Recently by Ian Rush

LIVERPOOL'S season is a difficult one to assess because although there has been progress on the pitch we still ended up without any silverware and that is a disappointment.

At the start of every season trophies are the priority at Anfield. They always have been and always will be.

That means the standard that the club sets for itself is incredibly high because there are only four trophies available each season, and it's hard to keep on winning cups all the time.

But when your history is built on success you have no choice but to live up to those standards. When you fall short it has to be a disappointment.

I THINK people will be drawing their own conclusions from the fact that Peter Crouch, John Arne Riise and Jermaine Pennant were not involved against City.

Rafa Benitez will already be planning his squad for next season and the chances of those three being at Anfield by then appear slim.

I like Crouch and if he does leave then Liverpool will need a £15m-20m striker to replace him.

ANYONE looking for an indication of how healthy a football club is should look no further than the performance of their reserve team.

That's why I'm so happy with the progress Liverpool reserves have made over the past season under the guidance of Gary Ablett.

They have already won the northern league comfortably and tomorrow they will take the national title if they can manage to beat Aston Villa at Anfield.

MIND games are part and parcel of football, so I wasn't surprised to see Rafa Benitez highlighting the need for a strong referee ahead of tomorrow night's meeting with Chelsea.

The Liverpool manager focused on Didier Drogba's play acting, and he was right to do so because that is one of the biggest threats to his team making it through to the European Cup Final for the third time in four years.

Like everyone else, I'm a big fan of Drogba as a player because he is big, strong and powerful, and he clearly knows where the goal is.

But there is this other side to his game where he goes down far too easily. which leaves a really nasty taste in the mouth.

If he does it tomorrow and gets away with it then it could make a big difference. Chelsea are always a threat from set pieces and free kicks awarded against Liverpool on the edge of their own box could be crucial.

LIVERPOOL can make it a hat-trick of European Cup semi-final victories over Chelsea and I really believe they will do it.

There has been a lot of talk about Chelsea being slight favourites to make it through to the Champions League final because they are at home in the second leg but that's certainly not the way I see it.