BRENDAN RODGERS had bullishly insisted Liverpool were ready to take the next step. Instead they fell flat on their faces during an embarrassing afternoon at Wembley.
So much for that fairytale finale. So much for giving Steven Gerrard the perfect send-off.
The captain’s glittering Liverpool career will already be over by the time the FA Cup final comes around on May 30.
The dream turned into a nightmare as the Reds were comprehensively outfought and outplayed by Aston Villa.
Philippe Coutinho fired them in front but goals from Christian Benteke and Fabian Delph deservedly secured Tim Sherwood’s side a showdown with Arsenal next month.
This was no hard luck story, just the latest infuriating example of Liverpool bottling it on the big stage.
The mental fragility which has prevented them from winning silverware under Rodgers previously came to the fore once again.
There was honour in defeat when they fell short in a thrilling Premier League title race last term and again when were narrowly beaten by Chelsea in the League Cup semi-finals earlier this season. Not this time.
Too many in yellow were paralysed by fear and went missing in the capital. Villa’s players embraced the occasion with relish, Liverpool’s appeared wracked by nerves and anxiety.
When Dejan Lovren opted to shoot from fully 40 yards deep into stoppage time and blazed high over the bar, it summed up the brainless ineptitude of the Reds’ performance.
Just seconds later referee Michael Oliver finally put the travelling Kop out of their misery.
As Gerrard punched the ball away in frustration and dropped to his haunches, Liverpool’s end of Wembley quickly emptied.
Pity those loyal supporters left short-changed by what they had witnessed.
All that excitement and optimism about returning to Anfield South quickly evaporated. By the end anger and dismay ruled.
Fans can accept losing but not in this manner. Not when a team who are battling against relegation defeat you so convincingly.
For all the talk of Villa’s revival under Tim Sherwood, over the past month they have drawn with QPR and lost to both Swansea City and Manchester United.
Yet Liverpool made them look like world-beaters. Worryingly, it was Villa who showed the greater quality, energy and desire.
Tactically, Rodgers was outfoxed. Three times over the course of the 90 minutes he changed the formation from 3-4-2-1, to 4-2-3-1 to 4-1-4-1 but to no avail.
The Reds never secured control, they never got to grips with the athleticism and dynamism of Villa’s midfield trio of Tom Cleverley, Ashley Westwood and Delph.
Their front three of Christian Benteke, Jack Grealish and Charles N’Zogbia caused havoc.
Grealish was outstanding, the 19-year-old Academy graduate totally unfazed by the stage he was performing on. In stark contrast the likes of Lazar Markovic and Alberto Moreno froze and played like they had the weight of the world on their shoulders.
How Liverpool missed the reassuring presence of Lucas Leiva, who was ruled out after suffering a thigh injury in training.
In his absence, Jordan Henderson and Joe Allen fluffed their lines. The afternoon simply passed them by.
Gerrard’s lack of game time over the past two months was exposed. The man for the big occasion couldn’t dig Liverpool out of a hole this time.
The club’s first FA Cup semi-final exit since they bowed out to Crystal Palace a quarter of a century ago condemns the Reds to a third successive trophyless season under Rodgers.
Lifting the FA Cup would have provided tangible proof of progress at the end of a rollercoaster campaign. But that potential comfort blanket has now been whipped away.
Manchester City’s league win over West Ham earlier in the day dented Liverpool’s hopes of making a late charge for the final Champions League place.
This season now looks doomed to end in failure.
Rodgers set three targets last summer – a top-four finish, progress to the knockout stages of the Champions League and winning a trophy. Two are out of reach and the other appears highly unlikely.
Miss out and questions will inevitably be asked about Rodgers’ future, but Liverpool don’t need a change of manager. They don’t need that kind of upheaval. But they do need a summer when they are much smarter in the transfer market.
The £116million they spent last year was supposed to fill the void left by Luis Suarez’s exit but it hasn’t even come close.
Aside from Emre Can, none of the other new arrivals have truly improved Liverpool.
Yes, the Reds bought for the future but the Boston-based owners will have expected a lot more bang for their bucks.
The biggest mistake was not spending big on a proper replacement for Suarez and opting to pin their hopes on the injury-prone Daniel Sturridge.
The end result is that Rodgers has got three strikers he doesn’t fancy and a fourth who spends most of his time on the treatment table. That lack of firepower has cost Liverpool dear.
It was also a bad error allowing Jordon Ibe to feature for Derby County in the third round. How the Reds missed the cup-tied youngster at Wembley.
In his absence, Rodgers turned to £20million Markovic, but the Serbian was hauled off after just 45 minutes.
By then it was 1-1 with Liverpool grateful to be on level terms.
They led on the half-hour mark when Allen and Raheem Sterling combined to find Coutinho, who beat Shay Given courtesy of a deflection.
That flattered the Reds and within six minutes Villa restored parity. Grealish found Delph, whose cross was expertly converted by Benteke.
It was well worked but Liverpool caused their own problems by backing off and allowing Villa to play,
Rodgers brought on Mario Balotelli for Markovic with Gerrard shifted into a holding midfield role.
But nine minutes into the second half Villa delivered the killer blow as Delph turned past Can and Lovren before slotting home.
The response was pitiful. The lack of urgency unforgivable. Liverpool were second to everything.
Villa were so comfortable they could even afford to bring on Joe Cole.
There was a late rally of sorts. Gerrard’s header was nodded off the line before Balotelli was wrongly flagged offside. The Italian found the net but the Villa defenders around him had already stopped.
There was no sense of injustice. Liverpool got what they deserved. When opportunity knocked, they flopped once again.
MATCH FACTS
Liverpool (3-4-2-1): Mignolet, Can, Skrtel, Lovren, Markovic (Balotelli 45), Allen (Johnson 78), Henderson, Moreno (Lambert 90), Coutinho, Gerrard, Sterling. Not used: Jones, Toure, Manquillo, Borini.
Aston Villa (4-3-3): Given, Bacuna, Baker (Okore 26), Vlaar, Richardson, Westwood, Delph, Grealish (Cole 83), Cleverley, N’Zogbia (Sinclair 75), Benteke. Not used: Guzan, Weimann, Lowton, Gil
Referee: Michael Oliver
Attendance: 85, 416
Goals: Coutinho 30, Benteke 36, Delph 54.
Bookings: Delph.
Man of the match
Philippe Coutinho. Provided a rare moment of quality and composure on a desperate afternoon for the Reds.