[lfc-news] Morientes aims to give Chelsea the blues again - Guardian

The Guardian, 26 Feb 2005
Morientes aims to give Chelsea the blues again
Liverpool's Spanish striker says his match-winning goals against the
Londoners last season will add to their doubts after difficult week
By Dominic Fifield

A week ago it would have rung as desperately misplaced optimism verging
on the ludicrous, but when Fernando Morientes conjured a statement of
fact at Anfield yesterday hope flared in Liverpool. "Chelsea are not
invincible," said the striker, his words first trilled in Spanish then
echoed in translation. "They're a good side, sure, but unbeatable? No.
We have to believe that."

The Merseysiders will share that conviction in Cardiff tomorrow with the
striker in their ranks. Such is the impenetrable confidence generated by
Jose Mourinho within his Chelsea squad that, even after their hellish
week that was, the Premiership leaders will still roar their way to the
Millennium Stadium confident of steamrolling anyone who dares stand in
the way of a first trophy under the Portuguese. Anyone, perhaps, but
Morientes.

It is some 10 months now since the Spaniard plundered home and away
against the Londoners, his second goal of the tie completing an unlikely
comeback at Stamford Bridge to block Claudio Ranieri's route to the
Champions League final. The continent's most fancied sides - from Milan
to Real Madrid, Juventus to Arsenal - had all succumbed apparently
leaving Chelsea's passage to Gelsenkirchen enticingly open. Monaco,
unfancied yet supremely resilient, blocked that path with Morientes,
loaned from Real, their inspiration.

The goal he ripped beyond Marco Ambrosio at Stade Louis II established a
3-1 advantage from the first leg. Briefly Chelsea edged in front in the
return - if only on away goals - before the Monegasques rallied and
Morientes, on the hour mark, hauled them level. John Terry featured in
both those matches, William Gallas in one. Neither will have forgotten
how that 5-3 aggregate defeat tainted their season.

Now, after defeats this week at Newcastle and Barcelona hinted at repeat
disappointment, Chelsea's players will stare across the turf in the
Welsh capital at the man who jettisoned their hopes last term. Some,
perhaps even Terry, will do well to suppress a shiver. "I have happy
memories of Chelsea and those two games are still so fresh in my mind,"
said Morientes, who has been a Liverpool player for barely six weeks.
"What I did over those two games can have a significance in this match
because players do not forget what others do to them.

"It is an encouragement when you do well against someone in the past,
then come up against them again, but you must temper that with the fact
that Chelsea are a tremendous side. Their defensive record this season
is magnificent - they are not used to letting in goals - but I found a
way through them last season. That can have an influence on things.

"What has happened this week has shown that Chelsea can be beaten but I
know they will be right on their game. If anything I would have
preferred them to have got a better result in Barcelona because, maybe,
they would have approached the game in a slightly more relaxed manner.
Instead you will see a Chelsea side really firing and wanting to make
amends. But this is a one-off occasion, not a normal Premiership game.
If we concentrate as best we can I think we have a very good chance of
winning the match."

Morientes is not accustomed to choking on the biggest stage. This will
be the 28-year-old's 17th final of his career, those appearances having
already yielded three European Cups, three Spanish Super Cups, two
InterContinental Cups, three Spanish Cups and a European Super Cup. The
four losers' medals are forgotten amid the silverware, that roll of
honour also ignoring the two Spanish titles plundered whilst at Real.

If his English was adequate enough to allow him to impart his thoughts
to his non-Spanish team-mates, he could offer those making their first
final appearance tomorrow an invaluable insight into their day ahead.
"When I played my first finals as a young player I was far more nervous
than in a league game," he said. "You can get to the 65th or the 70th
minute and there is nothing left in your legs. The stress of the
occasion and the build-up has taken it out of you. But it's not
necessarily a bad thing for nerves to play a part. I'll be nervous this
time too.

"The right amount of nerves can help you feel sharp for the game,
focusing the mind on the task in hand. It is the second final I have
played outside Real Madrid. That itself makes it a special moment for
me. I am trying to establish myself amongst new team-mates, but I'd tell
them to enjoy it. If you win it is fantastic. If you lose you have to
realise there are other challenges ahead and it is not the end of the
world. It's about relaxing.

"We can't worry too much about Chelsea. Besides, I am more concerned as
to which Liverpool team turns up on the day. We want the Liverpool that
played so well against Bayer Leverkusen and not the Liverpool that lost
at Birmingham. I cannot put my finger on why we are so inconsistent. We
often follow two wins with a defeat, then three more with another loss.
That is not the ideal situation. Really you want a gradual progression,
a steady improvement towards consistency. But we are hoping that it is
Liverpool's good face which turns up on Sunday."

Morientes might have been lining up against Rafael Benítez had tentative
enquires from Chelsea representatives as to his availability at Real
firmed up into a bid to take him from the Bernabéu to Stamford Bridge.
Instead his frustration at the lack of opportunities in the Spanish
capital prompted a £6.3m move to Anfield last month, with two goals in
six appearances to date.

Liverpool may need more tomorrow if they are to claim their eighth
League Cup with Mourinho, whose Porto side denied Morientes a fourth
European Cup at the last in Germany, standing in their way. "I am a big
admirer of him and the players I have spoken to about him all speak
highly about how he works," said the Spaniard. "Looking in from the
outside he has achieved a lot for such a young manager. He has done
already what many managers can only dream about achieving in their whole
careers. The standing he has is incredible.

"But this is about Liverpool. When I came here I knew I would get the
opportunity to appear in major finals and I am proud and privileged to
have this chance so soon. Great sides show their worth in really
important matches. That is what I'm hoping for. A final is a chance for
good sides to show their quality and true values on the biggest stage.
That is what we must do.

"Will I score? Sometimes, as soon as you set foot on the pitch for the
warm-up, you kind of know. You have a feeling in the warm-up that things
are going to go well and click into place. Watch me in the warm-up. If I
am smiling . . ." Chelsea will know exactly what to expect.

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