Carra eyeing double Cup glory
Jamie Carragher is paying no attention to Liverpool's tag as favourites for Sunday's clash with Brighton – insisting past experiences have taught him there are no easy fixtures in the FA Cup.
The Reds will play host to the Championship side at Anfield on Sunday aiming to take a step towards the quarter-finals of the competition.
Kenny Dalglish's men are being tipped by many to progress, but Carragher insists he and his teammates are experienced enough to ignore the odds.
He told Liverpoolfc.tv: "There are no easy games in the FA Cup - I could tell you that from the teams we've been knocked out by over the years.
"We've had some bad results against lower league opposition, but that's what makes the FA Cup what it is. That's why it's so special when you do win it because you realise the pitfalls along the way.
"It would be disappointing if we were to go out having knocked Manchester United out of the last round. It's a massive game for us and if we win we'll be into the quarter-finals, and if you do well there then you're at Wembley. It certainly keeps the season going."
While Carragher has two FA Cup winners' medals in his collection, the veteran centre-back has also tasted the other side of success in the competition.
The No.23 has been part of the Liverpool sides that have been on the receiving end of FA Cup upsets at Anfield, most notably against Crystal Palace, Barnsley and Reading, and feels lower league sides may have a 'nothing to lose' mentality when lining up in front of the Kop.
Carragher said: "Lower league teams can play like they've got nothing to lose when they come to Anfield because they haven't - they've got no fear and no worries. If they get beat they're expected to lose.
"For them it's a win/win really, but we're used to that. Most teams we play at Anfield will approach the game like that and there's always pressure on us to produce at home - and rightly so."
Liverpool and Brighton have already squared up this season when goals from Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt gave the Reds a 2-1 Carling Cup third round victory at the Amex Stadium in September.
However, Carragher witnessed enough from the Seagulls that evening to know they'll pose a stern test to Dalglish's charges.
"We've beaten them before and we would expect to win with the game being at Anfield, but it certainly won't be easy," he stated.
"The football they played was outstanding for a team at that level. You don't normally expect that, but that's great credit to their players and also to the manager Gus Poyet for what a great job he's done.
"I think they were playing really well at the top of the league then - I don't think they're as high up the league now as they were then, so hopefully it may be a bit easier for us."
He added: "It will be a tough game as it was against them in the Carling Cup. They're a very good footballing team and keep possession of the ball well, and that's something we'll have to try and stop at Anfield."
Liverpool have impressed in cup competitions so far this season, having reached the Carling Cup final at the expense of Manchester City, while they also progressed to the fifth round of the FA Cup with a 2-1 win against Manchester United.
Asked what he believed the reason to be for the Reds' cup form, Carragher said: "I put it down to the manager for putting out strong sides from the very beginning (in the Carling Cup) and giving the competition the respect it deserves.
"We're in the final and that's what we deserve for how much we've respected the competition. In the FA Cup we're only just starting - we've played Manchester United which was a great game for us and Oldham was difficult for us, 5-1 wasn't a true reflection."
Carragher was part of the Liverpool team that reached - and ultimately won - both domestic finals as part of an unprecedented treble in 2001.
The defender is eager to stress it's far too early for anyone to be dreaming of a similar outcome this time around, although he accepts there is a symmetry between that glorious season and the current campaign.
"There are similarities because we're doing well in the cups," Carragher said. "We had the added bonus of the UEFA Cup then as well.
"In that season we weren't close to winning the league, but we were challenging for the top three or four - and that's similar to what we're doing now.
"The cup competitions become even more important when you realise you're maybe not going to win the Championship. It's vitally important for the club, especially because we've gone so long without a trophy."
Once the Brighton game is over, Liverpool's next task will be aiming to secure a first trophy since 2006 when they take on Cardiff City in the Carling Cup final.
And Carragher is eager to sign off in style before the Wembley showpiece.
He said: "It is important to sign off with a win because you go into it (the final) with a buzz. You're still in the FA Cup, which is another competition - hopefully we can win the Carling Cup, but when that's finished and put to bed, we'll still need to be in the FA Cup and keep something else to look forward to at the end of the season."