LIVERPOOL are heading back to Wembley – so I’ve dug out my white suit to mark the occasion!
It is 16 years since the Reds last walked out at our national stadium, so a return to London for a cup final is a special moment for everyone connected with Anfield.
Finally we might be able to put the disappointment of 1996 behind us.
I played that day and we were battered in the Press for turning up for our showdown with Manchester United wearing white suits.
But if we had won, I reckon it would have set a precedent for sides to wear all different coloured suits for their big finals.
We should have been trendsetters!
It was an incredible occasion as two old rivals went head-to-head that afternoon and only a late strike from Eric Cantona could separate the teams.
It was the closest I ever came to winning a major trophy and after all the stick we took in the aftermath, you may have thought I’d want to ditch any memories of it.
Strange
Not a chance!
After the match I remember Neil Ruddock cut the sleeves from his suit jacket – but I’m glad I still have mine. (I’m even more pleased to prove that it still fits!)
I’ll never get rid of it but now that the club are back at Wembley I hope they can shrug off the tag that has been round their necks ever since.
Wembley used to be Liverpool’s second home and it needs to become that way again.
And with Kenny Dalglish at the helm, I believe it’s possible.
He’s the Messiah at Anfield and it was strange to hear him getting flak from a section of fans in the wake of that defeat at Bolton last weekend.
Some people need to be careful what they wish for. A change of manager is the last thing Liverpool need right now.
It’s amazing to think back to that game against United in 1996 and consider that Sir Alex Ferguson was – and still is – their manager. He even still has Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes in his team!
By keeping that consistency at the top of the club, United have been able to build on their success year after year.
Liverpool simply haven’t had that and as a result have fallen by the wayside – and United have trounced them on the trophy front.
Five different managers have been in the Anfield hot-seat during that period, so King Kenny needs to remain in place.
He is the right man, in the right place, at the right time, as this great club bids to find its feet again.
Yes, he was wrong with the stance he took over the Luis Suarez affair and nobody should have been wearing T-shirts supporting the striker.
Still, everybody makes mistakes. and as far as I am concerned, Dalglish is one of the few Liverpool faces that reminds everyone of the club’s success – and that in itself can inspire greatness.
The Carling Cup might not be the biggest trophy in world football but it can give this club a lift at the perfect time.
They then need to kick on to make the top four. Because that is what defines a good season these days. A trophy does not compensate for Champions League football. Instead, it should provide the cherry on the cake.
Cardiff will prove tough opponents and once we are all under the Arch on Sunday February 26, I expect to have goosebumps.
When ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ is echoing around the new Wembley, it will be a moment to remember.
Personally, I think it is written in the stars for Craig Bellamy to steal the show.
He’s seen off his old club Manchester City and now I fancy him to grab the winning goal against Cardiff – his hometown team and the side he was loaned out to last term.
Let’s just hope this picture of me is the last time you see a Liverpool player in a white suit.
I hope this team are kitted out in grey flannel suits for Wembley – then let their football become fashionable again.
