Saturday, January 03, 2009

Carragher Wants Liverpool To Raise Their Game And Stop FA Cup Failures


Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes the club has to sharpen up their act in the FA Cup.

Carragher, 30, has two FA Cup winners' medals to his name from 2001 and 2006, but he accepts a club of Liverpool's stature should be contesting the final stages of the world's greatest club cup competition on a more regular basis.

Frequently under boss Rafael Benitez, Liverpool have fielded weakened sides in the tournament, and suffered as a consequence.

But generally over the past 18 years, there have been embarrassing defeats.

Since winning the cup in 1992 against Sunderland, Liverpool have been eliminated six times by teams from the division below.

These defeats were inflicted by Bolton (1993), Bristol City (1994), Blackburn (2000), Crystal Palace (2003), Burnley (2005) and last season Barnsley.

And in that time they have only had three final appearances, losing to Manchester United in '96, and winning the cup against Arsenal in 2001 and West Ham in 2006.

Carragher said: 'Over the years our record hasn't been that good.

'We either seem to go all the way and win it, or get knocked out early.

'We're never in the quarter-finals or semi-finals on a regular basis, which is what we should be doing.

'We do that in the Champions League nearly every year and have to start doing it in the FA Cup too.'

This season marks the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, and Carragher sees this new campaign as an opportunity to pay tribute to the 96 Liverpool fans who died in Sheffield on April 15, 1989 at the semi-final with Nottingham Forest.

He says: 'It will be 20 years since Hillsborough, and that is something we are all obviously aware of.

'Because of that there will be extra significance attached to the competition for us. Going on to win it would be the perfect tribute to those who died.'

Preston had lost their last 10 FA Cup meetings with top-flight opposition before defeating Derby County 4-1 at Pride Park last season.

Since the inception of the Premier League they have been beaten by Arsenal, Everton, Chelsea, West Brom, Middlesbrough and Manchester City. Seven of those 10 defeats have come in front of their home fans.

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