Mignolet: Final talk is off limits
Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet insists nobody at Liverpool, especially Steven Gerrard, is daring to dream about a fairytale FA Cup Final.
After their 1-0 quarter-final replay victory against Blackburn Rovers, Liverpool know that only Aston Villa stand between them and a place in the FA Cup Final.
A victory against Tim Sherwood’s men would also mean Gerrard would bring his glittering Liverpool career to a close at Wembley Stadium – on his birthday.
But Mignolet says with important league games still to play, and the semi-final to navigate, they cannot think about what may lay ahead.
"Nobody is talking about it, Stevie is the first one to acknowledge that," he said.
"He is the first one to acknowledge that we can't have any extra pressure on the team.
"He won't let us think in a different way. We just want to focus on Villa and the games before that.
"Before we speak about the Final, we have got to get through the semi-final and the only thing we can keep in mind now is how to get past Villa.
"Then we will see what comes. Villa will be tough."
Gerrard turns 35 on the day of the Wembley showpiece on 30 May, which could be his final Liverpool appearance before heading off to Major League Soccer for a new career with the LA Galaxy.
And while Liverpool have booked their first Wembley appearance since 2012, Mignolet accepts it will count for nothing if they do not make the next step.
"We are pleased to get to the semi-final," he added.
"Once it is semi-final time, we will make sure we are ready but everything comes step-by-step..
"We are pleased with what we did against Blackburn but the next focus is the league.
"After the Arsenal and Manchester United games we didn't have much time to think about getting back to positive ways.
"Blackburn was a massive game and we needed to respond.
"It wasn't easy after the disappointment at Arsenal but the lads picked themselves up and we managed to get the result that everyone wanted.
"There is still a lot to play for. The only thing that we can do is take every game as it comes."
After the back-to-back Premier League defeats, Liverpool now face an uphill battle to finish in the top four.
Before they take on Villa, they face John Carver's side at Anfield on Monday as they attempt to close the seven-point gap on Manchester City in fourth place.
But their Belgian goalkeeper said he is delighted to be returning to the league programme with a win under their belts.
"When you are at Liverpool, you know you have to win every single game," he continued.
"After the results against Arsenal and Manchester United, we knew there was going to be criticism. You have to accept that.
"The only thing you can do is respond and we did that."