Last time around Kenny Dalglish found himself being criticised by journalists and some LFC fans for saying he prioritised winning trophies over finishing 4th. He brought us the League Cup and took us to Wembley for the FA Cup final where an Andy Carroll header almost brought us level late on against Chelsea, had the game gone to extra time and Fernando Torres been introduced I don't think there's anyone who wouldn't have fancied our chances of winning. But he still lost his job as he failed to lead us back into the Champions League and the big bucks that come with playing in Europe's premier competition.
From that we have to deduce that domestic cup success doesn't rank very high on the owner's priority list, league position is everything. But if performing well in the cups doesn't buy you time in charge, does that mean losing against lesser opposition shouldn't count against you particularly? I doubt it. A fixture like the one we have tomorrow isn't great for a manager, win and you get no real credit, lose and a large amount of pressure lands on your shoulders.
The decision to relieve Dalglish of his duties last summer shows the owners feelings clearly, he wants Champions League qualification over domestic cup success, but how do the fans feel? If you polled every Liverpool fan about whether they would prefer an FA Cup triumph or finishing 4th (see top right corner of this website) I expect we'd be split more or less 50/50 on the matter. I think I'd rather take six points from our next two league matches than beat Oldham tomorrow, but I also really don't want to lose tomorrow, it's not an easy choice but for me I think league position is more crucial in our current development than winning the FA Cup, but I'm sure there are many who would disagree with me.
However, 30,000 of us were lucky enough to be packed inside Wembley last April for a Merseyside Derby we won't forget in a hurry (read my review of the day here) and I doubt any of us would swap that afternoon for much in football. Along the way last season we also knocked out Man Utd, there's something satisfying about beating your biggest rivals in the league, but knocking them out of a cup competition is extra special. Last season our two biggest enemies fell on our sword in the FA Cup and that's sweet, we'd settle for that every season if we were offered it!
We would never have had the magic that was Istanbul without finishing near the top of the table, but last season's highlights were those beautiful late strikes by Dirk Kuyt and Andy Carroll. The FA Cup is the most likely place to find a highlight for this season, but finishing 4th is most likely to bring us magical moments next term. Let's be greedy and go all out for both the FA Cup AND the top 4.
YNWA
F.A cup is important but we need champions league football as a priority. Good read mate
ReplyDeleteCheers, Champs League is a priority for finances, to attract new players and to try to win the thing. FA Cup is important to help persuade the decent players we already have that we're going in the right direction.
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