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Liverpool’s FA Cup semi-final match against Aston Villa today gives the club a ‘tremendous opportunity’ to go one step closer towards winning silverware for the first time for three years, according to manager Brendan Rodgers.
The last time the Reds celebrated winning a trophy was in 2012 when they beat Cardiff City in the League Cup.
Rodgers hasn’t led Liverpool to victory in any competition since taking charge nearly three years ago.
“Today’s trip to Wembley gives us, as a club, a tremendous opportunity and it is an opportunity we intend to grasp with both hands,” he writes in the official FA Cup semi-final programme.
“Of course, being involved in a major game such as this, at such a prestigious stadium, is great for our young, developing squad, but we know this game today is part of our journey and not the destination.”
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Today he will come against an Aston Villa side that are reinvigorated under Tim Sherwood. Since he became manager at Villa Park, they have moved away from the relegation zone in the Premier League and have reached their first FA Cup semi-final for five years.
Rodgers understands the task his side faces.
He added: “I am a big admirer of Tim Sherwood, as a person and as a coach and manager; he is clearly already having a big impact at Aston Villa.
“He will have prepared his team to take the game to us today and with the talented players they have in their ranks they too will be arriving at Wembley today with the expectation of getting the job done and reaching the final.
“Our focus will be on our own level of performance, collectively and individually. I believe we will have to be at our very best today if we are to achieve the result we are looking for.”
