" The manager was praised for playing the youngsters before Tuesday, and now some people are criticising him because we lost. You can't have it both ways.
"The side he selected was good enough to beat Burnley. The same set of lads beat Tottenham at White Hart Lane.
"I'm not going to criticisethe lads who played, but they know they didn't do themselves justice on the night. Apart from four players, we had a lot out there with Premiership and international experience.
"Only Zak Whitbread, Darren Potter, David Raven and John Welsh are newcomers to the first team. I'm sure if you ask any of the lads who played, they know they're good enough to beat a side like Burnley.
"It just didn't happen on the night for them, but that's how it is in football sometimes. Don't forget this is the first game that team has lost, and they've played against a couple of strong Premiership sides.
"These lads have deservedly received a lot of praise for how they've performed in the Carling Cup, and before Tuesday if you asked any fans what the best thing about this season has been, a lot of them would say it's the fact so many young players have been given a chance.
"That shouldn't change because of what, on the face of it, is still only one bad result because of a freak own goal.
"No-one is more disappointed than me we're out of the Cup," said Carragher.
"I've played in an FA Cup final and winning that medal was one of the best days of my life. But if some of us had played on Tuesday and got injured, we'd be in a very difficult situation in trying to get into the Champions League.
"I think Didi Hamann is the only other recognised central midfielder who could have played against Burnley. What if Didi had played and been injured? We've no Xabi Alonso and Stevie Gerrard is suspended for the first leg against Bayer Leverkusen. Didi is a vital player to us so it makes sense he wasn't risked.
"I've always said that, as a player and fan, I'd rather finish fifth and win the FA Cup than finish fourth and win nothing, because at the end of your career it's about putting medals in your pocket.
"But I also know what's really important at a club like Liverpool and that's being in the Champions League every season and attracting the best players to the club in the future.
"That's got to be the manager's main concern. If we were ina comfortable position in the league and had a lot of senior players to choose from, maybe he could have picked a different team, but we're seven points behind Everton.
"That's a gap we've got to try and close as soon as possible, so while we all want to win the FA Cup, you can't do it at any price. They're serious rivals to us this season, but they've got much fewer games to play because they went out of the Carling Cup early and aren't in Europe. They're getting more rest in between matches."