Leadership: “a process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task”
With Carra retiring and joining the ranks of Sky we are losing one of our two great leaders.
It is not merely that he can be heard shouting above 45,000 fans at Anfield that makes him a great leader. It is what he says, rather than simply how loud he says it.
It is all the work that goes unseen – his commitment on the training field to win even the smallest of five-a-sides, to play through pain as an example to others of weaker dispositions, when he organised a viewing of Kenny’s best moments to show the large non-Scouse contingent what their then, new manager, was all about.
His tireless effort to follow the game wherever it’s played around the world, showcasing the value of learning over partying. It is many, many things that have made Jamie the leader he has been, and it is fitting that he will lead out the team on his final day at Anfield against QPR.
Perhaps our greatest ever Captain, Steven Gerrard, will soldier on for a few years yet. And while he’ll be disappointed to miss the last two games of the season, including Carra’s farewell, due to a shoulder operation, if we get as many minutes out of his next season as this we’ll all be very pleased.
But he won’t be here that much longer either.
Brendan Rodgers, in the days approaching the game against Fulham, again mentioned to the media that the reason that Martin Skrtel (the Captain of Slovakia) had lost his place was that he wanted to bring back better leadership of the defensive line. He’s also mentioned in the past what a quiet dressing room there is amongst the squad. There just aren’t enough characters and strong personalities in the team.
Beyond Gerrard and Carragher, there is Pepe Reina and Daniel Agger, the two who will most likely be vice-captain once Jamie is gone. These two have the longevity of service that speaks to both the quality they poses and the understanding of the club that is needed to lead other highly paid Liverpool players. Agger captains Denmark, and while Reina rarely plays for Spain, there’s little doubt he is one of the key people knitting that squad together.
Luis Suarez is no doubt a fantastic player, and the most amiable of people amongst his Liverpool friends and colleagues. He is a leader on the pitch, with his tireless effort and constant demands of his team mates to be better.
However he is still shy and reserved off the field, and while friendly to everyone, he’s not quite the type of player to fill the leadership hole that Carra’s departure will leave all on his own.
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Neither is Lucas, now a firm fan favourite, and one of the longer serving players. Lucas shows a different type of leadership, the quiet understated but thoughtful leadership that Gerrard has often showed. Supporting Borini during his injuries or taking new players like Suarez and recently Coutinho under his wing. However Lucas is yet to get back to his pre-injury levels and next season he will have his hands full with performing well enough for the Reds to get back into the Brazil squad.
However there is more hope in the younger generation. I have high hopes for Martin Kelly. We all hope he overcomes his cruciate injury well, because fully fit he is a monster of a player. To become a leader within the team he will first need to hold down a position and with Glen Johnson’s strong form this season, that may well be at centre-back.
Andre Wisdom is further down the pecking order for right-back, but following a strong first season he has improved much as a player and has captained England youth teams at different age groups. Connor Coady has captained most Liverpool youth teams he’s played in, but will need to improve significantly in order to play more than a handful of cup games next season.
Jordan Henderson has been captain of England U21 for an age, and no one is more dedicated as Jordan to putting in the hours on the training pitch. But it is only when you’re at a certain level of ability that your voice and opinions carry any credibility, and Jordan will need to spend the next years focussing on improving himself as a player.
Finally Jonjo Shelvey, although still rather rash and not great in front of the camera, has a presence when he plays his football and amongst his team mates. He leads by example, in the manner of his idol Steven Gerrrard, and if he can balance that fire in his belly with better self-control and decisions he will be an asset to the club.
These young players have shown good leadership promise for their age, but they are too young to fill the leadership gap that Jamie’s departure will create. If we lose Pepe Reina in the summer for goalkeeper hunting Barcelona, we will not only lose a fantastic player but another key leader from the group – let’s hope it does not come to pass.
This all leads me to believe that when we look for players in the summer we should not only look for ability in the positions we need to fill, but players who have enough experience and character to quickly become leaders within the group.
This is not about just getting a new centre-back with leadership attributes to replace Carra. No single player can replace the impact that Jamie has had on the group, but if we get a few players with the right characteristics, that burden can be better shared and the team will be better off for it.
You can catch more from me on my own blog: http://taintlessred.blogspot.co.uk/
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Rodgers is certainly not signing anyone with leadership qualities . He is building a team with no characters
True, he openly admitted to being on a learning curve…bless! Why oh why did we hire this guy?
1) because FSG know after being raped and robbed for over 100m in the transfer market during KKD reign we need another 100-200m to put us back in the top 4 – That is money they are not willing put in.
2) if we hired someone like Benitez, or Anceloti etc they would not win the league with the squad we had, at best in a very good season could have got us a top 4 finish – these managers would want money to spend and if it was not provided teams in CL would come in for them meaning we might have to change manager again
3) because BR is young and still learning there is not a high chance a bigger club would take him away from us, meaning he provides us with stability and the gamble is he would improve and Liverpool as a team would improve with which bodes well for long term stability if the gamble pays off.
4) BR admitting he is learning and its an experience for him, means he wont be demanding instant cash for players and has bought into the steady progress idea FSG are wanting to make now after the attempted quick fix by the last management.
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Other than the above points above he has not done that bad considering the players he had and resources available to him, we could perhaps at best finish about 5th. Remember before we spent 100m we generally lacked pace in the team other than a couple of players and after we spent 100m we lacked pace and vitally consistent goal scoring ability. With BR’s at least he recognises the types of players the squad is missing and is trying to resolve those issues. As for leaders it is tough to replace them no matter what team you are.
Rubbish kid. Rodgers has done a terrible job. All your points are wrong
And don’t forget Rodgers has spent 56 millions ..the 3rd highest last season
Compare it to the players we had to get rid off to bring the wage bill down, which was key to the owners; Unless we get some rich Arabs like the Man Shitty or PSGoo, we are going have to stick with and hope for slow steady progress, which top manager wants to stick around for 5 years to build perhaps a premiership winning team when you can go to the likes of Manc *, PSGoo, Bayern, Barca etc to challenge for the title instantly with good money to spend.
4 silly reasons for sticking with a useless manager
Rodgers is costing us a fortune by not qualifying for CL . By wasting money on rubbish players. By wasting assets like Carroll . By damaging the LFC brand by being useless .
We can not afford to keep Rodgers . We need CL and he will never get us there
The fact that you think Carroll is an asset just goes to show what you really know. Carroll is an asset to teams like Stoke. Carroll is a game changer no doubt and would love to have him come off the bench for us to provide that extra bit in attack when required, but the fact is; we are not position to pay that sort of wages for players sitting on the bench. No team above us currently other than perhaps Everton would take Carroll even if he was offered to them for free on his current wage.
I would love to have a top class manager and BR currently is not in that bracket, but we are not in the 80s anymore, we need to wake up from those dreams and realise their are at least 4 teams above us that have a better squad than us. Everton finished above us as they have had stability and manager that has had time to, within a tight budget to build a team. That is what we need to do for now, unless some rich Arabs come and buy our club to spend hundreds of millions in one go we are not going challenger very very soon. BR needs to be given at least one more season.
Yeah, like Joey Allen.
Both guys on top of me are idiots. Do u think at all? Has he not tried? Can u do his job better than him?
He has tried .he has failed .he is just a poor poor manager . No tactical ability at all
Stop being so childish calling people names
Are you running out of something to write??? And you Two bollocks needs to find something better to do!
As do u , instead of trolling
may GOD bless u carrager nd mak ur life a bliss ful one amen
may GOD bless u carrager nd mak ur life a bliss ful one amen i luv u sir carra.
I am sure Fowler wishes him well.
Rodgers talks a lot about mental character…but the players he has signed do not have winning mentality
Allen Borini assaidi are small lightweight and not the type of player we can rely on
Coutinho is maybe..but even Sturridges attitude is questionable
We could do with leadership from the bench too.
Rodgers does not inspire or motivate anyone…it’s not his style
The players he has brought in are not leaders at all
And Ashley Williams is not the answer…I don’t want to see him at our club
new manager please . rodgers is building a team of wimps