::: FistedAway welcomes a guest post from Elliott,

editor of the rather lovely Futfanatico :::

The path from the cusp of destruction to redemption has been a long one for Liverpool FC fans. Bad apple Americans owners. The departure of Rafael Benitez. The exodus of star players like Xabi Alonso. Roy Hodgson. So you can forgive Scousers for getting excited over possibly winning the Carling and FA Cup. However, a few have taken things a bit far.

In our interviews with a few long-time Liverpool supporters, most were resigned to no chance at the League title and an outside shot at Champions League football. However, after Dirk Kuyt fired LFC past United, their eyes lit up. One fan noted that “The FA Cup is actually a much older tournament than the Champions League.” She then added “we already have so many European titles, it’s time to add some domestic silverware to the display case.”

Shortly after the win over City, another had claimed that “Winning a Double is better than just winning any single tournament. Two is more than one. Duh.” Still, when pressed on the prestige question, the LFC fans snapped back: “Cups are amazing. You can, like, fill them with liquids. Like Coca Cola or even Pepsi. Maybe Orange Juice.” And now, on the cusp of a possible double, reality left the room as one Scouser rambled “I just know that when Andy Carroll scores the game winning goal in a Cup Final that will restore his confidence.”

Still, success aside, other things have tarnished the season. When asked about the £70m/9 goal trio of Downing, Henderson and Carroll, repeated incidents of racial abuse, the club’s handling of the incidents, they just covered their ears, closed their eyes, and said “Cup Cup Cup Cup Cup…”