Liverpool progressed to this stage of the competition in controversial circumstances against Arsenal who are still smarting from what is generally perceived to be a grave miscarriage of justice.  It wasn’t just one incident that caused emotions to run high and fuel intense debates between the two sets of fans.  Sometimes you just have to take a dodgy decision on the chin but when its 2 or 3 that affect the result then you can understand the wrath emanating from north London.

Liverpool do seem to have that bit of luck that is so important in this competition – the dubious sending off which reduced Inter to 10 men so early at Anfield then the controversial refereeing decisions (or non-decisions as the case may be) at the Emirates and later Anfield during this season follows the notorious “Phantom Goal” in the semi-final against us at Anfield in 2005.  We can only hope that their luck doesn’t continue – and even that karma may take its toll and we may well get the benefit of it.

You need a bit of luck and you also need your best players available. 

Lampard has not trained since the Wigan game when he left the field during the warm up for that game to rush to his mother’s hospital bedside who is in intensive care with double-pneumonia.  Lampard has travelled so I’d expect him to be in the side.

Ballack has been rested for the last couple of games due to a tweaked hamstring although he insists he is fit to start at Anfield.

Drogba has also travelled after having fluid drained from his knee – the only role our most dangerous striker has played in recent games is in the dugout listening to his ipod selection.  I would imagine he will be on the bench after only doing light training recently.

Essien will definitely not start as he is suspended for this leg, although to be honest, with the current wasteful 4-3-3 formation his absence is slightly reduced in importance.

Benitez has been very coy about the prospect of not having Gerrard available recently rested because of a neck problem –he’ll start though.

Personally, I’m feeling strangely relaxed about these matches.  I don’t feel any of the nerves that I experienced during the last two occasions.  Why’s that then?  Well, I think it’s probably down to a combination of reasons; as I mentioned before, this will be the 3^rd crack at the Merseyside club in a CL semi final and I think I’ve used up a lot of my nervous energy during those ties – been there, done it and got the t-shirt – if we don’t beat them this time we just don’t deserve to. 

Secondly (and probably more importantly) I’m a bit disillusioned with Grant at Chelsea and the prospect of him being at Chelsea next season – that’s taken “something” out of me.  We are a bit like a rudderless ship only being kept afloat by what’s left of the team spirit in the players themselves. 

I think it’s quite astounding that we have pushed a side in Man Utd apparently playing out of this world all the way in the league (and brushed aside the ascendance of Arsenal in the process) and that we are in the semi-final of the CL – it just makes me wonder what we could have achieved this season with a top class Captain of the ship at the helm?

Nevertheless, of course I DO want us to win the semi-final and I actually believe we will go through - although it is with some dread I face the prospect of what Grant will do in the final. 

During the next few weeks we can expect more destabilisation campaigns from the media seeing as we are up against two of their favourites in the two most important competitions. 

We should be used to this of course, but I’ll admit it’s this type of favouritism to the “Old Guard” of clubs which has generally existed since the advent of the Premier League and Sky which reduces my attitude of almost indifference described earlier and stokes the fires within my heart.

This recently said by a Chelsea fan pretty much sums it up for me:

“So, all in all, we've got in-fighting among the players, a chairman that won't back the manager, players playing out of position, we lost a cup final to our biggest rivals, we got knocked out of the FA Cup to Championship fodder, our 'manager' sinks to new levels of delusion on a daily basis and, to make things worse, next week we go head-to-head with a team who we have never beaten in Europe and who are clear favourites to go through to the Final.

Pack your bags boys; we're going to Moscow.

If there's one thing we've ever been taught from supporting this club; write us off at your absolute peril.

Don't believe in Grant - believe in the players.

Don't believe in Kenyon - believe in Bruges in '95, Vicenza in '98 and Barcelona in 2005.

Don't believe in 'brand Chelsea' - we are Chelsea Football Club, and we will overcome.

It may be blind faith or it may be a sheer unwillingness to stare facts in the face... but I have faith in my club to deliver more and, after Grant is long gone and another man is in place, I will still have the same faith.

It's what keeps us all coming back week in, week out.

We're going to Moscow. Keep the Faith!”

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