So, the final..
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the_khl
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Agger will take care of Torres.
And we will win.
And we will win.
May the 1st and your first decent gag of the year, congrats Ryan that was a good one 😀
I have £20 on this with a chav at work so we better win
Kenny's Cup final injury update
The manager told his pre-match press conference at Anfield: "We've given everybody an opportunity to get themselves fit and I don't think we've got any injuries, apart from the long-term ones in Lucas and Charlie Adam.
"In a way, it's made it a little bit more difficult that everybody is fit – but every team you pick is always a difficult task.
"We go into Saturday's game with a full squad of players, apart from the two lads."
Dalglish continued: "We're quite happy with the mood round and about the football club. Everybody knows it's going to be a really difficult game and nobody will underestimate Chelsea with the run they're on.
"I wouldn't know if it's confidence or not, but it's certainly not arrogance. We've got a huge deal of respect for Chelsea Football Club and what they've done."
Saturday's showpiece represents Liverpool's second final of the season having won the Carling Cup against Cardiff City in February.
Nonetheless, Dalglish believes the experience the Reds gained from that occasion will have little bearing on the outcome of the FA Cup final.
He said: "Chelsea have also been to Wembley once and won (in the FA Cup semi-final), so I don't think it's that much of an advantage.
"We're delighted to get to Wembley and we were delighted to win the Carling Cup. We were really pleased with the result and performance against Everton in the semi-final and now we'll go back again.
"I don't know how us having been to Wembley twice before, and Chelsea having been there in the semi-final, gives anybody an advantage.
"We've already tasted a cup final this year in the Carling Cup. Getting to the FA Cup final is never to be undermined, overlooked or overestimated in anyway - it's a fantastic day out for everybody.
"It's great reward for the effort, commitment and respect we've paid to the competition with the teams we've fielded.
"We think we deserve to be there and we're happy to be there."
Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher also faced the world's press at Anfield ahead of Saturday's clash as part the pre-match build-up.
The trip to Wembley will be the Scouse duo's third FA Cup final for Liverpool and their 10th major final overall for the club.
Reporters questioned Dalglish whether the duo's experience could assist the younger members of the squad in getting fully prepared for kick-off.
"Experience helps, but the boys have got to help themselves as well," he said. "They (Gerrard and Carragher) can't go babysitting everyone.
"They (the players) have played there twice before and won a cup competition and the semi-final. Some have also played there for there for their countries.
"They've just got to look after themselves – and they're big strong boys and can.
"I don't think it matters when you get into a cup final how many times you've played there and won before. Many, many people have won it the first time they've played in it.
"It'll be a help that Jamie and Steven are at this football club, but on the pitch the players have got to look after themselves as well as getting a bit of help from each other."
While Liverpool have endured an up-and-down league campaign, they've performed superbly in the cup competitions, eliminating Manchester City, Manchester United, Everton and Chelsea from either the Carling Cup or FA Cup this season.
On whether winning two trophies would represent a successful season, Dalglish replied: "We'll see what happens. We're in the Cup final – there's no guarantee we're going to win, but there is a guarantee we're going to give everything we've got to try and win.
"The season will be assessed when it's finished, not part way through it."
Liverpool recorded two victories over Chelsea at the tail end of 2011.
Both wins came at Stamford Bridge with Glen Johnson's late strike securing a 2-1 success in the Barclays Premier League, before Maxi Rodriguez and Martin Kelly fired in a Carling Cup quarter-final triumph.
However, the Blues' campaign has been rejuvenated by the appointment of Roberto Di Matteo as interim manager in March, and last week the Londoners secured a place in the Champions League final at the expense of Barcelona.
"Chelsea have had a fantastic achievement in getting to the Champions League final, especially with the two performances they put in against Barcelona," said Dalglish.
"They were two really good performances and two fantastic results to get themselves through.
"Like every other game you play, it doesn't matter how well you play or how committed you are, you need a little bit of good fortune – and the good fortune went their way as well as a fantastic performance.
"They've done very well. They beat Tottenham in the semi-final to get through to the final. They're on a good run at the moment."
On the influence Liverpool's two wins over Chelsea already this season could have on the Cup final, Dalglish added: "I don't think it will help or hinder us. Those games are gone and we got two positive results.
"But they've changed their manager since then and they're on a good run. There is a lot changed since those two games."
Meanwhile, journalists quizzed Dalglish on whether he felt there was an increasing fixation amongst teams with finishing in the top four of the Barclays Premier League rather than targeting success in the domestic cup competitions.
He replied: "In any competition you enter, you want to do the best you possibly can. In the league, it's 38 games and at the end of it you finish in a position and that tells you how successful you've been.
"In cup competitions, obviously there aren't as many games and if you get beat, you're out.
"There is an obsession with the Premier League simply because of what it holds for every club and the value to every club financially, and also the rewards you get for finishing in the top four and getting into the Champions League.
"But there is a satisfaction from winning a cup competition that you don't get from finishing fifth or sixth in the league."
2nd May 2012 - Latest News
Kenny Dalglish today reported a clean bill of health for Liverpool ahead of the FA Cup final against Chelsea on Saturday, apart from long-term absentees Lucas Leiva and Charlie Adam.
Having rotated his squad for the last two fixtures against Norwich City and Fulham, the boss expects to have a fully fit batch of players to select from at Wembley on Saturday.
And Dalglish insists Liverpool will head to London in confident mood despite Tuesday's 1-0 defeat to the Cottagers – though he admits the Reds hold a great deal of respect for Chelsea and the current form of the Champions League finalists.The manager told his pre-match press conference at Anfield: "We've given everybody an opportunity to get themselves fit and I don't think we've got any injuries, apart from the long-term ones in Lucas and Charlie Adam.
"In a way, it's made it a little bit more difficult that everybody is fit – but every team you pick is always a difficult task.
"We go into Saturday's game with a full squad of players, apart from the two lads."
Dalglish continued: "We're quite happy with the mood round and about the football club. Everybody knows it's going to be a really difficult game and nobody will underestimate Chelsea with the run they're on.
"I wouldn't know if it's confidence or not, but it's certainly not arrogance. We've got a huge deal of respect for Chelsea Football Club and what they've done."
Saturday's showpiece represents Liverpool's second final of the season having won the Carling Cup against Cardiff City in February.
Nonetheless, Dalglish believes the experience the Reds gained from that occasion will have little bearing on the outcome of the FA Cup final.
He said: "Chelsea have also been to Wembley once and won (in the FA Cup semi-final), so I don't think it's that much of an advantage.
"We're delighted to get to Wembley and we were delighted to win the Carling Cup. We were really pleased with the result and performance against Everton in the semi-final and now we'll go back again.
"I don't know how us having been to Wembley twice before, and Chelsea having been there in the semi-final, gives anybody an advantage.
"We've already tasted a cup final this year in the Carling Cup. Getting to the FA Cup final is never to be undermined, overlooked or overestimated in anyway - it's a fantastic day out for everybody.
"It's great reward for the effort, commitment and respect we've paid to the competition with the teams we've fielded.
"We think we deserve to be there and we're happy to be there."
Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher also faced the world's press at Anfield ahead of Saturday's clash as part the pre-match build-up.
The trip to Wembley will be the Scouse duo's third FA Cup final for Liverpool and their 10th major final overall for the club.
Reporters questioned Dalglish whether the duo's experience could assist the younger members of the squad in getting fully prepared for kick-off.
"Experience helps, but the boys have got to help themselves as well," he said. "They (Gerrard and Carragher) can't go babysitting everyone.
"They (the players) have played there twice before and won a cup competition and the semi-final. Some have also played there for there for their countries.
"They've just got to look after themselves – and they're big strong boys and can.
"I don't think it matters when you get into a cup final how many times you've played there and won before. Many, many people have won it the first time they've played in it.
"It'll be a help that Jamie and Steven are at this football club, but on the pitch the players have got to look after themselves as well as getting a bit of help from each other."
While Liverpool have endured an up-and-down league campaign, they've performed superbly in the cup competitions, eliminating Manchester City, Manchester United, Everton and Chelsea from either the Carling Cup or FA Cup this season.
On whether winning two trophies would represent a successful season, Dalglish replied: "We'll see what happens. We're in the Cup final – there's no guarantee we're going to win, but there is a guarantee we're going to give everything we've got to try and win.
"The season will be assessed when it's finished, not part way through it."
Liverpool recorded two victories over Chelsea at the tail end of 2011.
Both wins came at Stamford Bridge with Glen Johnson's late strike securing a 2-1 success in the Barclays Premier League, before Maxi Rodriguez and Martin Kelly fired in a Carling Cup quarter-final triumph.
However, the Blues' campaign has been rejuvenated by the appointment of Roberto Di Matteo as interim manager in March, and last week the Londoners secured a place in the Champions League final at the expense of Barcelona.
"Chelsea have had a fantastic achievement in getting to the Champions League final, especially with the two performances they put in against Barcelona," said Dalglish.
"They were two really good performances and two fantastic results to get themselves through.
"Like every other game you play, it doesn't matter how well you play or how committed you are, you need a little bit of good fortune – and the good fortune went their way as well as a fantastic performance.
"They've done very well. They beat Tottenham in the semi-final to get through to the final. They're on a good run at the moment."
On the influence Liverpool's two wins over Chelsea already this season could have on the Cup final, Dalglish added: "I don't think it will help or hinder us. Those games are gone and we got two positive results.
"But they've changed their manager since then and they're on a good run. There is a lot changed since those two games."
Meanwhile, journalists quizzed Dalglish on whether he felt there was an increasing fixation amongst teams with finishing in the top four of the Barclays Premier League rather than targeting success in the domestic cup competitions.
He replied: "In any competition you enter, you want to do the best you possibly can. In the league, it's 38 games and at the end of it you finish in a position and that tells you how successful you've been.
"In cup competitions, obviously there aren't as many games and if you get beat, you're out.
"There is an obsession with the Premier League simply because of what it holds for every club and the value to every club financially, and also the rewards you get for finishing in the top four and getting into the Champions League.
"But there is a satisfaction from winning a cup competition that you don't get from finishing fifth or sixth in the league."
If Carragher plays ahead of Skrtel or Agger I think the last remaining belief I have in Dalglish would disappear altogether.
he isn't going to play ahead of skrtel or agger, if he plays it will likely be three at the back.
Even with a 3, I'd still prefer Coates in there!!
we're speculating with regards to the starting line up but if we are going with 3 at the back I think that is a big mistake. you want to flood the midfield and stop mata and ramires you don't want to flood the defense in the attempt to stop drogba and torres. you want to push drogba and torres away from you goal and that isn't possible with carra in the back line, we'll have to defend deep or risk carra getting exposed for pace. ho-hum, kenny knows best.
Altruistic balls taste better anyway. Nope, actually, I'm getting mixed up, I mean autistic balls.
This is what I like to see.
By starting to drink again knowing that you're never ever drinking again after the game.
But when I drink after a period of never ever drinking again I tend to drink again non stop for weeks and months.
And to put this into context, I'm traveling from the match straight to Edinburgh for a week's golf shaped stuff in East Lothian. One slip could be a disaster.
I appreciate that I'm derailing the topic here. Carry on.
Sounds like the golf trip would be more fun wet than dry too though...
yep, and that is what worries me about kenny
Torres starts tonight. Drogba, Lampard, Mata and Cole all rested for them
We'll win.
This might be a bit of a mental shout but would anyone be against Aurelio starting?
I know he's played fuck all this season but he played over an hour last night and the quality's still there.
He has a wand of a left peg and such is my lack of faith in some of our midfielders, i wouldn't mind seeing Aurelio at left mid with Enrique behind him.
I know he's played fuck all this season but he played over an hour last night and the quality's still there.
He has a wand of a left peg and such is my lack of faith in some of our midfielders, i wouldn't mind seeing Aurelio at left mid with Enrique behind him.
I think I'm in love with you Gary.
But this is the harsh truth.
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