JAMIE CARRAGHER today apologised to Liverpool’s supporters for the wretched performance that sent their season hurtling to a new low.
The Reds crashed out of the FA Cup last night, losing their third round replay against Championship side Reading 2-1 at Anfield, to increase the pressure on boss Rafa Benitez.
It was as bad as Liverpool have played during this dispiriting campaign and Carragher refused to make any excuses for why they failed to take a golden opportunity – they led 1-0 in injury time – insisting it was “unacceptable”.
Liverpool now face two crucial Premier League games against Stoke and Tottenham that will go a long way to shaping how the rest of the season maps out and Carragher knows they owe their fans an emphatic response.
“It was a very bad night for Liverpool and we can’t disguise that – we had to do more against a side from a lower league,” said Carragher, one of only a couple of players who emerged with credit.
“We have to apologise for the way we performed. We have to give credit to Reading, hold our hands up. We all like to win but when you don’t, you have to be a good loser.
“We have to accept they deserved it. But, at the same time, we have got to look at ourselves and the way we performed was not acceptable.
“We’ve got a massive game coming up against Stoke now. It will be very tough, as we played extra time and we have got to show enormous character to come back.
“But that’s what we have got to do. We have got to move on but, at the same time, we have to say sorry to the fans who came to Anfield and all those watching on TV.”
Having tumbled out of the Champions League in the group stages and had their Premier League aspirations destroyed before the end of November, some will wonder whether Liverpool possess the fight to recover from such a body blow.
Given this result also came against the backdrop of Thomas Hicks Jr resigning from the board over an email storm, it shows how far Liverpool have fallen from grace but Carragher insists the squad will not give up the fight.
“We have got to do better and we have got to recover,” said the Reds’ vice-captain. “There are still four months left of the season; it’s been tough and this result has made it a little bit tougher for us.
“But we are Liverpool. We can’t be where we are and we have got to improve. Liverpool Football Club demands certain standards. At the moment we are not reaching them and we know that but we have all got to come as one and stick together.
“The stuff that goes on off the field has got nothing to do with it. I don’t think so anyway. If you say it has, you are only making excuses. Whatever goes on behind the scenes, we have got to do our own job.”
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