One month and two defeats into the season, the clock is already audibly ticking on Liverpool’s championship challenge.
But for at least one of Rafael Benitez’s squad, there is extra incentive to beat the sands of time.
As a mainstay of the Anfield effort since making his debut back in January 1997, Jamie Carragher has played an integral role in all subsequent triumphs.
Yet a medal haul that includes the European Cup, UEFA Cup, FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Super Cup still has one notable, gaping omission.
And at the age of 31, the Anfield vice-captain admits to having dwelled on possibly not being around long enough to in appear in what he is convinced will soon be the inevitable – a title-winning Liverpool team.
“It is at the back of my mind but Liverpool is about winning things now – that’s what we want, as well as in the future,” says Carragher. “Rafa can’t be thinking ‘I have to win the league for Carra’, he’s doing it for the club, as well as building for future seasons.
“I’m sure we will get there in the end, whether it’s with me or without me. It’s important this club gets back to winning titles, but for Liverpool, not just me, even though on a personal level I would love to do it.
“I’ve been lucky enough with what I have won now, and really grateful for it, but obviously I want to win that Premier League. If not, then I have still won lots of trophies, but the main thing is seeing Liverpool win titles, whether I’m here or not.”
Having already retired from international football to help prolong his club career, Carragher faces strong competition for a centre-back berth this season with Martin Skrtel, Daniel Agger and new arrival Sotirios Kyrgiakos.
But the defender says: “I think the whole squad is under pressure for positions now. Rafa’s always liked a big squad, with two for each place.
“Teams change around a lot now, and some people say our squad is still not big enough, but I think we have a strong one.”
The early-season defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa have quelled the expectation this could be Liverpool’s year to end a title drought that stretches back to 1990.
Benitez’s men have already lost as many league games as they did in the whole of last season, but Carragher is convinced there remains plenty of time to overcome that slipshod start.
“What we have to do is stay focused, and I’m old enough and mature enough not to listen to everything others say,” he says. “We’re aware we’ve lost two of the first four, when we only lost two all year last time, but it’s not how many you win or lose, it’s how many points you get.
“In the last two seasons we have lost less games than Manchester United, and they won the league twice, so that proves the point. But if you keep losing games, you keep losing points, and we have to put that right.
“We have to make sure we don’t worry about other teams. Hopefully that’s something we can learn from last season – don’t think about them, just do your own stuff.
“With 10 games to go last season we were five or six points behind United and people were saying we had a great chance of winning the league. We’re six points off the top now and have 34 games to go.
“If we have that many left, rather than just ten, obviously we have much more chance of making it up, but we are still in the title race, no doubt about it.”
Each of the seven goals Liverpool have conceded this campaign have come from set-pieces, reopening the tiresome debate over Benitez’s zonal marking system.
Carragher has his own view on the shortcoming, and says: “We’ve conceded our goals at set pieces this season, but I don’t think that’s down to a lack of understanding. It’s maybe that we haven’t attacked the ball, lost a runner or something. The whole team comes back defending in the box and if one man doesn’t do their job, the ball’s in the back of your net.
“It’s not about the new players because in general play we have been fine, but it’s obviously something we have to improve on.
“People always say when you man mark you know whose fault it is when the goal goes in. But because we know the zonal system a bit better than you guys, we know who’s at fault when someone’s not done their job, and we talk about that on the training ground to put it right.
“It’s easy to point the finger at man marking, but we are aware of where things have gone wrong and on Saturday we have to put it right.
“We’ve been using that system for a long time so everyone should be comfortable with it. Personally I’ve been doing it for five or six years with the manager, and for a few of them we’ve had one of the best records in the Premiership. It’s about players wanting to head the ball and being aggressive in the box.”
But for at least one of Rafael Benitez’s squad, there is extra incentive to beat the sands of time.
As a mainstay of the Anfield effort since making his debut back in January 1997, Jamie Carragher has played an integral role in all subsequent triumphs.
Yet a medal haul that includes the European Cup, UEFA Cup, FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Super Cup still has one notable, gaping omission.
And at the age of 31, the Anfield vice-captain admits to having dwelled on possibly not being around long enough to in appear in what he is convinced will soon be the inevitable – a title-winning Liverpool team.
“It is at the back of my mind but Liverpool is about winning things now – that’s what we want, as well as in the future,” says Carragher. “Rafa can’t be thinking ‘I have to win the league for Carra’, he’s doing it for the club, as well as building for future seasons.
“I’m sure we will get there in the end, whether it’s with me or without me. It’s important this club gets back to winning titles, but for Liverpool, not just me, even though on a personal level I would love to do it.
“I’ve been lucky enough with what I have won now, and really grateful for it, but obviously I want to win that Premier League. If not, then I have still won lots of trophies, but the main thing is seeing Liverpool win titles, whether I’m here or not.”
Having already retired from international football to help prolong his club career, Carragher faces strong competition for a centre-back berth this season with Martin Skrtel, Daniel Agger and new arrival Sotirios Kyrgiakos.
But the defender says: “I think the whole squad is under pressure for positions now. Rafa’s always liked a big squad, with two for each place.
“Teams change around a lot now, and some people say our squad is still not big enough, but I think we have a strong one.”
The early-season defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa have quelled the expectation this could be Liverpool’s year to end a title drought that stretches back to 1990.
Benitez’s men have already lost as many league games as they did in the whole of last season, but Carragher is convinced there remains plenty of time to overcome that slipshod start.
“What we have to do is stay focused, and I’m old enough and mature enough not to listen to everything others say,” he says. “We’re aware we’ve lost two of the first four, when we only lost two all year last time, but it’s not how many you win or lose, it’s how many points you get.
“In the last two seasons we have lost less games than Manchester United, and they won the league twice, so that proves the point. But if you keep losing games, you keep losing points, and we have to put that right.
“We have to make sure we don’t worry about other teams. Hopefully that’s something we can learn from last season – don’t think about them, just do your own stuff.
“With 10 games to go last season we were five or six points behind United and people were saying we had a great chance of winning the league. We’re six points off the top now and have 34 games to go.
“If we have that many left, rather than just ten, obviously we have much more chance of making it up, but we are still in the title race, no doubt about it.”
Each of the seven goals Liverpool have conceded this campaign have come from set-pieces, reopening the tiresome debate over Benitez’s zonal marking system.
Carragher has his own view on the shortcoming, and says: “We’ve conceded our goals at set pieces this season, but I don’t think that’s down to a lack of understanding. It’s maybe that we haven’t attacked the ball, lost a runner or something. The whole team comes back defending in the box and if one man doesn’t do their job, the ball’s in the back of your net.
“It’s not about the new players because in general play we have been fine, but it’s obviously something we have to improve on.
“People always say when you man mark you know whose fault it is when the goal goes in. But because we know the zonal system a bit better than you guys, we know who’s at fault when someone’s not done their job, and we talk about that on the training ground to put it right.
“It’s easy to point the finger at man marking, but we are aware of where things have gone wrong and on Saturday we have to put it right.
“We’ve been using that system for a long time so everyone should be comfortable with it. Personally I’ve been doing it for five or six years with the manager, and for a few of them we’ve had one of the best records in the Premiership. It’s about players wanting to head the ball and being aggressive in the box.”
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