When Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool side take to the Wembley turf to face Chelsea in the FA Cup Final for the first time under the German manager, it will not only provide an opportunity to win the famous old trophy for the eighth time but also exorcise some demons from a decade ago.
The Reds' last appearance in the world's oldest knockout competition was against the same opposition, as club legend Sir Kenny Dalglish helped steer his side to their second cup final of the 2011/12 season in his second spell at the club. Having been brought in to steady the ship after Roy Hodgson's disastrous Anfield tenure, King Kenny had already added the League Cup to his previous list of Anfield honours and was looking to complete a domestic cup double, just as Gerard Houllier had in 2001.
But Liverpool's league form had been a major disappointment. The club finished the same season eighth in the table, four points behind Everton and a massive 37 points adrift of Manchester United and eventual champions Manchester City. Pressure on Dalglish had been lifted somewhat by continued success in the cup competitions and the emergence of Luis Suarez as an Anfield talisman.
