Maik Taylor has claimed the pressure will be off Birmingham City in tomorrow night's Carling Cup match with Liverpool [2014] even though the goalkeeper was on the wrong end of a 7-0 thrashing the last time the teams met

If selected, Taylor is likely to be one of just a handful of players who experienced that humiliation in March. Last night, he said his rejuvenated side would enjoy the occasion when the most successful team in League Cup history come to St Andrew's.

The Northern Ireland international bases his assertion on the fact that with Birmingham's promotion charge

gaining momentum [2014] they have won their last four Championship games without conceding a goal and now stand just three points off the top [2014] City can afford to relax against the Merseysiders.

Taylor was in inspired form during the last of those victories, the 1-0 success at Plymouth Argyle and whilst he wouldn't rule out a repeat result [2014] "I can't say for definite we will not get beaten 7-0" [2014] he did promise the team would not capitulate in the way they did in last season's FA Cup quarter-final.

"After relegation it was probably the lowest point in my career. It was an horrendous night all round," the 35-year-old said.

"Once we were three goals down, had it been a league game it might have stayed that way but being a cup match, with no way back, the players basically threw the towel in.

"They were bringing players like [Djibril] Cisse off the bench and just kept going for it while we gave up. It really was a humiliating night."

Indeed it was. Birmingham were 2-0 down inside five minutes and by the time Cisse followed up Olivier Tebily's embarrassing own goal, they had sunk to an abject defeat.

But half of the side which rolled over that night have left the club and with manager Steve Bruce back in the supporters' book entitled 'Managers We Like,' an air of confidence has returned.

And that's why Taylor believes there will be no hangover when Rafael Benitez's men come calling again:

"It is forgotten now," he said. "There are not many of those players still involved. A lot of new lads have come in who did not experience it and that has to be a good thing.

"The pressure from the league [2014] which is our No 1 priority [2014] is off us, so we can just go out and enjoy the night.

"It's a great opportunity, especially for the younger lads who will have never played against a side like Liverpool. We all want to play, anyone would want to play in a game like that."

The meeting marks the first time Jermaine Pennant will have returned to St Andrew's after leaving in the summer to join Liverpool.

Pennant was in the Birmingham side in the cup game but showed enough throughout the rest of the campaign to earn himself a £6.7 million move to Anfield.

Like most of his team-mates, the winger has been in and out of the starting XI due to Benitez's rotation policy and is not certain to start tomorrow.

But Taylor warned that whoever plays will be of a high standard. "Their fringe players would be good enough to get in most other sides, so it doesn't matter who they put out," he continued.

"Because of their rotation policy, most of the ones who come in will have played in the Premiership recently anyway. Whichever Liverpool side comes, they are going to be formidable opposition.

"But if we work hard and play well, who knows what could happen? Hopefully, we can produce a shock on the night."

Meanwhile Peter Till has returned to Birmingham after Bruce's counterpart at Leyton Orient, Martin Ling, opted not to extend his loan spell at Brisbane Road.

The 21-year-old made five appearances in his one-month stint with the League One club, but Ling decided to send him back when he picked up an injury in last week's John-stone's Paint Trophy defeat to Bristol City.

"Peter did really well during his month here, but he's become a victim of our circumstances in the last week," said Ling. "With Shane Tudor coming back and Wayne Corden and Derek Duncan both available on the wings, we felt it was best for Peter to return to Birmingham."