Liverpool v Cardiff Carling Cup preview (Wednesday, Anfield)

Oct 31 2007 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

AN EMOTIONAL reception will guarantee Robbie Fowler is made to feel at home at Anfield tonight. Liverpool’s problem, though, is that too many other visitors are being afforded the same privilege.

Normally the most reliable aspect of his team, Rafael Benitez has seen his players suddenly forget how to win on their own patch

Of seven games played at Anfield this season, the back-to-back hammerings of Toulouse and Derby County in late August and early September remain the only Liverpool have won during a stuttering start to the campaign.

It’s a statistic in stark contrast to their fine away showings, and the most glaringly obvious of several shortcomings that have gradually cranked up the pressure on Benitez.

His team will look to deflect further criticism by sidestepping a potential Carling Cup banana skin when they entertain Cardiff City in their fourth round tie tonight.

And Jamie Carragher admits there is frustration among the ranks at Liverpool’s inability to replicate the home form that has proven the foundation during Benitez’s tenure.

“It’s very strange that we don’t seem to be doing that well at Anfield this season,” says the centre-back. “Every year I have been here, it’s been a case of thinking you have one area of the team sorted and then having to improve something else.

“Our away form was poor last year but now we are the best in the league away from home, yet all of a sudden the home form hasn’t been as good as we would have liked.”

On Sunday, Arsenal became the fourth team to hold Liverpool to a league draw at Anfield in five games, while Marseille caused the first real concerns over qualification to the Champions League group stages with a 1-0 win on Merseyside earlier this month.

And Carragher adds: “It’s frustrating. Last season we were probably as good as anyone else at home in the league and we wanted to take that into this season while improving the away form, but it’s been reversed so we’re going to have to start picking up some wins at home.

“Us and Arsenal are the only unbeaten teams, but we’ve had too many draws. That said, if we’d beaten Spurs at home and drawn at Everton, then people would say they were good results.

“The away form has been excellent but maybe it’s been making up for the home form.”

Carragher, man of the match against the Gunners at the weekend, is likely to again be asked step up to the plate to help contain the returning Fowler.

Fowler netted 183 goals in 369 appearances during two spells for Liverpool before leaving for Coca-Cola Championship side Cardiff on a free transfer in the summer.

And Benitez regards the 32-year-old’s recent 18-month stay at Anfield as a success.

“Maybe we can arrange for him to score once more in front of the Kop, but only when we are winning 3-0!” says the Spaniard. “Seriously, though, I view his return to Liverpool a couple of years ago as a great success, he showed so much commitment and effort. And our younger players will have learned a lot from just watching him in training.

“Robbie was a great success here the second time around. The atmosphere with him was always good. He was always joking, and was also very respectful and professional.”

Benitez adds: “I would expect now that players in the division he is now in will learn from him, too. He has fantastic instinct and movement, you can always see that.

“But I don’t want to see him scoring goals in this game”

Fowler – who has scored 33 goals in 40 League Cup games in his career – has found the net six times in 12 appearances for Cardiff already this season, and Benitez reckons the striker can be among the Championship’s leading marksmen come next May.

“I expect and believe he can score 20 goals for Cardiff and be the top scorer in their division,” says the manager. “That would please me.

“And he is still more than capable of scoring against our defence. As long as we win and score enough, I would be happy for him to score once more in front of the Kop. But only if we win, maybe I can agree that with him!”