WE WANT TO WIN RACE FOR THIRD

Paul Eaton 19 March 2007


Jamie Carragher has insisted Liverpool are determined to win the race for third place in the Premiership this season.
Champions League glory may be at the top of the Reds' agenda over the remaining weeks of the season, but Carragher has revealed there's also a burning desire within the squad to beat Arsenal to third place in the table. "We want to go as far as we can in this season's Champions League but we also still have to ensure we're in it next season," he said. "I'm sure the battle for third will go right down to the wire and we want to claim that third place. "We didn't make a great start to the season and we know we're a bit behind Chelsea and Man United over a nine-month campaign. The league is a long hard slog and we need to improve. "We are a level behind the top two and there's a gap that we need to bridge. "How we go about that is up to the coaching staff and the manager as to which direction they want to go in. "As players we have got to do as much as we can between now and the end of the season to prove we deserve to still be here next season. "Whether the squad needs strengthening is nothing to do with me. It's for the manager to decide what happens and, as a player, all you can do is just look at yourself." Carragher, meanwhile, was frustrated with Liverpool's performance at Villa Park yesterday but pleased they at least came away with something to show for their efforts. "We didn't play as well as we can and I don't think they did, either. It wasn't a great game," he added. "They had a game against Arsenal in midweek which probably took a bit out of them and we hadn't played for 10 days, so we possibly lacked a bit of sharpness. "I can't remember a decent chance in the whole game and it was one of those games where neither side deserved to win. "It's disappointing but if you can't win it, you have to make sure you don't lose and that's what we did."