It’s been an incredibly frustrating weekend for Liverpool fans. Firstly, we lose an incredibly controversial game against Stoke and then both City and United go on to grab another handful of goals to strengthen their respective positions as joint leaders. United now have 18 goals, whilst City have scored 15. Meanwhile, the Reds have managed just 6. With the chances we had against both Bolton and Stoke on Saturday though, we could’ve been up there near the top and with a much more impressive goal difference having had around 35 shots at goal over the course of both games combined.
But that’s all about ifs and buts and working out how best to get the ball in the net is something of a work in progress for what is essentially a new team. What we have seen in every game from them so far is improvements, particularly going forward; it will come. However, we can begin to make changes at the opposite end of the pitch that will bring immediate benefits and that means the phasing out of Jamie Carragher. There will be those amongst you reading this that will assume – as people like to do – that this is a knee-jerk reaction to Carragher’s poor decision making for the penalty Stoke won on Saturday.
This is an opinion I’ve held for at least 18 months though and I’ve already written on the subject several times in the past couple of years but, for me, Saturday was the final straw: a good performance made meaningless by an all too expected mistake from Jamie. That’s not to say we would’ve won (or, even drawn) the game if not for his error but we would’ve had a far greater chance of continuing with our game-plan which, at that point, was clearly working.
Against Bolton a few weeks ago Carragher’s poor judgement again tarnished what should’ve been a superb 3-nil win. Instead, the end of the match left a particularly sour taste after Carragher allowed Bolton to snatch a totally undeserved late goal. That means that 2 of the 3 league goals we’ve conceded so far this season are down to Carragher. The overriding theme of both is that he can be turned far too easily; he has always been slow and slightly cumbersome but with age, he has slowed even more and it is now starting to negatively affect our performances.
While I admire his tenacity and his ability to put in an extra 15% when other players have already switched off (CL Final 2005 a prime example), this is no longer enough to warrant him a place in the team. When Sami Hyypia was starting to show signs of winding down and his body was no longer able to keep up with his brain, he was unceremoniously stuck on the bench and Agger stepped up. Now, I think it’s time for Carragher to take his place on the bench and allow Skrtel and Agger an opportunity to form a partnership, with Coates also given a chance to stake his claim because if you build something on crumbling foundations it’s always going to fall down, as we found against Stoke on Saturday when, after a strong start all of our hard work and preparation was undone by a characteristic mistake from the stand-in captain.
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Behave yourself!
A couple of mistakes and he should be benched???
Lets judge him at the end of the season ey?
We owe him that much
A couple of “howlers” in the first four games. I’ve always had respect for Carragher but sadly he is getting slower and older and should now be getting eased out. Waiting until the end of the season may too late. There are younger players waiting in the wings and they should be getting their chance now.
Dalglish’s obsession with British players is now paying dividends. He will not be Liverpool’s Manager by this time next season.
Thank god! Finally someone says something i’ve been seeing all too long! Carragher is is way past it, too slow, too old and a liability. Look at Manure, they are already into their youngsters and doing good, whilst us guys are still relying on Jamie. To add to the disaster that he is now, he contributes absolutely nothing in terms of attack and goal threat when it comes to corner kicks (unlike Skirtel, Agger, Johnson, Kelly and the departed Greek guy). Time to slot in Coates ASAP while its early days. Jamie has been a good servant to us, but time have him as a backup has arrived, the supporters know it, the manager knows it and Jamie knows it as well. He did admit at some stage that when it felt he was a liability he would step aside, well then, Mr Carragher, be a man of your words, step down, (don’t be Gaddaffi)
Well said – agree totally
I agree carra too old and slow. Also agree with above comment about Kenny I’m afraid
You lot are so fickle
One loss and Kenny’s no good,carra’s too old and slow!!!
Always looking for the negatives.
Can you name 1 manager that could do better at liverpool?
Where does it actually say Kenny’s no good? Who said anything about another manager?
I agree with the writer, Carragher is now getting too old and slow – sad but true.
I cannot believe some of the comments on here!! Yes, Carra is undoubtedly slowing down but his experience is still a huge factor in organising Liverpool’s defence. If Dalglish feels Carra is losing it then make no mistake Dalglish WILL drop Jamie! Perhaps even put him on the bench. We know Carra is an honest person and if he feels he is letting the side down then I am sure he will go and see Dalglish and ask his advice. He doesn’t need every Tom, Dick and Harry to tell him he was caught out. Trust Carra to the right thing! If he does step down, I certainly hope they offer him a role on the coaching staff.
totally agree with the article and I too have been saying it for 18 months, i will never disrespect carra as he is a legend but the end comes to everyone!
as for KK, who says he’s no good? he’s done so much for our club in the last 8 months, do you remember wub-woy and bungling benny’s last season?
however, kenny is not beyond critcism and personally i think he got the team selection wrong on saturday, you know what to expect at the britannia so you must pick a team to combat it! myself, i would have started with both carroll AND coates to help in one box and threaten in the other! but we must give TP and stoke some credit, they’re very good at what they do, my concern is that we couldn’t do what i think both mancs and chavski will do, ie go there, have a really tough time, but manage to grind out a result!
I do not recall anybody saying Kenny is no good. This whole case is about a certain Mr Carragher, the slow, old, no goal threat, Mr Hoof it. He is an old fashioned defender thats basically a living creature thats meant to be extinct! No desrepect to him, but i honestly think he is the only one of his kind left. Kenny should put him out of his misery and salvage our season here and now. Fancy him against Aguero, Young, Nasri… need i said more. His legendary status will not get us anywhere, even legends get shipped on and out (e.g Del Piero). And oh, i am strong Liverpool fan, and this has nothing to do with Jamie’s last two blunders, he’s an accident thats being ignored!
Someone did say that Kenny will not be the Liverpool manager this time next year no? So what doe she mean – he is no good. Carragher we agree is time to be phased out. I am sure the purchase of Coates spells that. Now with both Johnson and Kelly out on injury Skertel will probably be played on right against Spurs rather than Flanagan so if Carra is out we will have to introduce Coates – should he in such a hard game?
Sir Carragher have tried for us. He’s now toooooo old and suppose to rest so as to help Liverpool unleash the fresh blood they purchased. Thanks Legend Farewell farewell
wow, have you people not been watching JC play for the last 10 years, he has never been fast he doesnt need to be, like all top defender he reads the game which compensates for his lack of speed. Plus he did not make a mistake a bad decision possibly but most of the time that penalty would not have been given. JC is still our best defender, but more importantly he is the leader of the defense without him at the back their our defense is a lot weaker.
I love what carra has done for the club i love with my heart and soul,and i know that jamie feels
the same way too,and like any love affair the breaking up is so hard to do,i dont blame carra
for fighting and staying because that is the nature of love and it why we in life decide to stay beyond the lifespan of any given relationship
and football is no different.In carra,s case he dont
have to walk away,just ease him out of the team during the course of this season,then take it from there,i think that to call for him to be
left high and dry is to easy and will be the
wrong thing to do on many levels.Time waits for no man might be correct,but i think that in this case a slow withdrall will benefit both carra
and liverpool,carra i salute sir!.
One statistic really sums up the whole match really; Shots on goal: Liverpool 20, Stoke 2…just unlucky…the reds played well….striker not blend with midfield yet…thats all…kenny not to be blame…be cool as LFC fan….