Improve – or else Liverpool face cup exit, warns Jamie Carragher

Aug 25 2008 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

Jamie Carragher

JAMIE CARRAGHER has warned Liverpool they must improve their form or run the risk of their Champions League dream being extinguished on Wednesday.

Rafael Benitez’s side scored twice in the final four minutes to scrape a 2-1 win over Middlesbrough on Saturday and continue their 100% start to the Premier League campaign.

After Mido had given the visitors a deserved lead on 70 minutes, Carragher equalised with four minutes remaining with a shot that deflected in off Emanuel Pogatetz before Steven Gerrard’s blistering injury-time winner capped an unlikely comeback.

It was another fortunate escape for the Anfield outfit following their poor display in the goalless draw at Standard Liege and indifferent performance in beating Sunderland.

And Carragher has offered a blunt assessment of Liverpool’s Champions League chances before they host Standard in the second leg on Wednesday.

“We haven’t clicked yet, there is no hiding from that, and if we perform as we have done over the last few weeks it is going to be extremely difficult to beat Standard Liege on Wednesday,” said the centre-back.

“They are not a Mickey Mouse team. They won their domestic league and they proved in the first leg how good they are.