Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has warned his teammates not to get complacent after Tuesday night’s fantastic 2-0 defeat of Serie A leaders Inter Milan in the Champions League.
The Reds return to domestic action this weekend, playing host to Gareth Southgate’s Middlesbrough in a Saturday 3pm Premier League clash.
Carragher says, “We realise that we’ve now got three or four league games before the second leg in Milan and we’re going to have to make sure that we are in this competition next season.
“There’s something about us when we play in Europe but we’ve got a job to do in the Premiership and we have to make sure we don’t lose sight of that.”
Rafael Benitez has begun the comparisons between Liverpool’s situation this season to that of the triumphant 2004/05 season, which saw the Reds lift their fifth European cup, but finish fifth in the league.
After a 2-0 victory at home to Inter Milan in the first leg of their second round tie, Liverpool must hold out and overcome the Italians in three weeks time to secure a place in the last eight of the Champions League.
Benitez believes that despite a disappointing season of results so far, there is still a lot to look forward to. He says, “There, I suppose, is the prospect of history repeating itself with us going for a European final when we are not in the title race.
“But I would prefer not to think that far ahead, I always say ‘one game at a time’ and never has that phrase been more appropriate.
“We have made it very difficult for Inter now, two goals and a clean sheet.
“But they have a lot of good players and we will need to show plenty of respect and approach the game with confidence, but no complacency.”
And finally, the club confirmed today that their Premier League match at home to Newcastle United will go ahead on Saturday 8th March, 2008 with a 3pm kick-off. Both teams have been knocked out of the FA Cup, the quarter-finals of which take place the same weekend.
