Allen Hamilton
What: English League Cup Final
Who: Liverpool vs Cardiff City
When: Sunday 26th February, 2012, at 16:00 UK Time
Where: Wembley Stadium, London, England
Through the Storm Towards the Golden Sky
Life has been a rollercoaster for Liverpool since the last time captain Steven Gerrard raised silverware. From a Champions League final in Athens, to slumping out of the Premier League’s top four, forcing the term "the big four" to be consigned to history, the Reds’ presence in the League Cup final represents redemption of sorts.
Just twelve months ago, Fernando Torres left Anfield, believing that the Merseyside giants could not quench his own thirst for success. Now there is a very real chance that his former team-mates may end the campaign with medals around their necks, while the Spaniard is at a Chelsea outfit that look miles off challenging for the Premier League title or Champions League.
For Liverpool, winning the League Cup could usher in a new era, giving players who have not tasted it previously, a real thirst for success. And suddenly, with that, Liverpool could be contenders for bigger prizes again, as well as pocketing the guarantee of Europa League football for next season. All this though rests on beating Cardiff City and, while Kenny Dalglish’s men are overwhelming favourites, so were Arsenal against Birmingham City last season. Defeat, as in that case, can actually spark renewed decline, rather than rebirth.
And so Dalglish has ordered his men not to forget the hill that Cardiff will make them climb to lift the cup. "It’s going to be a really difficult game for us. It’s just as huge a match for Cardiff as it is for us", warned the Liverpool manager. "If we want to have any designs on winning the match we need to play to our full capacity."
Able to Compete
It is perhaps something of a mystery why Cardiff City are not a Premier League club. Seasons of strong performances and playoff contention in the Championship should, by the weight of attempts, have led to the Promised Land. But the Welsh side are still sat in the second tier, despite proving in cup clashes again and again that they can raise their game to compete with the best.
The impact that victory would have could be far-reaching, with the Welsh giants once again knocking on the door for promotion to the Premier League. For striker Kenny Miller, being in the final is a bonus, something which takes the pressure off Cardiff while heaping it on Liverpool. "Nobody expected to be playing in a cup final when we started this season. Certainly it didn’t cross my mind", admitted the former Rangers striker. "Now we are there and planning to give Liverpool a difficult time."
The Bluebirds’ recent form has been anything but spectacular, with defeats against Blackpool (3-1), Leicester City (2-1) and Ipswich Town (3-0) in their last four games. And Miller admits that the excitement of the final may have been to blame. "Whether we have taken our eyes off the ball in league games is another argument, but this weekend we are all looking forward to the final."
Cardiff may be in many ways the trickiest opponents Liverpool could have faced. With nothing to lose, little pressure on their shoulders and more recent experience of playing at Wembley than Liverpool, the Welsh side will be quietly confident that, as last year, a surprise could be on the cards.
Recent form
Liverpool:
Liverpool 0-0 Tottenham Hotspur (06/02; Premier League)
Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool (11/02; Premier League)
Liverpool 6-1 Brighton (19/02; FA Cup)
Cardiff City:
Leicester City 2-1 Cardiff City (11/02; Championship)
Cardiff City 3-1 Peterborough United (14/02; Championship)
Ipswich Town 3-0 Cardiff City (18/02; Championship)
Key absences
Liverpool: Lucas Levia
Cardiff City: Mark Hudson (doubt); Stephen McPhail (doubt)
Players to watch
Liverpool – Craig Bellamy: The striker’s participation in this one was in doubt after he suffered with a back problem, but in a sign of just how seriously Bellamy is taking this meeting with his former club, he has had an injection which should see him available for this. While the Welshman is not certain to start, his knowledge of Cardiff may, at some point in the afternoon, make him Liverpool’s strongest card.
Cardiff City – Kenny Miller: A former Rangers and Celtic player, the Scotsman knows what chasing silverware, and winning it, in finals feels like. His experience and coolness in front of goal may be crucial at Wembley, as Cardiff are likely to have fewer chances than Liverpool, and so must take them.
Match Prediction
Liverpool are strong favourites here and if Kenny Dalglish’s men play as they can then the League Cup should be won. However, the Reds have struggled against smaller sides in the Premier League this season and are most comfortable playing a counter attacking game. For that reason, the Reds will not steamroller Cardiff, though the result should be the same – a Liverpool win. Liverpool 2-0 Cardiff City.
The League Cup final is a huge game. But who is do you think will win in this Liverpool v Cardiff City clash? Make sure you visit OLBG for tips and to compare the current odds and betting markets available at all the important bookmakers.
