Carragher: Reds are desperate for silverware

DIFFICULT times call for revised ambitions, and far from aspiring to claim a first title in 20 years or delivering a sixth European Cup to the Anfield trophy room, Liverpool’s diminished status means Jamie Carragher is now hoping to place a tick against one of the less heady ambitions on his career ticklist.

A woeful league season and equally dismal Champions League campaign has left Liverpool hunting for scraps and Rafa Benitez’s side left the Madejski Stadium on Saturday knowing they were fortunate to still be able to count the FA Cup as one of their targets.

Against a side that has struggled all season to haul itself away from the Championship relegation places, Liverpool endured an uncomfortable afternoon that revealed familiar frailties in defence and the fragile nature of their battered confidence.