Carragher: Liverpool Will Prove The Critics Wrong

Jamie Carragher admits he is determined to prove the critics wrong on two fronts this season.

The centre-back is relishing the chance to help Liverpool surpass many people's expectations in 2010-11 following a tricky campaign last time around.
But he has also revealed how some ill-judged words from a TV pundit played a part in his impregnable display against Arsenal on Sunday.
"I read Gary Lineker on Sunday morning saying my legs had gone, so I wasn't in the best of moods before the game and I was more determined to play better than I normally am," said Carragher, whose fundraising testimonial takes place at Anfield on September 4.
"You have good days, bad days, but we did okay. Later on I'll probably make a couple of mistakes and people will say I'm finished again.
"I made too many mistakes at the start of last season but I think I got my game together from the Manchester United game at home, from November onwards, so I like to think I had a good second half of the season."
Carragher's terrific display at the weekend was matched by many of his teammates, and the Reds will take heart from their performance heading into their second Barclays Premier League clash with Manchester City on Monday.
The 32-year-old defender will see that game as another perfect opportunity to showcase Liverpool's domestic credentials.
"Ever since I've been here, we've never been thought of as the best team in the country," said Carragher. "We have always had question marks against us. Over the last decade or so, we've quite enjoyed that chance to prove people wrong.
"You look at Arsenal, who challenged for the title last year, United, Chelsea, and the City situation, so I can understand why people say they don't fancy us to get in the top four, but we have to believe we can.
"I look at last season, how poor it was, but with two or three games to go we were still fighting for fourth. I expect an improvement on last season and that'll get us into it.
"People talk about last season but don't forget that the year before with the same team we finished second.
"We were never as bad as seventh last year. There's a lot of factors in that but it's in the past now. We are a lot better than that.
"Maybe with a new manager and a couple of new players, we should be fighting for a top four place.
"That has to be the aim at the moment."
Sunday's game was Roy Hodgson's first league outing since replacing Rafael Benitez, but Carragher is refusing to be drawn on whether the managerial change has already made a positive difference.
"I don't like doing that because it looks like you're criticising the old manager," he said. "I'd never do that. I've got too much respect for him. Everyone's different, with different ways of doing things.
"Everyone said the same about Gerard Houllier when Rafa came in, and I stuck up for Houllier then and I'll stick up for Rafa now.
"You look back and we had some great times, but it was probably time for a change.
"We do different things with this manager because every manager has his own way of doing things."
Hodgson's encouraging league bow was marred slightly by the dismissal of Joe Cole for a late challenge on Laurent Koscielny.
Carragher feels the new boy was unlucky to receive a straight red - but he thinks the incident will do little to dent Cole's reputation in the eyes of Kopites.
"Joe has lifted the whole city," said the vice-captain. "It's not just in the dressing room, it's the whole place.
"He's staying in the centre of town, getting well-wishers all the time, and he's starting to realise how big this club is.
"He's like a God in the city already, so he's already got the fans on his side.
"Joe is the type of player others love playing with. We saw that in Europe with Stevie and with Torres that'll come.
"Fernando is used to having Stevie putting him in and now he's got Stevie and Joe. Joe adds things we never had last season.
"He was talking before about how big a game this was for him and, if you think of the matches he's played for England in World Cups and Chelsea, he was really up for it.
"I'm just disappointed for him that it ended like that. You see that tackle so many times, trying to block a ball down the line, and if you don't get the ball, you can't stop yourself in mid-air. To me, that type of tackle should be a yellow."