Rafa Benitez targets Wembley trip to rescue season for Liverpool
Rafael Benitez wants to end a difficult season at Anfield on a high note by winning the FA Cup.
The Reds began the campaign dreaming of the Premier League title but seven defeats before Christmas have left them languishing in seventh place and facing a battle to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
There has also been controversy off the field with director Tom Hicks Jr forced to leave the board after an email row with a fan while rumours continue to circulate about the club’s financial stability.
But league concerns and off-field distractions will be put to one side tonight when Benitez’s team bid to see off Reading in their FA Cup third-round replay.
The Reds’ boss has admitted results have forced the club to rethink their goals for the season and the Spaniard is desperate for a trip to Wembley.
‘The FA Cup is a very good option for us to win something this year,’ Benitez said. ‘So we have to approach the game thinking about winning.
‘It would be very special to get to Wembley. We’ve been to Cardiff [where Liverpool beat West Ham to lift the Cup in 2006] but now we have to think about winning the first game.
‘We know the FA Cup is a massive competition so we want to progress and go forward as much as we can. Our priority now is one game at a time so the first one is the most important.’
Benitez is keen not to allow the Championship visitors a glimmer of hope at Anfield tonight and he added: ‘We have to approach the game thinking about winning and not giving them any chances or any confidence that they can do something.
‘In the Premier League you have to win and if you can’t, you say ‘‘unlucky’’. But in the cup you have to win.
‘The attitude is more important against teams from a lower division. After that you know you have some quality but attitude is the key.
‘I remember [against Barnsley in 2008] and we were not doing badly.
‘We had some chances and then conceded in the last minute.
‘It was unlucky but it’s the same situation now because it’s a cup competition – you have to win and can’t make any mistakes.’