Robbie doing the irate Liverpool fan thing!

[Benitez]

Nice article!

 

FOWLER: CARRA SHOULD BE FIRST CHOICE

Steve Hunter 07 June 2006

 

Anfield goal machine Robbie Fowler believes Jamie Carragher should be one of the first names on an England team-sheet and said it mystifies him why he isn't.

The Reds scoring legend doesn't feel Carragher gets the credit he deserves at international level and feels he is one of the most consistent and reliable centre halves around.

 

"Watching England's final warm-up match against Jamaica last Saturday, I was left speechless during one part of John Motson's commentary," revealed Fowler.

 

"As he was talking to Mark Lawrenson about England's possible starting line-up against Paraguay, Motty suggested that the 11 who began against Jamaica would do so in Frankfurt this weekend.

 

"Suddenly, though, he seemed flustered and felt the need to correct himself. Sorry, he said. Gary Neville will come back in for Jamie Carragher at right-back, obviously.

 

"Obviously what? Carra has played in England's last three matches in three different positions and could not have been more impressive.

 

"I thought he was excellent in the holding role against Hungary but what more does he have to do to get credit from the so-called experts?

 

"Some people have often wondered whether Carra offers enough going forward, but unless my eyes were deceiving me, I'm pretty sure I saw him surge into the box and deliver a perfect cross for Peter Crouch to score his second.

 

"Play him as a right-back, central defender or central midfielder and he'll never let you down, but to suggest Neville should walk straight back into the team is at best grossly unfair and at worst, patronising.

 

"Football is all about having the ability to take your chances and there is nothing more certain to weaken a squad than lack of competition for places.

 

"When a player knows no matter how well he does that he will be dropped, there is nothing more demoralising.

 

"Take it from me, I must be the only player in history who has been dropped after scoring a hat-trick - twice!

 

"I read one column the other week that indicated he was happy just to be part of the squad. Rubbish. The reason Carra gives 100 per cent in every training session is because he is desperate to play.

 

"He will hate being stuck in a hotel room uncertain about whether he will play or not. In my opinion, he should be one of the first names on the teamsheet.

 

"I know for a fact the Italians and the Spaniards can't believe Carra isn't first choice at centre-half. We all think that at Melwood, too. Earlier this season, even the legendary Franco Baresi named Carra alongside John Terry as two of the best defenders in the world.

 

"Having seen the heroics Carra performed in helping Liverpool win the European Cup, the AC Milan legend is hardly a bad judge, is he?

 

"You'd be hard pressed to find four better defenders than Carra in the world. He must be given the platform his talents deserve."

 

ere

[Bjarkinn]

So true by god

[Case]

Well in.

 

You can tell that he's well relaxed having got the contract sorted out as well, eh.

 

Bloody hero.

[Flip Martian]

Can't disagree with that - Terry and Carra for me.

[Bootle Buck]

Rio Ferdinand has had a very average season while Carra has been superb. If Ferdinand wasn't at Utd and was still at West Ham he wouldn't get a look in. Carra and Terry deserve to play based on their form and their respected teams ability to keep clean sheets.

[Shanklyanfield]

And so say all of us!!

 

Well said Robbie

[autumn319]

rio is overated IMO

[Bailo]

Rio Ferdinand has had a very average season while Carra has been superb. If Ferdinand wasn't at Utd and was still at West Ham he wouldn't get a look in. Carra and Terry deserve to play based on their form and their respected teams ability to keep clean sheets.

You could say a Carra/Terry partnership would be very vunerable to pace though. FWIW, thats why I think Ferdinand gets in, it's one of Terry or Carra with him, as it's a "blocker" + "pacey ball-player". Carra loses out to Terry, not Ferdinand.

[Clay Davis]

Amen

[IgPig]

Hates Neville doesn't he

[RedHarvest]

Does anyone think Carra is truly bothered by this - it's obvious he's a better defender than Rio and along with Terry the best England have but maybe he's happy to play the utility role in joker Svens team...same as Stevie is to be played out of position.

[Gravy]

Sven would probably pick Campbell ahead of Carra.

[Guest Jack Bauer]

God hath spoken.

[Leo No.8]

Thing is about Carra - he's made for a world cup.

 

The bigger the game, the more heroic a defender he becomes. During our CL winning run, the later the stage got, the better he became. In the semis and final, he was practically Superman - sometimes he was that far away from a player about to shoot or running in on goal you'd never believe he could get the tackle or block in, but he did.

 

Ferdinand on the other hand is the opposite. The bigger the game, the more likely he is to f*ck up. I'll admit he did pretty well in the last World Cup, but on the big stage he has made plenty of mistakes which tend to be costly.

 

If Sven played Carra alongside Terry he'd find it'd be against Brazil or Germany Carragher would find his best and become a human wall in front of the goal, when it was really needed. He is the man for the big occassion, and they don't come much bigger than this.

 

Anyway, quite simply Carragher has been the best centre-half in the Premier League alongside Terry for the last couple of seasons, and one of the best in Europe. As Robbie says, I just don't know how Sven can leave him out, although I've come to accept he will do...

[Bailo]

Anyway, quite simply Carragher has been the best centre-half in the Premier League alongside Terry for the last couple of seasons, and one of the best in Europe. As Robbie says, I just don't know how Sven can leave him out, although I've come to accept he will do...

As I've said before, a defence of Terry and Carra scares me if England came up against a Henry or a Ronaldo.

[Guest Scot]

As I've said before, a defence of Terry and Carra scares me if England came up against a Henry or a Ronaldo.

 

Why's that??

[Bailo]

Why's that??

Complete lack of pace.

 

Carra has been wonderful the last few years, but come on, Henry has regularly made him look as slow as Hyypia.

Edited June 7, 2006 by Phorum Dunce

[Guest Scot]

Complete lack of pace.

 

Do you worry about Carra and Hyypia playing against Henry?

[Bailo]

Do you worry about Carra and Hyypia playing against Henry?

Yes!

 

I worry about playing Henry full stop though

[psl]

I do. But I think any team worries about playing against Henry.

 

Particularly if Stevie G's playing...

Edited June 7, 2006 by psl

[Guest Scot]

Yes!

 

I worry about playing Henry full stop though

 

You'd worry less about fecking Otto?

[Bailo]

You'd worry less about fecking Otto?

 

Not sure who Otto is.

 

Put it this way, I worry about any pacy forward coming up against Carra/Hyypia or Carra/Terry, though I admit the former pair have often dealt comfortably with some, though have been ripped against Henry regularly.

 

Whereas if all teams in the WC had Koller/Shearer types up front, I'd have no problem with a Carra/Terry partnership. I also think Rafa's eventual evolution of our centrebaacks will be Agger/Paletta, who are certainly pacier than either Carra or Sami (Agger I've seen, Paletta I've only heard TBF).

Edited June 7, 2006 by Phorum Dunce

[Ginu]

Complete lack of pace.

 

Carra has been wonderful the last few years, but come on, Henry has regularly made him look as slow as Hyypia.

 

So Henry's beaten the pants off Carra and Hyypia while playing for Arsenal? I agree Sven is no Rafa to get the tactics right but Terry and Carra against Ronaldo or Henry is definitely playable

Edited June 7, 2006 by Ginu

[Bailo]

So Henry's beaten the pants off Carra and Hyypia while playing for Arsenal? I agree Sven is no Rafa to get the tactics right but come on... Terry and Carra against Ronaldo or Henry is definitely playable

This season and last season at Highbury, yes.

[Guest Scot]

 

Not sure who Otto is.

 

Put it this way, I worry about any pacy forward coming up against Carra/Hyypia or Carra/Terry, though I admit the former pair have often dealt comfortably with some, though have been ripped against Henry regularly.

 

Whereas if all teams in the WC had Koller/Shearer types up front, I'd have no problem with a Carra/Terry partnership. I also think Rafa's eventual evolution of our centrebaacks will be Agger/Paletta, who are certainly pacier than either Carra or Sami (Agger I've seen, Paletta I've only heard TBF).

 

 

Too much obsession with pace in my opinion. Carra gets done up by no-one. Better a good defender with no pace than an accident-prone dreamer like Ferdinand who can/must spring to cover his own rear.