From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...em/6676849.stm
History will count for nothing in the Champions League final in Athens on Wednesday.
And AC Milan may be the favourites going into the showdown with Liverpool but that will not matter on the night either.
It certainly did not make any difference to Liverpool when they made that astonishing comeback from 3-0 down to beat the Italians in the final in Istanbul two years ago.
That was one of the greatest comebacks sport has seen - but it does not mean a thing this time round.
The only difference it makes is that Liverpool have won five European Cups rather than four.
Talk about that game and how Milan want revenge only comes into play in the build-up.
If their players are getting caught up in all that and saying 'we have got to do this for 2005' then I think they have got a slight problem. Most of it will be paper talk though.
There will be a lot of conjecture and rhetoric about the game before kick-off but these matches are always the same and it ends when you cross the white line.
I played in four of those finals and every time I went on to the pitch I could not remember what was said before the game.
It just does not come into the equation as far as the individual players are concerned because you are focusing so much on the game.
The outcome is all about who plays well on the night.
And Liverpool have obviously got to watch Kaka, who is a tremendously influential player for Milan. He is so talented - but you can stifle him.
If you remember Istanbul, Kaka played magnificently in the first half but we never saw him in the second.
Rino Gattuso will have a big role to play for Milan too.
He is a fantastic player and when you look at him and Kaka then that combination is almost the perfect central-midfield partnership.
Gatusso has a never-say-die attitude and gets from box to box with endless energy. He will hustle, harry and close players down.
He is also quite good on the ball too so, combined with Kaka's artistry, it is difficult to think of a better pairing.
But then again they both played in 2005 and we saw what happened then.
And Liverpool have got good players too - let's not forget about that. Steven Gerrard is as multi-talented as Kaka.
I think Gerrard will start wide on the right, and Reds manager Rafa Benitez will be cautious, but that is the way he plays and it has stood him in good stead so far.
I don't know how Liverpool are going to line up in the middle, apart from Gerrard, but Javier Mascherano has been a great buy for them and he should be even better next year.
That midfield battle is going to be vital though.
It is going to be all about whether Liverpool do manage to stop Kaka playing or whether Gattuso gets on top.
That is the area of the game where it is going to be won and lost.
And Liverpool won it two years ago with what was definitely an inferior side - they are much better now than they were then.
The Premiership is all about using 18 or 19 players and that is why they have struggled domestically.
But hopefully with George Gillett and Tom Hicks taking over, Rafa will have a war chest to go out over the summer and buy the players he needs to challenge for the title.
And the most important thing for Rafa right now is that, with the best 11 players he can put out on the pitch, Liverpool can beat anybody.
They have shown that by beating Barcelona and Chelsea over two legs and it won't be any different on Wednesday.
Liverpool are going to win the Champions League final - I am absolutely 100% confident of that.
History will count for nothing in the Champions League final in Athens on Wednesday.
And AC Milan may be the favourites going into the showdown with Liverpool but that will not matter on the night either.
It certainly did not make any difference to Liverpool when they made that astonishing comeback from 3-0 down to beat the Italians in the final in Istanbul two years ago.
That was one of the greatest comebacks sport has seen - but it does not mean a thing this time round.
The only difference it makes is that Liverpool have won five European Cups rather than four.
Talk about that game and how Milan want revenge only comes into play in the build-up.
If their players are getting caught up in all that and saying 'we have got to do this for 2005' then I think they have got a slight problem. Most of it will be paper talk though.
There will be a lot of conjecture and rhetoric about the game before kick-off but these matches are always the same and it ends when you cross the white line.
I played in four of those finals and every time I went on to the pitch I could not remember what was said before the game.
It just does not come into the equation as far as the individual players are concerned because you are focusing so much on the game.
The outcome is all about who plays well on the night.
And Liverpool have obviously got to watch Kaka, who is a tremendously influential player for Milan. He is so talented - but you can stifle him.
If you remember Istanbul, Kaka played magnificently in the first half but we never saw him in the second.
Rino Gattuso will have a big role to play for Milan too.
He is a fantastic player and when you look at him and Kaka then that combination is almost the perfect central-midfield partnership.
Gatusso has a never-say-die attitude and gets from box to box with endless energy. He will hustle, harry and close players down.
He is also quite good on the ball too so, combined with Kaka's artistry, it is difficult to think of a better pairing.
But then again they both played in 2005 and we saw what happened then.
And Liverpool have got good players too - let's not forget about that. Steven Gerrard is as multi-talented as Kaka.
I think Gerrard will start wide on the right, and Reds manager Rafa Benitez will be cautious, but that is the way he plays and it has stood him in good stead so far.
I don't know how Liverpool are going to line up in the middle, apart from Gerrard, but Javier Mascherano has been a great buy for them and he should be even better next year.
That midfield battle is going to be vital though.
It is going to be all about whether Liverpool do manage to stop Kaka playing or whether Gattuso gets on top.
That is the area of the game where it is going to be won and lost.
And Liverpool won it two years ago with what was definitely an inferior side - they are much better now than they were then.
The Premiership is all about using 18 or 19 players and that is why they have struggled domestically.
But hopefully with George Gillett and Tom Hicks taking over, Rafa will have a war chest to go out over the summer and buy the players he needs to challenge for the title.
And the most important thing for Rafa right now is that, with the best 11 players he can put out on the pitch, Liverpool can beat anybody.
They have shown that by beating Barcelona and Chelsea over two legs and it won't be any different on Wednesday.
Liverpool are going to win the Champions League final - I am absolutely 100% confident of that.
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