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Much has been made of the date of the FA Cup final (May 30th) as it is Steven Gerrard's birthday and therefore represents a dreamlike send off opportunity for the Liverpool captain before he heads to the MLS. But Liverpool players aren't caught up in such sentimentality, and are instead focused on getting through Aston Villa in the semi-final.
"No, nobody is talking about it," goalkeeper Simon Mignolet said in an Echo report. "Stevie is the first one to acknowledge that before we speak about the final, we have got to get through the semi-final."
"Stevie is also the first one to acknowledge that we can't have any extra pressure on the team (to give him the dream send-off). He won't let us think in a different way."
Aston Villa have been a bit of a bogey team for the Reds in recent years, and Mignolet is wary of the threat that they will present.
"The only thing we can keep in mind now is how to get past Villa. Then we will see what comes after that. We can't look ahead to the final. Villa will be tough," he said. "We have got to keep doing the things we are doing. The only thing we can do is work hard, focus and keep our heads down."
