Kenny Dalglish has told his players that lifting the Carling Cup could just be the start of things to come for Liverpool.
Liverpool boss hoping success breeds success
Kenny Dalglish has told his players that lifting the Carling Cup could just be the start of things to come for Liverpool.
The Reds boss takes his side to Wembley on Sunday to face Championship outfit Cardiff City.
The Anfield outfit have not won any silverware since 2006 and have not even played at Wembley since the newly built arena reopened in 2007.
Dalglish is hoping that victory on Sunday will act as a catalyst for further success for his players.
"Yes, winning the trophy can be a big thing for the club, and you can be proud of that achievement, because every football club that wins a trophy is making a bigger name for itself," he said.
"But we have still got a huge opportunity in front of us to make the season relatively successful.
"We've got the Carling Cup final, the FA Cup sixth round at home to Stoke and some really important league matches coming up.
"We can't afford to relax, because this could be a decent season for everybody. We hope that there is still room for improvement and we never stop trying to improve on where we are.
"I think everybody would deem this as relatively successful. But everybody wants to make it more successful and be contenders for more trophies."
Challenging
Dalglish himself has won 15 trophies at the old Wembley and he is hoping he will add to Liverpool's fond memories of the stadium.
"Wembley was a place we visited pretty regularly and everybody at the football club is trying to get back a bit closer to those days," he said.
"This football club wants to be challenging more often than it has been in the past.
"We want to be closer that we have been recently, when we have not been a contender for many of the competitions, certainly the domestic ones.
"I don't really have too many memories of Wembley. I just cannot remember! I don't have any real definitive memory other than the '89 Cup final because of what it meant to so many other people in the city.
"But the thing is, even though it's stating the obvious, the best result of any final is obviously when you win it. That's what we want to do now - everybody wants to make it more successful and making being contenders for trophies more permanent than what it has been."
Pride
The Liverpool boss admits he is looking forward to leading the team out, but insists nothing matters other than the result.
"It is going to be a proud moment to lead any club out at Wembley. The manager should be proud of what his football team has achieved and proud of what the football club has achieved," he said.
"It is not about myself it is about what happens on the pitch so the players have done fantastically well and hugely responsible in their first year and we appreciate that.
"I think Wembley is special for anyone who goes there even if it is not for a cup final. And if getting there helps in any way to set an example, everyone can be pleased with what they have done. Just to get there is a fantastic reward and endorsement in the way the football club has moved on.
"But we hope to keep progressing. I would like to think we can improve further and this is only the start of what we can achieve, because we want to be more consistently successful."
Dalglish also had time to praise his counterpart on Sunday, Malky Mackay, although admits he is more familiar with his father.
"I know Malky from Glasgow. I have met his dad a few times. He's involved at Queens Park, although he is a wee bit older than me!" he explained.
"Malky has done a fantastic job at Cardiff. To come in and get them to Wembley is a fantastic achievement for a man who is sitting there looking to get promotion to the Premier League.
"I think if he could get that, it would be his greatest achievement of the season."
