Soccer: Rafael Benitez's desire to transform Liverpool into a side capable of challenging for the Premiership will not be deflected even if they win their seventh FA Cup this afternoon, with major changes anticipated at Anfield for the second successive summer.

FA Cup Final Liverpool v West Ham Utd Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, today, kick-off 3.0 On TV: BBC 1, Sky Sports 2

The Spaniard reacted to his side's European Cup victory of a year ago by offloading Milan Baros and Vladimir Smicer, and then replacing Jerzy Dudek.

Having cut Chelsea's advantage at the top of the Premiership from 37 points in 2004-'05 to nine this time, Benitez aims to add pace and bite up front and creation in midfield and has expressed a desire to improve defensively despite being on the verge of equalling the club record of 34 clean sheets in a campaign.

"Always a big club needs to improve and we will try to improve again this summer," said Benitez.

"I think we have made fantastic progress this year, for sure, but every season I want to improve a little bit more. I am really happy with the way things have gone but we can and we must progress for next season.

"Maybe we can improve a little bit more in defence next season but also in attack we need to get better."

That desire to pep up his front line is likely to see one of Djibril Cisse or Fernando Morientes sold in the closed season, des-pite both insisting their futures are at Liverpool. They are effectively competing for a place alongside Peter Crouch today, though Liverpool have already earmarked Charlton's Darren Bent, Andy Johnson of Crystal Palace and Dirk Kuyt of Feyenoord as possible arrivals.

There is also interest in Chelsea's Shaun Wright-Phillips, though that may yet be frustrated by the champions' asking price for the former Manchester City winger.

For the moment the priority remains the FA Cup, with last season's humiliation at Burnley, where a below-strength side succumbed in the third round, a further motivation.

"After two or three weeks of people criticising us I understood that what happened against Burnley was a bad moment," Benitez said. "This year the squad is stronger and it's been easier."

Such sentiments were shared by Steven Gerrard, at Cardiff for the first time since scoring an own-goal in last season's Carling Cup final defeat to Chelsea.

"Getting to finals and winning trophies is what this club is all about but maybe (this one) is a bit more important than that," he said.

"Winning the FA Cup could be a stepping stone to something even bigger next season. It can offer us a psychological edge in terms of making a realistic title challenge.

"We can show we mean business for the title. We want to win trophies and that is the biggest trophy of them all, and I think that we can round off this season by sending a message out for the next campaign.

"This is something I have dreamed of since I was a little kid. The first cup final I watched was back in 1986, when Liverpool beat Everton 3-1. I was so excited - I watched from about nine in the morning and went mad when we scored.

"But it's a nightmare going home from Cardiff as a loser. West Ham will be up for this, and we have to be too," he added.

West Ham, meanwhile, will give late fitness tests to Matthew Etherington and Dean Ashton. Manager Alan Pardew is more likely to take a chance with Etherington, who has been struggling with an ankle injury, because the 24-year-old is his only natural left winger.

Bobby Zamora is likely to start if Ashton is deemed not to have recovered fully from a hamstring strain.

Pardew said Etherington and Ashton had not trained with the team yesterday and described it as a "worrying sign".

"We will give them every chance to prove their fitness right up until I name the team," he said, "but I am facing the possibility of having to plan without them."

Pardew has called on the West Ham fans to play their part as the Hammers look to end a 26-year wait for more cup final glory.

"I want our fans to use the occasion as a celebration of our entire campaign, because it has been a tremendous experience for everyone involved with West Ham United."

• Guardian Service