Reds boss ready for 'Cup Final' test

Last updated : 09 May 2003 By Chris Maxwell
Houllier knows that only victory will be good enough as the Reds seek to claim fourth place - and Champions League football - at the expense of Claudio Ranieri's Chelsea. The Reds boss believes that his side's excellent record in Cup Finals will hold them in good stead in what is sure to be an afternoon full of tension.

Houllier said: "We do well away from home and we know if we win at Stamford Bridge we qualify. My players like cup finals, we win them, so we can win this last game.

"We have come back from a period of despair, 10 games ago nobody would have thought we would be in this position, still going for it. We know that if we win at Chelsea, that's enough to qualify.

"Few people would have predicted this a couple of months ago. We'd lost at Birmingham and knew we needed to win virtually everything to get into the Champions League.

"Well, we are on seven wins in nine so we are pretty close. I trust my team, they have the knowledge of how to play in run-ins like this."