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FA CUP GLORY WAS WELL DESERVED
Every major blockbuster deserves a sequel and the Reds presented their follow-up to Istanbul in the Millennium Stadium at the weekend.
Just as we were preparing to stop dining out on our Turkish miracle the lads virtually recreated the whole thing for us all over again.
Quite rightly acclaimed as the most dramatic FA Cup Final in living memory, it was a magnificent day. I was proud and delighted again to be there to witness Liverpool's seventh and greatest FA Cup final victory. From the jaws of defeat the Reds somehow came back from the dead to give the Millennium Stadium the farewell it deserves as the Cup Final venue.
Whether we liked it or not we started this one as favourites as the Hammers had nothing to lose and set about trying to upset the record books right from the off. I thought the Reds had learned from the lessons of Istanbul but they once again started looking edgy and nervous in a number of positions and I was surprised to see us gift the ball away so easily and make problems for ourselves.
West Ham, to their credit, started well but it was two moments of real sloppiness from us that gifted them a two goal lead. After the season he's had Jamie Carragher didn't deserve to be remembered as the scorer of an own goal in the cup final, especially after joking last Thursday about Stevie Gerrard's own goal against Chelsea in the 2005 Carling Cup final.
The Reds only started playing once they were 2-0 down. Djibril Cisse's goal just before the break was vital and it increased our belief that another spectacular comeback was possible. But just like as against Milan, the start of the second half was marked by another close call as this time the Londoners failed to increase their lead, a crucial double save from Pepe Reina kept us in it and at that point I wondered perhaps if the football gods were once again with us.
Fairclough on Stevie
The captain was magnificent, no question he was man of the match. But even he started the game a little tentatively, though once he began to find some room his quality shone through, first setting up the harshly disallowed Peter Crouch goal then supplying the sublime pass for Cisse to score. In the second half he was asked to change positions at least twice and he slipped into each role without hardly changing stride. But he kept his greatest contribution to the last, again saving the day with the most sensational of strikes from 35 yards to claim his 23rd goal of the season, as we entered injury time.
When Stevie Gerrard scored the second I'm sure most felt like me that we were on our way to cup glory, but like as in Istanbul once level we were unable to overpower the opponents. After such an outstanding year from the defence no one could have envisaged seeing us give up three goals but after Paul Konchesky's fortuitous third it appeared our name wasn't on the cup.
Seeing so many players going down with various injuries and suffering with cramp was unbelievable but with options available to him Rafa was still able to conjure up plans B and C. Didi Hamann's introduction was once again crucial, a steadying influence when he was most needed allowing Stevie G to lead the rescue charge.
The captain was magnificent, no question he was man of the match. But even he started the game a little tentatively, though once he began to find some room his quality shone through, first setting up the harshly disallowed Peter Crouch goal then supplying the sublime pass for Cisse to score. In the second half he was asked to change positions at least twice and he slipped into each role without hardly changing stride. But he kept his greatest contribution to the last, again saving the day with the most sensational of strikes from 35 yards to claim his 23rd goal of the season, as we entered injury time.
Extra time and penalties were played out much like the first 90 minutes, full of incident and drama and there were heroic performances all around, but the saves of Reina, the solid Sami Hyypia (pity he had his penalty saved) and the awesome energy of Momo Sissoko perhaps stood out.
It made sure we finished the season again on a high, the celebrations were tremendous and made the trip home all the more enjoyable and gave us plenty of time to reflect on the progress that's been made and look forward to the next step.
I thought we deserved to win on Saturday. West Ham had their moments and probably enjoyed the best of the first twenty five minutes but overall I still thought the Reds had enough of the game to feel we rightfully won the cup. It put Rafa in a class of his own as the only Liverpool manager to win two successive major trophies in his first two seasons in charge. But not one to rest on his laurels, he has no doubt set about bringing in the improvements for next season.
Fairclough on Rafa
Rafa is clearly a man who knows what he wants and has no fear in making the tough decisions he knows will determine his destiny. A man who takes every game as it comes but still has a vision, despite the success of Istanbul he was still clear on who he would want to go forward with him. The most successful teams are more often not necessarily the sides with the best individuals but a group put together who will deliver what the coach demands. Certainly Rafa feels he added a bit more of what he needed to get us closer to Chelsea, though there were doubts expressed in those early weeks of the season.
European glory was beyond our wildest dreams but it's the Premiership title we crave. Capturing the Champions League in his first season ensured Rafa certainly set the standards high in kicking off his Liverpool career. But we're realistic enough to know it's only the start and he has much bigger plans as he plots for a more successful future.
At the start of the last season Rafa stopped short of promising us immediate success but he did promise improvement and a greater consistency. Results away from Anfield had been a major concern and improving our results on the road was one of his first targets entering his second as previous generations of Reds' success have been forged on consistency both home and away.
Rafa is clearly a man who knows what he wants and has no fear in making the tough decisions he knows will determine his destiny. A man who takes every game as it comes but still has a vision, despite the success of Istanbul he was still clear on who he would want to go forward with him. The most successful teams are more often not necessarily the sides with the best individuals but a group put together who will deliver what the coach demands. Certainly Rafa feels he added a bit more of what he needed to get us closer to Chelsea, though there were doubts expressed in those early weeks of the season.
A season that began in mid summer against modest Welsh opposition T.N.S was a suitable warm up for the real thing that lay ahead of us, but the Premiership start was unconvincing. By the time Chelsea came to Anfield in October there were some doubts whether the Reds had enough to be there at the end and present any real challenge. But our form after that was championship winning quality, a solid defence was the basis the Reds' consistency was built on and with the excellent options in midfield it's perhaps in the front line where the emphasis on strengthening will focus on.
After such a long season the players will be desperate for a well deserved rest.
Thankfully we've got the World Cup to look forward to because, personally, I can't wait for the new season to begin again. |
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