Alan Pardew has admitted he thought he had the FA Cup in his hands in 2006 before Steven Gerrard turned the game on its head.
West Ham had found themselves 2-0 up against Rafa Benitez’s side, with an own goal from Jamie Carragher and a strike from Dean Ashton giving them a surprising advantage.
Goals from Djibril Cissé and Steven Gerrard had drawn the Reds level before a strike from defender Paul Konchesky in the 64th put West Ham back in the driving seat.
They appeared to have secured victory as the game came to a close before a stunning, long-range drive from Gerrard spared Liverpool’s blushes and broke Hammers hearts.
Liverpool subsequently went on to win the final on penalties after extra time, but Pardew admits he thought it was a done deal before Gerrard took matters into his own hands.
“I could have won the FA Cup three times; once as a player, twice as a manager,” he told Voetbal International.
“In 2006, I already had that cup in my hands. We played the final with West Ham United against Liverpool, total control.
“One minute ahead of time 3-2. I looked at Rafael Benítez, the manager of Liverpool, and saw resignation in his eyes. He had already resigned himself to the defeat.
“My assistant said to me: ‘The only one who can still score for Liverpool is Steven Gerrard’. I agreed.
“There was only one minute left to play when the ball fell at Gerrard’s feet. The distance was thirty metres, but Steven took the ball half-volley: goal. Great goal, 3-3 and we lost the penalty shootout.”
After spells at Newcastle United, Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion, Pardew now finds himself managing Ado Den Haag in the Eredivisie.
He was parachuted into the Dutch club to help them try and escape a relegation battle but is yet to have any impact.
Instead, he has faced stern criticism from the club’s fans, who not only question how much he knows about the league but his tactical acumen too.
Pardew, though, insists the first criticism isn’t fair, and he knows the competition better than people give him credit for.
‘I would say: on the contrary, I know your competition better than everyone thinks,” he added.
“As manager of West Ham United, I often came to the Netherlands to scout.
“I thought at the time that you were training great attackers here—individually technically and tactically strong players. Since I’ve worked here, I understand why.
“The problem with ADO Den Haag is that the level of this competition is quite high and that we are lagging behind many of the clubs around us, especially in terms of individual technical and tactical qualities.”
