Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has stated the Reds must forget about Xabi Alonso and stop blaming the Spaniard’s sale for their failure to push for the title this season.
After finishing runners-up to Manchester United during 2008-09 many expected Rafael Benitez’s men to challenge strongly for the title this time around.
However, the Anfield outfit have suffered a disappointing campaign and face a fight to finish fourth in the Premier League and qualify for next season’s Champions League competition.
Many have pointed to Alonso's summer departure to Real Madrid as a huge factor in the club’s apparent demise, yet Carragher insisted this argument was unfounded.
"I've heard the arguments about what would have happened had we kept Xabi Alonso this season," he told the News of the World.
"Xabi is a good mate of mine and a great player. I was disappointed when he left.
"He was here for five years and he was great for us, but we didn't win the league during that time, did we?
"There's no way you can say if he was here we'd win the league. There's more to it than that.
"You can't keep looking back like that. I wish Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush were still in the team too so you might as well be arguing we'd win the league if we still had them."
Carragher also revealed he believed there would be changes at Anfield in the summer, but was confident the club could keep their star names as well as adding further quality to the squad.
"I'm sure there will be changes in the summer," added the defender.
"And the main thing for us is keeping the top players here. There are times you feel you're a long way off, but it may only need some top-class additions for us to get back up there.
"I'd say we need two or three good buys and we wouldn't be as far away as many think.
"We just need beefing up. I know next year we don't want to be fighting for fourth again."
After finishing runners-up to Manchester United during 2008-09 many expected Rafael Benitez’s men to challenge strongly for the title this time around.
However, the Anfield outfit have suffered a disappointing campaign and face a fight to finish fourth in the Premier League and qualify for next season’s Champions League competition.
Many have pointed to Alonso's summer departure to Real Madrid as a huge factor in the club’s apparent demise, yet Carragher insisted this argument was unfounded.
"I've heard the arguments about what would have happened had we kept Xabi Alonso this season," he told the News of the World.
"Xabi is a good mate of mine and a great player. I was disappointed when he left.
"He was here for five years and he was great for us, but we didn't win the league during that time, did we?
"There's no way you can say if he was here we'd win the league. There's more to it than that.
"You can't keep looking back like that. I wish Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush were still in the team too so you might as well be arguing we'd win the league if we still had them."
Carragher also revealed he believed there would be changes at Anfield in the summer, but was confident the club could keep their star names as well as adding further quality to the squad.
"I'm sure there will be changes in the summer," added the defender.
"And the main thing for us is keeping the top players here. There are times you feel you're a long way off, but it may only need some top-class additions for us to get back up there.
"I'd say we need two or three good buys and we wouldn't be as far away as many think.
"We just need beefing up. I know next year we don't want to be fighting for fourth again."
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