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Talk of Benitez' soccer future not affecting Liverpool: Carragher

11 January, 2008

Liverpool captain Jamie Carragher (R) clears the ball from Luton Town's Calvin Andrew (C) during the FA Cup third round football match in Luton Januar
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LIVERPOOL, England (AFP)-Liverpool's Jamie Carragher is adamant the ongoing speculation surrounding the Anfield future of manager Rafael Benitez is not proving a distraction to either him or his team-mates.

And the local hero is equally convinced that Liverpool's American co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett shouldn't have to answer repeated calls to give the Spanish boss a vote of confidence just to quieten down rumours of Benitez's imminent departure from Merseyside.

Liverpool may be one of English football's so-called 'Big Four' but they are currently fifth in the table, a huge 12 points behind leaders Arsenal, while in the FA Cup they face a third round replay after being held to a draw by cash-strapped League One strugglers Luton.

This has all stoked talk that Benitez could be on his way out of Liverpool but 29-year-old defender Carragher said: "The situation over the manager doesn't affect me, it doesn't affect the other players, we get paid to play football and that is what we have to do.

"Our objective is to improve on the way we have played in the last few weeks, we should not be getting involved in things like that off the field, we have got to look after ourselves," he also told Sky Sports on Thursday.

"We have to stick together. At the moment we are getting a lot of criticism from a lot of people, but we must rally round, get together, and prove a few things out on the pitch.

"The last few weeks have not gone as well as well all would have liked but the main thing is what goes on out on the pitch, not off it.

"We should do what we are paid to do. We should concentrate on that."

Benitez has recently denied in local Liverpool media he gave an off the record briefing where he anticipated being sacked, having had a very public falling out with Hicks and Gillett over transfer policy earlier in the season.

Carragher said too much was being read into the duo's failure to give Benitez a vote of confidence - which in English football, at least, usually heralds the sack.

"It's up to the owners what they say about the manager, it is nothing to do with me what goes on between the manager and the owners.

"A few months ago they said everything was fine, I don't think they should be coming out every few minutes answering speculation."

End.

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