Carragher demands comeback

Jamie Carragher has lashed out and demanded that Liverpool return to their winning ways.

Carraher admitted that the Premier League title race is unforgiving after the Reds slipped off the summit of the table following their 2-1 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

Carragher let in an own goal but he is eyeing a Chelsea-like response from the Reds.

"Look how Chelsea have reacted since we beat them and how Manchester United reacted when they lost to us," he said.

"They've been on a great run since. It's how you come back from your setbacks that counts. This will be a test for us now.

"If you want to show you're championship contenders it's how you bounce back that matters.

"Before Jose Mourinho came to Chelsea you could get away with losing five or six but now it seems to be three or four.

"The standards are so high. You can't afford to lose too many."

Liverpool still have games against West Brom, Bolton and Fulham which should be easy points but Carragher knows that nothing can be taken for granted this season.

"It's a different test in itself playing against the teams lower down," he said.

"Portsmouth was a very difficult game and we didn't score until late on.

"If we play as well as we can we should go on to win the next six games but in the past we've come unstuck in those matches and it's important we get maximum points now."

It's expected that Fernando Torres will make his return during Tuesday's Champions League clash against Atletic Madrid and Carragher admits that Torres' presence has been missed.

"You'll always miss Torres. He's probably the best striker in the world of his type," he said.

"Even if we'd won here we would have still missed him because he's such a great player. That's what squads are for.

"That's why the manager talks every year about big squads and good benches.

"Everyone misses players. Chelsea are without Didier Drogba at the moment. You've just got to adapt to it."

Liverpool could have done with the Torres' touch at White Hart Lane on Saturday as they missed out on a series of chances before Carragher's own goal changed the game around.

"That's the Premier League for you. Credit to Spurs but we were in total control," said Carragher.

"We should have got a second or third goal but if you don't do that Spurs have definitely got quality going forward.

"I'm disappointed to score the own goal. I don't know what happened. I don't know if I was unlucky - I'll have to see it again.

"Even then 1-1 isn't too bad at Spurs. It's not an easy place to go, even though they're in a bad situation.

"We're more than disappointed to concede a goal in the last minute. We missed a couple of chances we would normally score.

"Normally when you're in such control you go on to win the game but you have to give credit to Tottenham for showing character and sticking in there.

"Harry Redknapp is having quite an effect there."