http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2046181/Liverpool-stalwart-Carragher-retire-season.html 'You want to try to get as much out of your career and play as long as possible. 'The time will come in the next 12, 18 months, maybe two years. 'That won't be down to myself. It will be down to the people around me, the staff, the manager. They will decide.' I personally think it's the right time for him to retire before his performances get worse. I'd love to see him get some experience at another club as a manager then come back here for when Kenny is done. He'll make a brilliant manager, and I just hope England don't try and get him before we do because he's needed more with us.
It will be the end of this season, Ze. He may even play a few cameos next season, depending on signings between now and then.
The biggest problem when he does retire from playing is we will miss probably the best defensive tactician in the EPL and the one person who commands our defence. A commanding and vocal defender is vital, and we really need someone else that can step up to the plate and deliver vocally as Carra has done for so many years. Hopefully Kelly might be the one, but for me he would have to become a CB before that would be possible. Losing Carra may be a bigger loss than I think some people suspect. I often hear people getting on his back about giving away the odd penalty and being slow etc etc... but his biggest attribute (these days) and his most important attribute is his ability to command the players around him to perform.
I agree with all of that, sky, and feel sure Kelly will be the one. He already does his fair share now. Where are you up to with the footie?
We need to buy a replacement when he goes, Kelly will eventually take up his role but he's a long way off that yet.
my view is that yes carragher's leadership and shouting the odds will be missed but the sad fact is, particulalry away from home, that we see him getting 1:! and just making bad moves. where once he would clean up behind hyppia, making the "glory" last ditch stuff now he's not got that dominant guy going out attacking the ball to sweep up behind. so he'd the one getting run at and he's just flogging goals. Sorry but he is. Take him out of the equation and yes "someone" needs to take over organising the line and keeping us higher up the pitch but lets face it the reality id nobody is happy with agger (injuries), skertl (nervy and error prone, bad passer) and wilson, coates and kelly are not ready for cb action. My issue here is i am seeing utd bring smalling on FAST. he's only out at RB cos they've no-one else. right now kellys not got any time at cb, nly rb and nobody else is getting game time so i think the young guys will end up seeing guys bought in ahead of them. jones ok is an expereinced prem player but ferguson has no qualms. caotes is yuong but an international so yes some "settling in" is required but god we need to back the guy and get him involved.
Next season Carra will be ''player coach'' in everything but name. I can see him playing the odd game but when he does he will be actively coaching the likes of Andre Wisdom and Seb Coates both in training and in games. He will also groom Martin Kelly to take over from him as the ''organiser''. It will be an easy transition as if you cannot learn from someone like Jamie Carragher, then you cannot learn from anyone.
I see his future coaching role as pimp slapper in chief, with Comolli holding the baby powder for his hands.
When we have someone alongside Carra who can cover the other side of the pitch well enough then he's still a class act but Carra's too old to be doing more work than necessary. Our more pressing issues are Aggers injury record and Skrtels inconsistency. Yes Carra is limited, but what he does well he still does pretty damn well. Don't be too quick to write him off. He still has a part to play IMO and I still think if there really is a god then Carra's gonna score a forty yard screamer to win us the league with the last kick of his career
Or do what Tony Adams did in 1998 when he latched onto a forward pass and stuck the ball past Everton. What on earth he was doing in midfield is anyones guess. That has to be one of the classic moments of the last 20 years. I would love to see Carra do something like that and have the same commentary ''Would you believe it!!!!, thats sums it all up''.
It would make my year if he scored the final goal on the day we were crowned champions. It wouldn't happen to a better player.
I think he will play less games next year and that will be his last. What a player! I still want to see more of that coates chap. He hasn't realy had much of a crack yet has he? One game?
Coates? He'll be eased in. I don't think he'll play against Stoke in th Carling Cup. Kenny will go with the tried and trusted. I reckon his next game will be in the friendly against Rangers at Ibrox.
I don't see Kelly stepping up to the CB position tbh, I more see him as Liverpool's future RB now. Coates does have a big future, and maybe in a couple of seasons time under Carragher's wing he will be ready to step up to the role. The only trouble is, if Carragher retires at the end of this season, I doubt Coates will be fully ready, so what do we do then? Loan an experienced CB in for a season?
I think your underestimating Coates Aidan,its not like hes a kid fresh out of the youth team,hes a proven international and played against the best players in south America(Copa America). He like any player coming in from a country were the game is played at a slower pace needs a few games to adjust,imo he'll prove his worth and ability as this season progresses
Lets hope so because if he does prove to be a good consistent player we'd be massively improved as a team You're right about his credentials PMK but I kind of urge patience with this kid. Communication is vital as a centre half and he'll need a while to learn not just the pace of the English game but also the reading of the tactics we play and styles of opposition teams, language, Carras accent etc etc. It's a lot to take in (just ask the Arsenal back 4) so hopefully we see Skrtel and Agger play well enough so we don't have to rush him in. I'm with Aidan on the Kelly thing though. I think he could prove to be our best right back since Rob Jones (hopefully without the injury record)
