Thursday, August 16, 2007

Carragher: Let's Finish The Job

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher agrees with his manager Rafa Benitez that despite tonight's crucial 1-0 away win in the Third Qualifying round of the Champions League in Toulouse, the Reds cannot start thinking hey are in the money-spinning group stage yet.

Although their fans will now expect Liverpool to clinch qualification as a formality in the second leg at Anfield, Benitez urged caution, saying:

"We must not think we are already through. This tie is not yet over, it is just one goal. We know."

And ahead of next week's second leg in Liverpool, Carragher was also cautious, telling Setanta Sports: "Over the last few years we have had good results away and then lost at home.

"It was far from great but the away goal makes it a lot easier.

"It was a great goal from Andriy. We were not playing particularly well in the first half but it was a great finish."

Carragher also underlined the fact that would not be making himself available for England selection again, despite recent meetings with manager Steve McClaren.

He said: "I had a good couple of chats. We got on great but I just felt at my age others are a lot younger than me and I just want to concentrate fully on Liverpool."

Reds ' striker Peter Crouch, who provided the headed assist for Andriy Voronin's superb winner, explained: "I managed to flick it on and from there it was all about Andriy.

"It was a superb finish and fitting to win any match."

Crouch added: "It was extremely hot out there for all the lads.

"Maybe the performance could have been better but it was a great result."

Crouch, who was omitted from the Liverpool squad for the game at Aston Villa on Saturday, said he expected Benitez to rotate the squad again for Sunday's game at home to Chelsea.

"I was disappointed not to be involved in the first game but the manager's proved he does like to rotate," said Crouch.

"I'm sure there will be changes again when we play Chelsea.

"I gave up a year and a half ago trying to second guess his teams. You can never tell which team he's going to play."

Meanwhile defeated Toulouse coach, Elie Baup, said that his team had found the blazing heat as well as the quality of Liverpool difficult to cope with.

He said: "In those conditions it is hard to keep running and trying to create things when you are playing against a side with such experience and quality.

"Our players lack the experience of playing in this competition and they found Liverpool's ability and technical quality hard to cope with out there."

taken from goal.com