"There's been a lot of talk about where the away game should be played, and rightly so, but we've got to let that decision take care of itself and just concentrate on the match," said the Liverpool vice-captain.
"All we've got to focus on is making sure we get through, because it means so much to us, not only in terms of playing in the Champions League, but financially. We've got to remember we've been drawn against one of the toughest sides we could have got. They've a lot of experience in the group stage and they're much stronger than the sides we've played in the past in this round.
"The last two qualifiers we played at Anfield we lost 1-0, and we were a bit fortunate the ties were virtually over before those games. In a knockout tournament, it's vital you have a good first leg. The last two years showed that.
"I've been rooming with Craig Bellamy in Switzerland and he told me about his experience with Newcastle when they lost the qualifier a few years ago. A few other British clubs have gone the same way.
"He said it took the players ages to recover from that once the season started, so there's no way any of us want to go through a similar experience. We've got to treat this game as if it's one of the most important of the season."