WHEN he announced a couple of months back that he was planning to retire at the end of the season there was an outpouring of disappointment from Liverpool fans but there was also a certain inevitability to it, an expectancy almost that it was coming.
Almost at the same time, Liverpool’s defenders decided it was time to start spectacularly cocking up on a regular basis and Carragher was right back into the first team.
I’ve never rated Carragher as high as some of our fans but there has been a marked improvement at the back since his re-introduction. Whether that’s just coincidence or something Carragher can still bring to the team is open to debate, as the one thing that has been constant since Jamie’s return is the consistency of the selection at the back.
I believe that he still has a lot to offer the club but I really do not believe that that is on the pitch. Jamie is a ‘legend’ at the club for all he has given us and the big-game performances he’s put in over the years.
He can always be relied upon to stand up and put himself on the line for the club but that isn’t enough anymore and Brendan Rodgers’ insistence on attempting to convince him to change his mind on retirement is worrying and smacks of slight desperation.
Liverpool need to move forward and that can’t be selective. I’ve received a lot of support whenever I’ve spoken about or written about Rafa Benitez returning but I’ve also had a fair amount of criticism. Apparently, that would be a backward step and we need to look to the future.
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However, much like I’m sure I wear rose-tinted glasses when I write about Benitez, many people still do with regards Jamie Carragher.
For all Jamie has given us over the years he deserves this Indian summer he is currently having and should he start in all of the teams’ final league games then I’ve have no qualms with that and I’d congratulate him and celebrate his achievements come the end of the season.
But when that time comes Jamie should be allowed to retire with his pride and dignity intact.
He is now 35 and has amassed over 700 appearances for the club. In that time he has won everything possible at club level save for a Premier League but he can be justly proud of all of his achievements.
When it rolls around to the end of the current Premier League season though it should be time to look to the future. Whether the future lies in Agger, Skrtel and Coates is open to debate but with the likes of Wisdom and Kelly coming through the ranks our defensive future is looking solid and any attempts to get Carragher to stay on should only be with a ‘behind the scenes’ role in mind.
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The sooner this tactically- and technically-inept footballer hangs up his boots for good the better it is for football. All he ever does is hoof the frigging ball and he cannot even achieve that with any level of decency. Ten times out of ten, he hoofs the ball to no-man’s land. He is a living example of how football should never be played. Yeah, I fully agree that Jamie Hoofer Carragher should retire with dignity. That’s the least we could afford this so-called footballer who is an embarrassment to everything that relates to the beautiful game of football.
um yeah ok
I’m struggling to understand how clyde came to this conclusion, he’s either a manc or a bitter blue whichever he clearly knows nothing about football. Y.N.W.A Carra.
Yep, totally agree.
Yeah I agree with phil. Clyde your an idiot, carragher is and an example of what a centre back should be! Fair enough in recent years he’s scored a few own goals and make clumsy mistakes but he’s still better than any of our other defenders on his day
Top own goal scorer in the premiership ever, should have retired 3 seasons ago, that why lfc don’t make any progress, living in the past & being to sentimental with long serving players who are over the hill, seems like Rogers the yes man is right into the sentiment. Rodgers OUT!.
Carragher has been a great loyal servant to side but in all honesty i have to agree with Mark to a certain extent. Carragher should have retired three seasons ago. But our club is too sentimental at times, for last five seasons we have just been competing with Everton, Fulham and Stoke for a top 6-10 position.
For the sole fact we need some huge investment in the playing staff at club, at least £100-£120M is needed on squad to get us back competing with the two Manchester Clubs and Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham for the league Title or for a Top 4 position.
We have a inept and weak squad compared to the two manchester clubs, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham.
In our 25 man squad at club only 8-9 players could get into those 5 teams squads. ( Reina, Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, Gerrard, Enrique, Coutinho, Sturridge and Suarez. That is not even 11 let alone half, that is not good enough for a club like Liverpool.
And hopefully this summer Rodgers ships out these 7 players with Carragher , who are not good enough to wear the shirt. 1: GK: B Jones 2: RB: Flanagan
3: CB: Coates 4: CB: Wilson 5: DM: Spearing 6:FD: Borini 7: FD: Pacheco
And A Carroll(23) should be recalled to side and given a fair chance to shine at club, he could be our plan B in attack as Plan A does not always work as we have found out this season against the likes of Stoke, West Brom, Reading, Southampton and Everton. Carrolls physical and Aerial threat against the more physical sides in the league would be an asset we could use to our advantage.
Then hopefully our club come to some agreement with Ooredo Qatari communications and then club would get a huge injection of cash brought into club.
Then B Rodgers should bring in 11 players between this summer and the January Transfer window to get club back amongst the elite sides in Europe:
Six Defensive players: To strengthen back line within Squad: Cost : £28-£46M
1: GK: M Vorm(29) Of Swansea for £2-£5M to compete with Pepe
2: CB: M Richards(25) Of Man City for £8-£14M to compete with Skrtel
3: CB: A Williams (28) Of Swansea for £7-£10M to compete with Agger
4: CB: A Pearce(24) Of reading on free transfer to compete with every centre back.
5: LB: S Umtiti(19) Of Lyon for £5-£8M to compete with Enrique
6: DM: E Capoue(24) Of Toulouse for £6-£9M to compete with Lucas.
Five Attacking players: To Strengthen attack within squad: Cost : £36-£50M
7: RW/ RWF: J Montero(23) Of Monarcas Morelia Of Mexico for £5-£7M to compete with Assaidi and Sterling.
8: LW / LWF: D Capel(25) Of Sporting Clube De Portugal/ Sporting Lisbon for £5-£8M to compete with Downing.
9: CM: J D Guzman(25) Of Villareal for £4-£6M to compete with Allen, Gerrard and Henderson.
10: AM: Isco(20) Of Malaga for £16-£20M to compete with Coutinho, Shelvey and Suso .
11: FD: L Remy(26) Of QPR for £6-£9M to compete with Carroll, Sturridge and Suarez. so club can have 4 good class quality strikers at club.