[lfc-news] What a shambles! - Echo

Liverpool Echo, 19 Jan 2005
What a shambles!
By Rob Brady, Liverpool Echo

FORMER FA Cup hero Ronnie Whelan today hit out at the attitude shown by
some senior players in Liverpool's defeat to Burnley last night.

The ex-Kop favourite, twice an FA Cup winner with the Reds, was at Turf
Moor last night to witness the Reds' limp display.

Whelan said: "The way they went about it was very disappointing. It was
a very below par performance.

"Some of the players didn't look bothered whether they won the game or
not. It seemed some did not want to be there.

"You can talk about the pride of wearing a red shirt, but some just did
not want to be playing last night."

Whelan said it would be wrong to blame the young reserves who were
drafted in, having helped the Reds get to the verge of a Carling Cup final.

He said: "You can't apportion much blame on the youngsters. They tried
as hard as they could.

"You couldn't question their attitude, but one or two of the older pros
need to take a look at themselves.

"I'm sure the manager could see it as clearly as I did."

Whelan has a first class FA Cup pedigree. The gifted midfielder played a
key role as Liverpool twice beat Everton to win the 1986 and 1989 finals.

He also netted the equaliser in the 1992 semi-final against Portsmouth,
although he was forced to sit out the subsequent Wembley victory over
Sunderland because of injury.

He witnessed FA Cup heartache too, seeing Liverpool team lose the 1988
final to Wimbledon.

The former Republic of Ireland star questioned the wisdom of manager
Rafael Benitez's decision to field such an inexperienced side for last
night's third round tie.

Benitez has already said he intends to play more senior players against
Watford in next week's Carling Cup semi-final second leg.

Whelan added: "I don't think the manager realised how important the FA
Cup is to the ordinary fan. It's all very well him saying he has to rest
certain players, but he has done that for the Carling Cup.

"A cup game at Burnley was never going to be easy.

"Last night it looked as if some of the players were wondering why they
had been chosen to play. The importance of the competition just wasn't
on show.

"Perhaps they have not been brought up on the traditions of the cup."

* Liverpool were today checking on the fitness of Milan Baros who limped
off having come on as a second half-subsititute.

There are fears he may have suffered a recurrence of his hamstring
strain which could keep him out of Saturday's televised lunchtime trip
to Southampton.


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