Downing: We're even hungrier
Stewart Downing insists Liverpool's Carling Cup success has made the squad even hungrier to try and achieve further glory in 2011-12.
The Reds ended a six-year wait for a trophy by beating Cardiff City on penalties at Wembley on Sunday and lifting their eighth League Cup on a dramatic afternoon.
After the midweek internationals, Kenny Dalglish's side will return to action on Saturday when they will aim to close the gap on fourth-place Arsenal to just four points.
With a game in hand on the Gunners, as well as an FA Cup quarter-final to contest at home to Stoke this month, there is still much left for Liverpool to play for this term - and Downing believes lifting silverware has whetted the team's appetite to achieve even more.
"I think what the win does is makes you more confident and it gives you an incentive to go on and try and win and play in more finals," said the England winger.
"We have a great chance even though it will be a tough game against Stoke in the quarter-finals. And we are still going for a Champions League place with fourth position. There is a lot to play for and hopefully we can carry on doing well.
"There was a lot of new players coming into the team, and it should give us a lot of confidence and a chance to build on that. If we add a few more in the summer it will make the squad even stronger and we can push on further.
"There were six or seven players who signed at once and it has been a bit up and down but I think in the end we are starting to gel and coming good at a good time in the season. We have some big games coming up and we need everyone to stand up and perform.
"We have proved we can win medals and finals on a big stage like Wembley it should kick us on."
Downing scooped the official Man of the Match award for a lively display in Sunday's final.
The 27-year-old afterwards admitted he felt it may have been his finest display in a Liverpool shirt so far, continuing a recent impressive run of form.
However, while satisfied with his recent displays, there is one area Downing would like to improve upon.
He said: "I think I should score more goals. I've been unlucky a few times this season, missed a few chances. I was close on Sunday.
"I just need to keep getting into the position and hopefully with a little more luck I'll get a few more.
"But I am enjoying life here. There is pressure coming to Liverpool, but you have to concentrate on your performances and try and do as best you can.
"I have enjoyed the last few weeks, the team has been doing well, I am doing fine and I want to kick on now until the end of the season. I want to help Liverpool push on.
"All I can do is do my best, create as many chances as I can and hopefully the lads will get on the end of them and put them in the net.
"Obviously that has probably been our downfall this season, we have not been clinical enough. Me included. Hopefully that can change now."
Downing was one of seven new players brought in to Anfield during a busy summer of transfer activity, and believes to have already secured silverware represents impressive progress by the team.
He added: "I came to Liverpool to win trophies and to get one within six or seven months was absolutely brilliant.
"It was a long afternoon, up and down and it could have either way, credit to Cardiff they pushed us all the way even in penalties.
"Afterwards in the dressing room it was brilliant, as you can imagine. For a lot of the lads it was their first trophy in English football, some of them had been at Liverpool for five or six years.
"Liverpool not having won something wasn't mentioned to me when I signed, it was just a chance for me to play for a big club. It was a chance for me to progress and I wanted to be part of that.
"The pressure at Liverpool is obviously higher. Liverpool are expected to get into finals and win trophies because of the tradition of the club.
"They have not done that the last couple of years so that was a weight off the club's shoulders getting a trophy out of the way."
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