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‘I meant’ – Jamie Carragher clarifies Liverpool ‘second string’ comment

Jamie Carragher has clarified his “second string” comments made after Liverpool’s defeat to Atalanta as he called for Jurgen Klopp to prioritise Premier League glory this season.

Klopp’s side slipped to a shock 3-0 reverse at the hands of the Serie A team in the first leg of their quarter-final tie at Anfield on Thursday to leave them with a mountain to climb in Bergamo next week to reach the final four.

After the game, Reds legend Carragher urged Klopp to make a considerable amount of changes in Italy in an effort to keep his best players fresh for a Premier League run-in that will see them go top if they beat Crystal Palace on Sunday ahead of Arsenal’s visit from Aston Villa later that day.

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“Awful result & performance from Liverpool, the only consolation about getting beat so heavily is Jurgen should play a full second string in the second leg & go all in for the league!” tweeted Carragher immediately after Thursday’s loss.

Clearing up what he meant at Aintree’s Grand National on Saturday, Carragher told the ECHO: “When I said ‘second string’ I wasn’t talking about the kids.

“I meant, you know, give Trent [Alexander-Arnold] a game, give Diogo Jota a game, Curtis Jones, maybe the goalkeeper (Alisson Becker) plays.

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“And when you’ve got to play four away days in 10 days because they’ve got to go to Atalanta on the Thursday and then Fulham on the Sunday, I was just thinking playing your best team and trying to give it absolutely everything and it might not be enough, because it is going to be tough.

“Then you go Fulham and you’re not at your best and it doesn’t go well at Fulham, you are then falling behind in the league. The Premier League title is so much bigger than the Europa League. We all want to win both but we have put ourselves in a difficult position but we have still got ourselves in a great position in the league.

“We’re in a better position in the league than we are now in the Europa League, so for me I just think the league is too important, especially if we win tomorrow against Crystal Palace. Fulham is much more important than Atalanta and even getting through.”

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Speaking before Manchester City beat Luton Town 5-1 at the Etihad to go two points clear at the summit, having played a game more, Carragher, added: “It’s still going to be an unbelievable season, I think to win the league was something no-one really dreamed about at the start of the season. I still think that we don’t really believe that we can win the league but when you look at the table, we are joint top with Arsenal

“There are only seven games to go and it’s a game that we should do okay in tomorrow and then you are top of the league watching Arsenal platy Aston Villa, which is not an easy game for them.

“So I think it will go to the wire but I still think Man City will do it, actually, but you know we’ve got a great opportunity so there is no need to get too downhearted after what happened Thursday.”

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