RAFA AND STEVIE'S PRE-MATCH NOTES

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Ahead of tonight's Carling Cup clash with Crewe Rafael Benitez and Steven Gerrard have been sharing their pre-match thoughts in the official matchday programme. Read them in full online now.

Tonight we welcome Crewe to Anfield, which is a change from us travelling away to play them.    I have fond memories of our pre-season trips to the Alexandra Stadium where we have won 1-0 and 3-0 in recent years.    We didn't play Crewe in this pre-season for the simple reason we had several options put to us and eventually decided that playing Tranmere Rovers was more viable at that time.    There is a long-standing relationship between Liverpool and Crewe and I'm sure many fans were pleased when the Carling Cup, third round draw put us together.    Crewe have a reputation for bringing good, young players through their academy system.    Over the years they have produced players such as David Platt and of course, Danny Murphy, who Liverpool fans will be familiar with from his time at the club.    Developing and selling players on can be vital to the financial future of clubs such as Crewe.    I also believe the academy system is the key to the future of a lot of clubs, be it in the Premier League, The Championship or League One.    You can't produce everything through the Academy but if you can develop enough good players they can strengthen the club either by playing or being sold on to bring extra finances in.    I've heard it said that Crewe is a feeder club for Liverpool. That is not the case. We've simply enjoyed a good working relationship and Crewe have also signed some of our Academy graduates in the past such as Phil Charnock, Jon Otsemobor and Daniel O'Donnell.    However, any good will between the clubs will end for 90 minutes at least tonight as we both try to progress to the fourth round.    During my time at Liverpool we have reached the final of the competition, the quarter-finals twice and also been knocked out at the third round stage, against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park three years ago.    It is often said that top clubs don't take the Carling Cup seriously. I've addressed this issue before and my thoughts are still the same.    It's clear that all Premier League and Champions League clubs have varying priorities. That is not to say we don't want to win every competition we enter.    We also know that when we play against a team from another division, their main priority is to beat a team from the Premier League.    If we decide to use some of our younger players but the opposition field a team consisting mainly of their senior players – with the knowledge it may be their best opportunity to win a trophy - it can sometimes become more difficult than a league game.    But our young players have done well before in the competition.    I have a photograph in my office of the penalty shoot-out celebrations when we beat Tottenham at White Hart Lane to reach the semi-final in 2004/05.    That was a proud moment for all of the youngsters who represented the club that night.    The Carling Cup can be a massive boost for our younger players who are eager to play for the first team.    Just as we saw with those of them who did well in pre-season, this competition presents an opportunity to show what they can do in front of the fans.    No matter who plays tonight, they will all be giving it 100 per cent to try and get us through to the next round.    Rafael Benitez    The Carling Cup is an important competition for Liverpool. It always has been, and I hope it always will be.    It might not have the same glamour attached to it in some people's eyes that the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League do, but I've got some fantastic memories of playing in this competition, and I'm sure the same is true of a lot of supporters.    The League Cup's always been a good competition for Liverpool. Some of the very best Liverpool teams from the past have gone up the steps at Wembley to lift the trophy and it's been an ambition of mine to follow in those footsteps.    I've lifted the Champions League and the FA Cup since I became skipper here but I want to do the same in the league and the League Cup too. I got to do it after we beat Man United in Cardiff but it will be extra-special to do it as captain.    You can never have too much success.    One of the other big incentives for us this year is the fact that the final would be at Wembley. I've played there with England as have a few of the other boys but we haven't been there yet with Liverpool and we'd like that to change this season – ideally in both domestic cup competitions.    At the same time we want to challenge in the Premier League and maintain that record we have in Europe. There are a lot of tough challenges ahead of us this season, but that's the way life is at Liverpool.    You're here to compete for big prizes.    We'll be respectful of Crewe tonight. We had difficult games against lower league sides in both of last season's cup competitions, and going out the FA Cup to Barnsley was one off the low-points of my career.    For so-called smaller teams coming to Anfield to play Liverpool can often be their biggest game of the season and you get an extra 10 per cent than you'd get normally.    Crewe will come here and try and play football. Dario Gradi might have moved upstairs at the club now but the way they play the game won't change while he's still involved at the club. But they'll want to win too.    We've learnt in the past what can happen in these type of games if you're not 100 per cent committed and that's something the manager's been stressing in the build-up.    We can't take our eye off the ball. I don't think there's much chance of that happening because we've built a winning mentality in our dressing room. It's given everyone real confidence and we believe we're going to win Everytime we set foot on the pitch.    I've said a few times already this season that looking around our dressing room I feel that we're a stronger squad than we were last year.    It's on nights like tonight that you prove it, and prove how much you want your season to be a success.