Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier has admitted that his weary team now effectively faces three cup finals in a week, having already played 60 games this season. Last night's draw with Chelsea meant that the third place Champions League qualifying spot would not be decided until the final day of the season. Houllier said: "I felt some weeks ago that we would need to go to Charlton on the last day and win to get third spot, and that's how it is going to end up." Liverpool face Arsenal in the FA Cup Final on Saturday, then travel to Dortmund to play Alaves in the UEFA Cup Final next Wednesday. The final game of their gruelling season is away to Charlton on May 19.
"We now know we have three cup finals in eight days to decide our destiny this season. But we've played important games like this in short spaces of time all season, and we can do it again," he said. "We would have liked to have settled the Champions League spot before our two cup finals, but it wasn't to be. I would have preferred it not to be a last day scenario, but that's how it's turned out and we have to handle it. I said to the boys afterwards that they had nothing to be disappointed about, they had taken part in a smashing game."
Holland's international striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has admitted that he is disappointed at Chelsea's season. He said: "Sixth position is just not good enough for Chelsea - you have to be honest and you have to look each other in the eye and say that it was not good enough so, that's life, and you have to keep on going." The Dutchman has scored 22 league goals this season, but he maintains that the Premiership title was his priority for this season. He said: "At the beginning of the season we said that we wanted to challenge for the championship and that was the most important thing and we didn't do that."
Filed by Greg McKevitt
