards building a new stadium, the second part of that strategy.

"If I am disappointed about one thing under this new ownership is that they've got nowhere on the new stadium," he said.

Chelsea's announcement this week of plans to build a new stadium on the site of the Battersea Power Station would put them in a stronger financial position than Liverpool.

"It's critical. If you look at Chelsea's news in the last few days, Arsenal have already stolen a march on us," added Purslow.

"If Chelsea get that stadium up and running then it's another team that's ahead of us in the queue."

FA Cup Final Preview: Liverpool vs Chelsea

Liverpool return to Wembley with their sights set on a cup double, while victory for Chelsea in Saturday's FA Cup final could be the first stage of a more significant success.

Kenny Dalglish's side lifted the Carling Cup at the home of English football back in February with a tense penalty shoot-out success against Championship side Cardiff.

But while the Reds have emerged as the knockout specialists this term, their Premier League form has been vastly below expectations and they are currently 16 points adrift of the top four and a staggering 34 off the summit.

That has led to rumblings of discontent among sections of the Merseyside faithful, with an on-going debate over whether lifting the FA Cup for the first time since 2006 to sit alongside the League Cup in the Anfield trophy room would mark this campaign as a success.

Such conjecture only serves to reinforce Dalglish's assertion earlier this week that Premier League placings have become 'an obsession' for many teams because of the financial rewards on offer for the clubs who qualify for the Champions League.

And for Chelsea to ensure that they compete among Europe's elite for a 10th successive season, then the most realistic route is for them to qualify as winners by defeating Bayern Munich on 19th May at the Allianz Arena.

Wednesday night's home defeat at the hands of Newcastle means Roberto Di Matteo's side are now four points adrift of the Magpies and fourth-placed Tottenham with just two games remaining, with their interim manager admitting that door to Europe now appears locked.

But such has been the upturn in fortunes at Stamford Bridge under their former midfield favourite, who scored the fastest goal in FA Cup final history in the 1997 triumph against Middlesbrough, few will be critical of the Italian even if the Blues finish the season empty-handed.

Appointed on an interim basis until the end of the season following the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas in early March, Di Matteo has galvanized a squad who looked bereft of confidence and direction, with their place in the UEFA Champions League final secured with a memorable triumph over Barcelona.

Both teams go into the showpiece on the back of midweek defeats, but Dalglish and Di Matteo opted to make a significant number of changes for their respective home reverses at the hands of Fulham and Newcastle.

Key men Pepe Reina, Steven Gerrard and Luiz Suarez were just three of nine changes for the lacklustre setback against the Cottagers and are certain to take their place in the starting XI this weekend.

Andy Carroll, the Reds' semi-final hero after his late winner against Everton, played the full 90 minutes in midweek having missed the resounding success against Norwich with a slight injury concern and should partner Suarez.

Di Matteo's selection policy with the Champions League final on the horizon is eased somewhat with John Terry, Ramires, Raul Meireles and Branislav Ivanovic all ruled out of the Munich meeting through suspension, so that quartet can expect to start on Saturday.

David Luiz and Gary Cahill, who missed training on Friday, have not featured since suffering respective hamstring injuries against Tottenham and Barcelona, and with the duo required on 19th May due to the aforementioned absentees it appears certain Di Matteo will not to rush them back into action.

Fernando Torres hit a hat-trick against QPR and also started the midweek clash with Newcastle, but is likely to be back on the bench with Didier Drogba often regarded as the man for the big occasion, with the Ivory Coast international having scored seven goals in seven Wembley outings in the FA Cup and League Cup.

Possible starting XIs:

Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole, Lampard, Ramires, Meireles, Mata, Drogba, Sturridge.

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Enrique, Downing, Henderson, Gerrard, Spearing, Carroll, Suarez.

Gerrard On Rescue Mission

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is determined to win the FA Cup in order to save his club's season.

The Anfield outfit was expected to at least challenge for a top-four place in the Premier League this season but have fallen well short.

However, having won the Carling Cup in February - their first trophy for six years - another piece of silverware when taking on Chelsea at Wembley in Saturday's FA Cup final would provide adequate compensation.

"Winning big trophies breeds a lot of confidence and belief," said Gerrard.

"We are all aware we have underachieved in the league and the squad of players we have are certainly better than where we are.

"We will assess the season at the end but if we can win two trophies that will help us bring some success next season.

"I think people will judge us after Saturday. People will say, 'You didn't do well in the league' but we will say, 'We won two cups' and I think that is a fair argument."

Gerrard does not believe Chelsea will be distracted by thoughts of the UEFA Champions League when they walk out at Wembley.

The Stamford Bridge side face Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena later in May as they bid to win Europe's top club prize for the first time.

In addition, they are also looking to secure a top-four Premier League place which will gain them re-entry to the competition next season regardless of the result in Germany.

And although their task was made more difficult by Wednesday night's defeat at home to top-four rivals Newcastle, Gerrard expects Roberto Di Matteo's side to be focused at Wembley.

"I am sure the Chelsea players won't be thinking about the Champions League and top four once that game kicks off at the weekend," said the England international.

"Chelsea is an experienced team full of quality players and it will boil down to the small details on the day, who gets the big decisions and who gets that stroke of luck.

"I don't think there is much between the teams and I think it is a 50-50 game at the weekend.

"But I suppose it helps us, because that we can't do much in the league and have not got anything else going on so we can solely focus on this game."

Liverpool To Compete With Napoli For Uruguayan Midfielder

It appears as though Liverpool will face some competition for the signature of Bologna midfielder Gaston Ramirez after it was revealed that Napoli are interested in signing the Uruguayan.

The Daily Mail reported last week that Liverpool had bid £16.3million for Ramirez who has scored eight league goals in 32 appearances in Serie A this season

Ramirez only recently signed a new long term deal with the Italian side but it seems they may be willing to listen to offers for a player who has impressed in an underachieving side.

While Liverpool are seemingly interested, the Bologna vice president Maurizio Setti has confirmed that Napoli are also chasing the midfielder.

“The player is being followed by a lot of clubs, including Napoli,” Setti told Radio CRC on Wednesday, as reported on Football Italia.

“There is nothing of substance yet, but he has a number of offers and a lot of scouts come to watch him play. Ramirez is a player who can make the difference for any team in the world because he is a champion.

“Like all Uruguayans, who are well suited to Italian football, he will improve season after season.”

The 21-year-old has been capped nine times by Uruguay and could join international teammates should he decide to move to either Liverpool or Napoli.

Napoli has Edinson Cavanni, while Liverpool boast their own Urugayan striker in Luis Suarez, as well as central defender Sebastian Coates who played with Ramirez at youth level.

Liverpool Linked With Dempsey

Liverpool chairman Tom Werner has hinted at an interest in Fulham star Clint Dempsey.

The Anfield hierarchy normally keep transfer targets as confidential, but Werner has implied the club could be watching his fellow American.

Dempsey has scored 22 goals this season and, with just one year remaining on his contract, has also been linked with a move to Fulham's London rivals, Arsenal.

FA Cup finalists and Carling Cup winners Liverpool are expected to make changes to their squad this summer after an extremely disappointing Premier League campaign.

This would come after spending more than £80million on the likes of Jordan Henderson, Stewart Downing and Charlie Adam in the last close-season.

"We never talk publicly about transfer targets, however, any team would be lucky to have Clint Dempsey playing on their squad," said Werner.

Fulham, though, will fight to keep hold of Dempsey and manager Martin Jol has previously insisted the USA international is not for sale ahead of summer talks with the player over a possible contract extension.

Regarding the prospects of keeping Dempsey at Craven Cottage, Jol told Sky Sports in April: "Hopefully we will, because he's still here for next season as well. So we won't sell him, so that is easy."

Liverpool Eye Up Nigel De Jong

Liverpool are eying up a summer bid for Manchester City’s Nigel De Jong, according to this afternoon’s reports.

Reports leaving Anfield this evening suggest that Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish is set to test Manchester City’s resolve by tabling a summer bid for midfielder Nigel De Jong.

The Merseyside club has endured one of their worst Premier League campaigns do date, currently sitting eighth in the table – three points behind bitter rivals Everton.

Dalglish spent big in last summer’s transfer window and is yet to reap in the rewards; with signings Andy Carroll, Jordan Henderson, Stewart Downing and Charlie Adam all so far failing to make the grade at Anfield.

However, the Liverpool board have told Dalglish that despite the failures of last summer’s signings, they’re still willing to back any realistic targets the Scot has on his radar this summer, with Nigel De Jong said to be the top of his list.

Liverpool are crying out for a holding midfield player following the injury to Lucas, as well as poor performances from bit part players such as Jay Spearing and Charlie Adam, and De Jong could be just the right guy to shore up the shaky Anfield ship.

De Jong was one of City’s most consistent players last season and many have been surprised at the lack of game time he’s seen this term, with Mancini opting to play Gareth Barry in the holding role with three attacking midfielders just in front.

And the Netherlands international is likely be partial to a summer move away from the Etihad in order to gain first-team football once again, with a bid in the region of £15m thought to be enough to tempt City into selling.

Eyes On Boro Starlet

Sky Sports understands that Middlesbrough starlet Bryn Morris is being targeted by Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool.

The 16-year-old, who is widely regarded in England as one of the best players of his generation, can play in midfield or defence.

Morris is already a key figure in Kenny Swain's England Under-16 side and is also the captain.

The Teesside-born youngster is seen as one of the gems of Boro's highly acclaimed youth academy.

Boro already recognize Morris's talents and included him in their FA Youth Cup squad, despite his tender years.

But Morris, who has just returned to the country after leading England to third in the Montaigu Tournament in France, is attracting strong interest following a string of impressive displays for the international side.

Whilst Boro's proud record of bringing through players means they hope any player will recognize the chances available to them at the club, they are fearful Morris could be lured away.

Sky Sports understands that England's top clubs are now on Morris's trail including Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool.

Morris cannot sign a professional deal because of his age, meaning Boro would only be due a compensation deal if he were to leave the club.

Boro remain hopeful that Morris sees his long-term future at The Riverside.

Liverpool Report £50m Losses

Liverpool have reported a loss of almost £50million for the last financial year as the scale of the club's stadium folly becomes clear.

Owners Fenway Sports Group wiped out debts of £200m when they purchased the club in October 2010.

But they were also forced to write off a further £35million related to the abandoned HKS-designed Stanley Park project of predecessors Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

The accounts also reveal a further £8.4million was spent on contract terminations, including pay-offs to former boss Roy Hodgson and former managing director Christian Purslow.

And current managing director Ian Ayre believes when exceptional items such as this are factored in, the report shows Liverpool are now on the right track despite the alarming numbers involved.

"I guess people will focus on the loss of £49.4m and there's no business - or people running any business - who are going to be pleased with any loss," Ayre told the Liverpool Echo.

"But I think the important indicator here is this £59m charge for exceptional items and as a business that's been in a transition, it's about moving from where we were to where we want to be.

"We have written off a huge amount on the stadium project. A big chunk of that £50m loss relates to the HKS project - which is now defunct - and associated costs around that."

Following their takeover in 2007, Hicks halted the established plans for a new ground in Stanley Park and chose to engage Dallas-based architects HKS instead.

They came up with an ambitious glass and steel design, but this was scrapped by FSG soon after taking over.

But there were residual costs associated with the project - such as legal, planning and design fees - that still required settling.

Ayre added: "With new ownership that was kind of milling around within the club's accounts and there was a very definite need to move that out.

"It is a huge loss but that goes with a lot of other things that nobody was really happy with in that period.

"So rather than dwell on it, we've very smartly made the decision to remove it from the club's accounts.

"It is a big write-off but it means that it's gone forever now and we can move forward now without that around our neck.

"And it also means that we are in pretty good shape in being a sustainable business. It's a positive step forward."

Ayre insisted the money spent on contract terminations was less unusual.

"It's nothing untypical of anything in football. Contracts are typically fixed term," said Ayre.

"When you make a decision to terminate somebody, the right and proper thing to do is honour the pay-out of that contract.

"This relates to Roy and to some of his backroom staff and also to Christian Purslow leaving. It's standard across football.

"It's unfortunate to have to have them - nobody wants to see anybody go - but in certain circumstances it's right to make a change and that's what that relates to."

The accounts do not include the kit deal signed with American company Warrior Sports, which is worth at least £25million a year.

And Ayre believes the true story of these figures is the comprehensive action FSG have taken the clean up the mess left by the previous regime.

He added: "If we had not written off these extraordinary costs, we would have been looking at breaking even."

"We have reduced interest charges from £18m to about £3m. That puts us in a much stronger position to utilize our revenues more effectively on the team.

"These figures in many ways represent the commitment of the owners, in paying down the acquisition debts and in other areas.

"What is reflected in these accounts was going on around the time they actually came into the club.

"It's not where we are today. It's a year on, so it was a big commitment at an early stage

"The owners have continued to make changes and commitments.

"They have made some great investment at the start; they cleaned up a lot of what was a problem at Liverpool and they have invested in both the team on and off the pitch.

"They continue to do that and look at what's right - and what works and what doesn't work."

Liverpool Possible Destination For Unai Emery

Liverpool is a possible destination for Valencia coach Unai Emery, according to Valencia Plaza.

Emery is set to leave Los Che when his contract expires on 30th June, with the Mestalla faithful having grown disillusioned with the club’s failure to challenge Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga.

Memories of the heady days of Rafael Benitez are still fresh in Valencia and Emery’s inability to move his side beyond third spot is causing Los Che to look elsewhere, despite the Spaniard having to operate with a significantly smaller budget than the Blaugrana and Los Blancos.

But even if Emery’s stock has reached an all time low at the Mestalla, it is sky high elsewhere, with a number of clubs queuing up to secure the 40-year-old’s services.

Heading that group are Greek champions Olympiacos and Basque outfit Real Sociedad.

Olympiacos are keen for Emery to succeed countryman Ernesto Valverde, who has departed Greece after two successive title winning campaigns, while Real Sociedad want to steer clear of relegation worries next season with the former midfielder at the helm.

However, a possible switch to Liverpool could trump all offers for the current Valencia coach.

The Reds have endured a disastrous Premier League campaign under Kenny Dalglish and £110M lavished in the transfer market under the fan favourite has failed to bring Champions League football back to Anfield.

While Dalglish could lead Liverpool to a domestic cup double if he can plot the downfall of Chelsea in the FA Cup final at Wembley this weekend, the club’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, could choose to place their trust in Emery for next season.

Should Emery make the switch to Merseyside, he would be following a path first trodden by Rafael Benitez, who swapped Valencia for Liverpool in 2004, with spectacular results as the Champions League was won in 2005.

Dalglish Prefers Cup Glory

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish believes an 'obsession' with the Premier League has reduced the value of winning cup competitions.

The Reds go into this Saturday's FA Cup final against Chelsea looking for a second piece of silverware this season, having already lifted the Carling Cup in February.

But for some, Liverpool's poor league form has overshadowed these cup successes with the Anfield club losing eight of their last 12 games in the Premier League.

The Reds currently lie in eighth place in the table, well below pre-season expectations after spending a considerable amount of money in the summer.

And while Dalglish accepts the club's league form must improve, he insists cup wins bring their own satisfaction.

"Any competition you enter you want to do the best you possibly can in," said the 61-year-old Scot.

"In the league it is 38 games and at the end you finish in a position which tells you how successful it has been.

"In cup competitions there are obviously not as many games and if you get beaten you are out.

"There is an obsession with the Premier League simply because of what it holds for every club and the value financially for every club, the rewards you get for finishing in the top four and getting in the Champions League.

"But there is a satisfaction from winning a cup competition which you don't get from finishing fifth or sixth in the league.

"We have already tasted a cup final this year, albeit the Carling Cup, and getting to the FA Cup final should never be under-estimated in any way.

"It is a fantastic day out for everyone and is great reward for the efforts and commitment of the players and the respect we have paid to the competition.

"We think we deserve to be there and we are happy to be there. We will see what happens. We are in the cup final and there is no guarantee we will win but there is a guarantee we will give everything we have got to try to win.

"The season will be assessed when it's finished."

Match Report: Liverpool 0 - 1 Fulham

Fulham recorded a first win at Anfield in their history as Liverpool's FA Cup final warm-up felt decidedly flat.

The Cottagers' previous 30 visits had failed to produce a victory and Merseyside, in general, has been an unhappy hunting ground.

Saturday's woeful 4-0 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park extended Fulham's run in league matches to no wins in 48 trips to the city of Liverpool.

But all that changed courtesy of Martin Skrtel's fifth-minute own goal and a severely-weakened Reds line-up as manager Kenny Dalglish made nine changes to protect his major stars in the pursuit of a second domestic trophy of the season on Saturday.

Liverpool was without the likes of top scorer Luis Suarez, captain Steven Gerrard, Daniel Agger, Craig Bellamy and goalkeeper Jose Reina.

But the absent players only enhanced their reputations as their team suffered back-to-back home defeats - having lost to West Brom last time out - and a fourth loss at home.

They have now dropped an astonishing 30 points at Anfield in the current campaign, having won just five times in 18 matches.

Prior to the game Dalglish had insisted cup final places were up for grabs but on the evidence of this performance only Skrtel and Andy Carroll stand a chance of starting.

Fulham had an absentee of their own, with manager Martin Jol missing his second successive match with a chest infection, but it did not seem to affect them.

Early on the name of Roy Hodgson was chanted by the small number of visiting fans, who have fond memories of the newly-appointed England manager after he took them to a Europa League final two years ago.

It was difficult to assess whether it was a celebration of his promotion to the national team job or a taunt to Liverpool fans - who never took to the man who succeeded Rafael Benitez and lasted just six months and Anfield.

Liverpool's problem has stemmed from dominating games but not scoring goals but they did not even have the chance to get into their stride before they were behind.

It was a goal created by two former Reds as left-back John Arne Riise crossed to ex-youth team player Alex Kacaniklic, who deflected the ball on to captain-for-the-night Skrtel who diverted it past Doni.

Clint Dempsey and Damien Duff were Fulham's brightest players in the opening exchanges and when the former chipped the ball forward the latter poked in a shot which the Liverpool goalkeeper turned behind.

It took until midway through the first half for the home side to get going with Maxi Rodriguez shooting well over before Dirk Kuyt volleyed wide from Carroll's lay-off.

They would have equalized in the 28th minute had Brede Hangeland not stopped Jonjo Shelvey's shot on the goal-line.

Carroll, returning after a minor groin complaint kept him out of the weekend win at Norwich, looked fresh and did well to make his aerial threat count in the first half, although it was mainly in providing knock-downs for team-mates.

He proved equally adept with his feet in sending Shelvey through the inside-left channel but the midfielder curled a shot wide of the far post.

Carroll had one headed chance of his own just before the interval and although his effort was straight at Mark Schwarzer, the Fulham goalkeeper almost made a mess of it before collecting his fumble.

The second half brought a change with Stewart Downing replacing Jordan Henderson and the England winger was soon into the action firing a long-range shot just wide.

Liverpool's tempo also increased but it was the visitors who created the first real chance after the break.

The woodwork, struck 30 times, has been Liverpool's nemesis this season but it rescued them just past the hour when substitute Kerim Frei's shot hit the post with Doni at full-stretch.

Carroll was continuing to put himself about up front and a great side-step beat Hangeland in the penalty area. But, with the ball on his weaker right foot, Aaron Hughes did enough to deflect his shot behind.

The introduction of 17-year-old reserve-team prodigy Raheem Sterling with 15 minutes to go gave the crowd a lift but they were holding their breath when Frei cut open the defence only for Doni to deny Dempsey with a sharp save low to his left.

But there was no sign of a rousing finish as Liverpool signed off before Wembley with a whimper.

Liverpool Flops Face FA Cup Axe

Kenny Dalglish has warned his Liverpool flops that some of them may have blown their chances of starting Saturday’s FA Cup final against Chelsea.

The Reds, who have only won five league games at Anfield this season, fielded a much-changed line-up in Tuesday night’s clash 1-0 defeat to Fulham, and Dalglish has slammed the approach of his stars.

‘Their attitude was not right and if you get a bad attitude you are going to get a bad performance and that is what we got,' he said.

'I think that is an accurate appraisal.

'I am culpable as well as I changed a lot of players to try to give everyone an opportunity to get in the frame for Saturday.

'I suppose by doing that it was a contributory factor to what happened but you can only be fair. I tried to be fair and give everyone an opportunity - maybe I was wrong.

'There were one or two positives but there were too many negatives. We cannot play at that tempo, we have to play at a quicker tempo than that. We deserved nothing.'

Jordan Henderson, Andy Carroll, Stewart Downing, Dirk Kuyt and Skrtel all played a significant part in the defeat, while Luis Suarez, Steven Gerrard and Pepe Reina were all rested.

Liverpool Legend Criticises Dalglish Selection Policy

Former Liverpool star Steve McManaman has criticized Kop boss Kenny Dalglish's selection policy, after they slumped to a 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Fulham.

The result marked the 14th time that Liverpool have failed to win at Anfield, and McManaman questioned Dalglish's decision to rest players ahead of the FA Cup final against Chelsea on Saturday.

As reported by Goal.com, McManaman said on ESPN post-match: “Why not win [on Tuesday] and on Saturday? It’s only rotation if you have the quality.”

Dalglish opted to rest Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez ahead of Saturday's final, and McManaman called into question the ability and desire of the line-up which was fielded against Fulham.

“You have to do yourself justice in front of the fans, who pay very good money while the economy [continues to decline]. You have to give them something and they [the players] have given them nothing.

“If you are going to go down, go down with the fans thinking ‘at least they had a go’. But there was none of that. Fulham were deserved winners.”

Despite winning the Carling Cup in February and having the potential of adding to that with the FA Cup, Liverpool have endured a disappointing league campaign.

Defeat to Fulham was their fourth at home and 13th overall this season, and the club could face their worst Premier League finish ever if they fail to get out of their current slump.

Liverpool Identify Two Prolific Strikers

Liverpool's struggles in the league continued on Tuesday night as they were beaten 1-0 at Anfield by Fulham who are now level on points with the Merseyside club.

The Reds have struggled all season at home and it seems as though manager Kenny Dalglish may well be in the market for another striker after seeing yet another wasteful display.

Dalglish and assistant Steve Clarke travelled to France last Friday to watch Montpellier in action where they will have been able to watch forward Olivier Giroud in action.

The French striker is the top scorer in Ligue 1 this season with 19 league goals and has impressed so much that he is almost a certainty to travel to Euro 2012, despite having just three caps to his name.

The Daily Mail has reported that Giroud has a release clause of around £13.5million, but believe that a stumbling block to the move could be the lack of Champions League football.

Another striker that is known to be on the radar is FC Twente forward Luuk de Jong whose agent yesterday admitted that Liverpool are one of the clubs interested in signing the Dutch forward.

However, Liverpool will face plenty of competition for the striker with his agent also claiming that there are believed to be 15 clubs interested in signing the forward who has scored 23 goals in 28 league appearances.

Tottenham And Liverpool Alerted As Robben Threatens To Quit Bayern

Liverpool and Tottenham are just two of the names being mentioned after it was reported that Arjen Robben may decide to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season.

The fiery Dutch winger was involved in a bust-up with fellow midfielder Franck Ribery during the Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid and now he may decide to quit the club.

The Daily Mail has reported that he is unwilling to renew his contract which expires in the summer of 2013 and he may choose to walk out on the club who are set to play Chelsea in the Champions League final.

Reports in Germany have claimed that Ribery went as far as slapping Robben over an argument about who would take a free-kick against Real Madrid.

Robben moved to Bayern Munich for £20million when he left Real Madrid but he does have experience of the Premier League where he won the league title with Chelsea under Jose Mourinho.

The Mail believes that Liverpool and Tottenham have been alerted to the news of Robben's possible departure and may be interested in trying to sign him over the summer.

Bayern president Uli Hoeness has revealed that Robben was all set to sign a new contract with the club but suddenly he has delayed.

"All I know is that he was just about to put pen to paper, and now that has all been postponed," said Hoeness.

Italian Giants Join Arsenal And Liverpool In Chase For Colombian Star

Arsenal and Liverpool target Pablo Armero is now attracting the attention of AC Milan and Juventus, according to Italian TV station Mediaset.

The 25-year-old Udinese defender has been one of the Serie A side's most consistent performers this season, with 28 appearances and a single goal.

The left-footed Colombia international has become a mainstay in Udinese's backline since he joined from Brazilian side Palmeiras in 2010 and can play at left-back as well as left midfield.

He has even deputized as a holding midfielder at times this season - a fact not lost on his long list of admirers.

His contract expires in the summer of 2015 and Udinese would want around £8m to tempt them into a deal.