Since making his first team debut over 13 years ago, Jamie Carragher has become a key figure in Liverpool’s defence, making over 600 appearances and very rarely missing games, except in the case of injury or suspension. Having mainly operated at right back under Gerard Houllier, Carragher was switched to a central role by Rafa Benitez, forming a solid partnership with Sami Hyypia, and more recently alternating between Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel.
Under Benitez, Carragher seemed almost un-droppable, more so even than captain Steven Gerrard. During the Spaniard’s tenure at the club, Carragher missed just nine out of 228 Premier League games. But at 32 years of age, time is not on his side. Carragher has always struggled against pace, and at times last season was really showing his age, as he, like most around him, suffered from poor form.
This has been further highlighted during Carragher’s performances for England during their World Cup campaign. Two clumsy challenges earned him bookings which ruled him out of the final group game against Slovenia, and he lack of pace was made clear for all to see against the USA, as Hull City flop Jozy Altidore flashed past him with ease on numerous occasions.
Agger and Skrtel are both 25, and look to be the future first choice partnership in the Reds’ defence. One thing that has become clear from watching both play alongside Carragher is how much more comfortable they are on the ball. For all Carragher’s positive attributes, he does have a tendency to loft the ball forward with more hope than expectation.
In contrast, Agger has shown his dribbling ability in the past, and has also demonstrated his confidence at taking players on. Skrtel, while perhaps not to the same standard, does at least look for a pass more often than hitting it long like Carragher.
Jamie Carragher has been a loyal servant and a key player for Liverpool for over a decade now, but he won’t be around forever and is starting to look like he is feeling the strain of the fast paced modern game. It might be time to see him eased out of the team, as was done with Hyypia. He still has a role to play at Anfield, but perhaps we will be seeing less of him in coming seasons.
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Football Fancast’s Oscar Pye-Jeary documents his time in South Africa following England at the 2010 World Cup.
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yes, the time has come to phase Carra out of the first team, but not for Skrtel! That guy is a bigger liability than even Insua, with his stupid fouls that he loves to commit to show how hard he is, when the team is in no danger.
We need a defender that can consistently win the ball from the Premiership’s many big & powerful strikers, without just kicking them in the back o some such nonsense like Skrtel regularly does
I’d prefer to see Ayala come in ahead of Skrtel, he did well when called upon last season. I’d like to see Liverpool keep the services of Carra, and while he’s phased out of playing he’s phased into coaching. I think he could end up being Liverpool manager one day.
carra is and will remain a legend but, yes, i think his time is nearly up. i also think that if hodgson is appointed he will try to bring haangaland with him which i think would be a good move!