23 Carra Gold

[Walrus]

The offal are running a "Carra week" and I thought I'd post this one on here, as some of you might have missed it.

 

Well worth reading

 

CHRIS BASCOMBE ON JAMIE CARRAGHER

 

You don't half write some crap you," Jamie Carragher said the first time he saw me at Melwood.

 

"Any chance of getting the man of the match right one day?"

 

Actually, he didn't use the word crap. It was much scouser.

 

It was also said in that typical Carragher way. Sharp enough to sound funny, but blunt enough to make a point. You'll have heard this tone many times since.

 

It's the one that confronted Geoff Shreeves of Sky, who was asked 'who's bigger than Liverpool?' after quizzing Carragher if Steven Gerrard could leave for a 'superior' club.

 

And the one that cut off the poor Paxman imitator in his prime who urged Carragher to describe the ethos of Liverpool.

 

"What are yer goin on about mate?" was the appropriate response.

 

Reporters, especially the most pompous, regularly come a cropper and provoke the same humorously contemptible comeback whenever they try to trip him up.

 

Fortunately, those of us with more experience have learned the hard way never to ask him questions which are dumb, patronising or both. And pity the individuals who dare attempt to catch Carragher with the use of statistics. He'll pounce as swiftly as he does when making last ditch tackles, with his encyclopaedic knowledge of Liverpool's history ensuring even the match day programme writers need to be on their guard when compiling career details.

 

Carragher's style of play echoes how he comes across to the media off the park.

 

Honest, dedicated, obsessive about football and always ready to go in where it hurts when he senses his club, team mates, city or family is getting a kicking.

 

How often do you hear him talking up players he feels are being unfairly treated? Probably because he?s been there himself. After all, it took him the best part of five years to stop those letters to the ECHO saying Liverpool would never win the big prizes with players like him in defence.

 

The Kop sings about a team of Carraghers now, but it wasn't so long ago the one they've got wasn't appreciated.

 

If Liverpool take a beating, you won't see him quickening his step or accepting imaginary mobile phone calls to swerve reporters. If Liverpool win, he?s most likely to slip away unseen while others take the credit. Such modesty isn't a calculated act.

 

Supporters regular call the ECHO with tales of Carragher's charitable donations, a contribution recently recognised when he was given the freedom of Sefton.

 

In 2002 he agreed to write a World Cup column on the condition the payments were sent to Alder Hey Children's Hospital, but didn't want that publicised (a few years later I decided it was information which deserved to be shared).

 

Proceeds from his forthcoming testimonial will go to charity.

 

Most players go mad if they're getting battered in a newspaper. Carragher gets more annoyed if he's made to sound like he's a world beater.

 

To this day, touch wood, the only time he's been angry with the ECHO was in 1999 when he was needed to play in the 'unfamiliar' role of centre-half because of an injury to Sami Hyypia.

 

"I'll fill Sami's boots," read the headline. Carragher thought it made him sound big-headed, as if he was putting himself in the same class as Hyypia. Eight years on, it may seem astounding to supporters a world class centre-half like Carragher would take exception to anyone putting him in a bracket he so clearly is. The notion he'd have to fill anyone's shoes is ridiculous. But it was all about the context. Creating an image of him bigging up himself, and more seriously demeaning one of his team mates, was unacceptable to him, and he made it known.

 

Fortunately, grudges don't last and he's got most reporters sussed. That's not surprising as he and Steven Gerrard are the most requested for interview.

 

It's a running gag in the reporting industry how when anyone starts on a newspaper, their first call will be to the Melwood Press Office to set up a meeting with Carragher, who has an inability to fail to be interesting and forthright in his opinions. Need a double page spread for your Saturday or Sunday supplement? Get hold of Carra and fill it with those condescending images about Bootle and scally kids made good (check the archives, it's compulsory all 'serious journalists' have to refer to this when writing about Carragher. If it's Gerrard, just replace Bootle with Huyton).

 

And do you think the race for the title is hotting up? It's nothing compared to the fight to write Carragher's autobiography when he decides to do it.

 

All the Jimmy Hill Sunday Supplement crew are desperate for the nod, and have been known to end interviews with an appeal to write it for him. He'll keep them all guessing, but his delay putting pen to paper is further evidence of his disinterest in the footballing cult of celebrity. He's got a Premiership medal to win before he divides his career into chapters.

 

Let's not forget, this is the fella who when asked if he'd sell his wedding photographs to Hello replied: ?I'd rather sell them to The Kop Magazine for £1."

 

Legendary status - and let's not hear anyone say that's going too far - wasn't achieved overnight.

 

Across 10 years, Carragher has developed as the ultimate player of the people. The Kop loves him because they know he's one of them. He thinks like them, gives his all as if it was is only appearance for the club, and shows the twin ecstasies of joy and grief as and when appropriate.

 

If he wasn't playing, he'd be watching and travelling with the family entourage which never misses a game. How do we know? Because he did it in 2003 when he was recovering from a broken leg, joining his dad and cousin on the Happy Al's coach to Middlesbrough and shouting at the incompetence of El-Hadji Diouf with everyone else in the away end.

Steven Gerrard has been the heart of the Liverpool at the start of this Millennium. Jamie Carragher is its soul.

 

Oh, and I nearly forgot. He's also one of the greatest defenders Liverpool has ever had, and has many more years in red still to serve.

But you knew that bit already.

[Paul_LFC]

Fantastic read by Bascombe. I think Carra if he ever wants a book out one day will opt with him and snub Jimmy Hill's shower.

 

You just have to love Carra.

[Swipe]

Great read.

 

Have to be honest that at one stage I wouldn't have been fussed at all if he'd been sold (only time i remember him being linked with a move was to Aston Villa). Didn't think he was good enough, or would become good enough.

 

Now he's the best centre half in the country.

 

Always enjoy seeing him being interviewed as well.

[Hodgson for Chelsea]

Brilliant article. I remember getting a cab to the Villa game at home (I think it was Carra's first ever start at home) and the cabbie saying 'we're gonna lose today, we've got some lad from the ressies called Carragher in midfield' - he was just wrong on so many levels!

[techmob]

i remember when he was in the reserves playing at chesters ground -diva stadium

 

danny murphy was also in the reserves then

 

carragher wasn't much and i think he may of even been sub, they played every week there, so i saw them allot

 

so it just goes to show, how much hard work he has put it to be where he is now, as he isnt the most talented of players, but pure work rate and dedication has got him where he is

 

great role model to the young lads trying to make it

[WillG]

 

the man of the match bit was very apt - he was our best player on Saturday by a mile

[Bootle Buck]

Great to see a lad with his feet still firmly planted. He really is a throwback to the players of the 60's and 70's. Except he is getting a much bigger paycheck.

[BG]

When Carra finally retires what I'll remember him for, more than anything else, was that when we needed him most at home to Chelsea in May 2005 he was utterly magnificent.

 

His performance that night was one of the best I have ever seen by a centreback.

[Jarg Armani]

i remember when he was in the reserves playing at chesters ground -diva stadium

 

 

 

it's Deva stadium. Diva stadium is tina turner's house.

[Knox_Harrington]

so it just goes to show, how much hard work he has put it to be where he is now, as he isnt the most talented of players, but pure work rate and dedication has got him where he is

Also a remarkable amount of football intelligence.

[Buzz]

When Carra finally retires what I'll remember him for, more than anything else, was that when we needed him most at home to Chelsea in May 2005 he was utterly magnificent.

 

His performance that night was one of the best I have ever seen by a centreback.

Let alone in the final.

[techmob]

it's Deva stadium. Diva stadium is tina turner's house.

 

 

sorry i was at tina's house when i typed it

 

easy mistake under the circumstances

[neil33]

i remember meeting carra at boro at half time in 2003 , he was just minding hos own business , as well as drinking 3 pints in 11 mins!!!! ahhahahahaha i had a little chat with him and he shook my hand , pure class is jamie , easily a liverpool legend

 

 

then i saw where he was sitting and watched him , and i thought i was a mad liverpool fan ,, carra is crazy , he was going mental like the rest of us , when jamie does retire expect to see him on every home and away game because he is one of us , he loves liverpool fc with a passion

 

 

 

out and out legend and easily best centre back in england why mcclaren does'nt pick him god only knows

 

 

legend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hodgson for Chelsea]

Let alone in the final.

 

He was just magnificent, especially towards the end when his body had given up on him. It is that type of performance that makes him the legend he is. He's the fan's player out on the pitch.

[heighway]

Class interview with the man himself on the offal today; linky

[KD07]

We've got some work to do on his lad, apparently the latter doesn't rate his da!

[mercury]

utterly adored by the Kop, rightly so!!

[HK]

Class interview with the man himself on the offal today; linky

He needs to sign up for football anonymous... Mental he is.