Loss won’t deter us, says Dalglish

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Photo/AFP Liverpool striker Luis Suarez (right) celebrates his hat-trick with team-mates during the English Premier League football match against Norwich City at Carrow Road stadium in Norwich, England on April 28, 2012. Liverpool face Chelsea in the FA Cup final this Saturday.

By AFP
Posted Wednesday, May 2 2012 at 18:42

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London

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish insists his team will still enter Saturday’s FA Cup Final with Chelsea in confident mood despite a dispiriting 1-0 home loss to Fulham in their last game before the Wembley showpiece.

An early own goal from Martin Skrtel condemned Liverpool to another home loss in a season which has seen them set records for futility in terms of their league form at Anfield.

With Dalglish opting to rest Pepe Reina, Daniel Agger, Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard with Chelsea in mind, it was hardly ideal preparation for Liverpool’s second domestic cup final of the season.

But the Scotsman insisted that the defeat would have no bearing on the outcome on Saturday as his team attempts to add the FA Cup to the League Cup they won earlier this year.

Win would have no difference

“If we had won this game 4-0 it wouldn’t have made any difference for Saturday,” said Dalglish. “It won’t affect the Cup Final but it’s disappointing and doesn’t mean to say it makes it right.

“The attitude and desire was not there. We can’t play at that tempo, we have to play quicker than that.

“I have to take part of the blame because I wanted to give everyone an opportunity to get minutes on the pitch and a chance to push their case. But the performance and attitude were very poor and that’s not like us. Our attitude and approach is where it went wrong.

“A lot of people have to take responsibility for that. We tried to be fair to give everyone an opportunity and stake a claim for the Final. People here have come to support us and they deserved better than that.

“I wanted to give people an opportunity to get minutes on the pitch, but the attitude was very poor and that’s nothing like us. There were one or two positives but a lot more negatives.

“I am culpable too, because giving people an opportunity to put themselves in the frame for Saturday was a contributory factor. If you’re going to go into games with a bad attitude you will get nothing from the game - and that’s what we got.” (AFP)