Gerrard eyes long-awaited Wembley trip
There were days in the not so distant past — or certainly they don’t seem so distant to those of us brought up on a constant diet of Liverpool trophy parades and Match of the Day eulogies about the giants of Anfield — when the men in red seemed to begin every trophy collection with a League Cup triumph before following it with a never-ending barrage of finals and titles.
But the current crop, blunted until recently by off-field problems, hopeless owners and ineffective management, haven’t won a single trophy since 2006 and, incredibly, have yet to celebrate under the new Wembley’s giant arch, which has hosted United, Chelsea, Arsenal and even City and Portsmouth more often.
In contrast, Liverpool haven’t played at Wembley at all since the 1996 FA Cup final, a 1-0 defeat against Manchester United that is probably best forgotten.
By coincidence, the two teams meet again in the FA Cup next weekend in a match that, given the recent race row over Luis Suarez’s abuse of Patrice Evra, will be more fiercely contested than ever. But Liverpool’s best opportunity of ending their trophy drought comes in the Carling Cup, a point not lost on captain Steven Gerrard after his penalty earned Kenny Dalglish’s side a 1-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium in the semi-final first leg.
“There is no way the game is over but it’s set up nicely after the first leg,” he said. “Getting back in the top four is a big priority for us but the FA Cup and Carling Cup are also very important because this club is set up to win trophies and it’s been too long.
“It would mean a lot to win the Carling Cup this year — and even more to me having been out injured so much. As captain as well I would like nothing better than to go to Wembley with the lads and lift a trophy.
“It’s hard to believe but I’ve never won a trophy at Wembley. The FA Cup final in 2006 was at Cardiff, so although I’ve played there a lot with England I’ve never been there with my club. I’d like to put that right — we all would — because trophies are always really important at Anfield. It’s drilled into you at a young age at Liverpool that when you play for this club it’s all about winning trophies. It’s about time we got back to it.”
Manager Dalglish, despite recent frustrations at the scheduling of fixtures in the Carling Cup, needs no persuading of the competition’s importance; his team selection this year proves that, as does the fact he won it four times as a player between 1981 and 1984. In fact Liverpool, with seven victories, have won the trophy more times than any other club in England. The only problem is the last one was almost a decade ago — and just like in the league, they are in danger of being consigned to history as other teams overtake them.
The difficulty for Liverpool, however, is that even with a one-goal lead, they face a real battle to reach the final given their frustrating record at Anfield this season and the strength of a Man City side that also has a passion for silverware.
“We got a real taste for it after winning the FA Cup last year,” said defender Joleon Lescott. “Once you’ve won one you want more. Obviously the Premier League is a big priority for us but we’re not at the stage where we can pick and choose — this club has won only one trophy for donkeys years. So we can’t forget the Carling Cup.”
If City do manage to edge past their rivals they will be playing at Wembley for the fourth time in a year, if you include last season’s FA Cup semi-final and this year’s Community Shield, and that would be an uncomfortable feeling for Liverpool fans; it’s bad enough having one Manchester club overtaking you, but two really is unpalatable.
