What was the dressing room like when you beat Inter Milan 2-0 in the first leg of the Champions League last 16 game at Anfield?
PC:
We came off and the place was jumping. Look at Inter's record; they've been fantastic domestically for a couple of seasons now, they'd only lost one game all season and it was a great result. I guess some of us got a bit carried away and it took Carra as ever to bring us down to earth. Trust him to ruin the moment!
Typical. What did he say?
PC:
He rightly pointed out that we're mad if we think it's job done. Inter are a quality side. We will go to the San Siro with a lot of work still to do and will have to defend very well. All we've done is given ourselves a great chance of getting through.
Did all the pressure on Rafa Benitez inspire the players?
PC:
There is a lot of talk in football. Speculation is something you get used to though and the only way to stop it is to get positive results. Hopefully, the Inter game and the victory will have gone some way to helping matters. If we can get a good Champions League run going, it should put all that talk to bed.
It won't be easy though. A 2-0 lead can be tricky to protect...
PC:
You don't know whether to sit back and hold on or go for it and try and put the game out of reach. It will be different in Italy. They are going to come at us right from the start. They have quality players that are going to try and turn it on, but we've done well away from home in Europe and I'm confident we can see the tie out.
So could the Champions League aid your faltering Premier League campaign?
PC:
Maybe. We have to take confidence from the fact that we've beaten one of the best teams in Europe. On our day, we are capable of beating anyone, but we also respect the fact that we have a battle on our hands to make next year's tournament. We have Everton, Aston Villa, Man City, Blackburn and Pompey competing with us and they are all hungry sides that won't make our life easy.
Can you put your finger on why Liverpool play so much better on European nights at Anfield?
PC:
There just seems to be a different atmosphere in the dressing room. They're such special nights. I've never experienced anything like it. The Kop is incredible but there's more to it. The music on the tannoy seems louder, then there are the floodlights and the Champions League music - and against Inter, there was a bit of fog, which added to the intensity. It can all seem quite frightening at times.
Rafa doesn't seem to be the type who cares about criticism, but does it affect the players?
PC:
Nothing fazes the manager. As for us players, we're going out there for the gaffer and the fans, but we're also going out there for ourselves. If we go out and don't perform, the buck should stop with us - we're the ones who should get the flak. When a player claims that outside criticisms are affecting his own game, I think he is using it as a poor excuse.
Are you still frustrated at being left on the bench a lot?
PC:
Before the Inter game, I had started the previous three matches so I can't complain too much. Our manager has got his own ideas - he likes to chop and change the team - but I'm in my third season here now and I've come to accept it. I could go to another club and start every week, but would I be involved in nights like the first leg at Anfield or the trip to the San Siro? Probably not.
How do you keep your head up?
PC:
I am a genuinely positive guy. Even when things get bad I don't let things affect me too much. That's helped me throughout my career.
You're a player in the new video game FIFA Street 3. What do you think of your character?
PC:
It's a dead ringer for me, only with muscles! My player's special skill is the scissor kick while on fire. All the lads see the skills on the game and have a go at them in training!
Interview courtesy of Bauer Consumer Media
Doesnt sound like someone who wants to leave.
PC:
We came off and the place was jumping. Look at Inter's record; they've been fantastic domestically for a couple of seasons now, they'd only lost one game all season and it was a great result. I guess some of us got a bit carried away and it took Carra as ever to bring us down to earth. Trust him to ruin the moment!
Typical. What did he say?
PC:
He rightly pointed out that we're mad if we think it's job done. Inter are a quality side. We will go to the San Siro with a lot of work still to do and will have to defend very well. All we've done is given ourselves a great chance of getting through.
Did all the pressure on Rafa Benitez inspire the players?
PC:
There is a lot of talk in football. Speculation is something you get used to though and the only way to stop it is to get positive results. Hopefully, the Inter game and the victory will have gone some way to helping matters. If we can get a good Champions League run going, it should put all that talk to bed.
It won't be easy though. A 2-0 lead can be tricky to protect...
PC:
You don't know whether to sit back and hold on or go for it and try and put the game out of reach. It will be different in Italy. They are going to come at us right from the start. They have quality players that are going to try and turn it on, but we've done well away from home in Europe and I'm confident we can see the tie out.
So could the Champions League aid your faltering Premier League campaign?
PC:
Maybe. We have to take confidence from the fact that we've beaten one of the best teams in Europe. On our day, we are capable of beating anyone, but we also respect the fact that we have a battle on our hands to make next year's tournament. We have Everton, Aston Villa, Man City, Blackburn and Pompey competing with us and they are all hungry sides that won't make our life easy.
Can you put your finger on why Liverpool play so much better on European nights at Anfield?
PC:
There just seems to be a different atmosphere in the dressing room. They're such special nights. I've never experienced anything like it. The Kop is incredible but there's more to it. The music on the tannoy seems louder, then there are the floodlights and the Champions League music - and against Inter, there was a bit of fog, which added to the intensity. It can all seem quite frightening at times.
Rafa doesn't seem to be the type who cares about criticism, but does it affect the players?
PC:
Nothing fazes the manager. As for us players, we're going out there for the gaffer and the fans, but we're also going out there for ourselves. If we go out and don't perform, the buck should stop with us - we're the ones who should get the flak. When a player claims that outside criticisms are affecting his own game, I think he is using it as a poor excuse.
Are you still frustrated at being left on the bench a lot?
PC:
Before the Inter game, I had started the previous three matches so I can't complain too much. Our manager has got his own ideas - he likes to chop and change the team - but I'm in my third season here now and I've come to accept it. I could go to another club and start every week, but would I be involved in nights like the first leg at Anfield or the trip to the San Siro? Probably not.
How do you keep your head up?
PC:
I am a genuinely positive guy. Even when things get bad I don't let things affect me too much. That's helped me throughout my career.
You're a player in the new video game FIFA Street 3. What do you think of your character?
PC:
It's a dead ringer for me, only with muscles! My player's special skill is the scissor kick while on fire. All the lads see the skills on the game and have a go at them in training!
Interview courtesy of Bauer Consumer Media
Doesnt sound like someone who wants to leave.
). He loves the club and is a popular member of the squad - why would he leave? In the long run he'll get his games, he'll score his goals. He's started **** all games in the Prem this season and the esteemed Fabio Capello still picked him (as third choice) for England. Crouch had scored 1 PL goal at the time Capello named the squad. 
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