Did Graham Carr Make A Mistake?

I'm not sure if anyone remembers, but a couple of weeks ago at AP's press conference, he revealed that if only 50% of the Carr-Pardew combination wants a player, that player is not signed. With regards to signing Lallana from a then-League One Southampton side in 2011, this is how their conversation went, as revealed by Pards about 3 weeks ago.

Pards: ''We should sign Adam Lallana."
Graham: "No. He's not good enough."
Pards: "Well, no, I worked with him at Southampton, Graham. I know that he is."
Graham: "NO. He's not good enough!"

And so, wasn't signed. I know we have Cabaye and Tiote, who are obviously superior players, but did Carr miss a trick here? Nobody's infallible of course, not even Mourinho, but could Lallana have been the back-up to Cabaye we so badly need? Especially with Guthrie gone.

Ah, just thought I'd mention it, considering his recent call-up and Carr's insistence that he wasn't Premier League material.

 

If I remember it was the first window with pards we were linked a lot leading up to the window with Lallana for £5m or so. In the first week of the window we bought HBA. I think it was a case of either HBA or Lallana just going off prices/position played and time both were linked. HBA is a lot better than Lallana.

 

Would have loved Lallana but if it was a choice between him and Ben Arfa then it has to be Ben Arfa. Remember at this time the club didn't expect to sell Carroll or get £35 million for him.

 

He'd have cost a hell of a lot more than 5 million! We're like you guys in not selling unless it's silly, and we have a richer owner who doesn't do screw over the club like Mr Ashley. He's class though, if he plays for england watch him even if he's poor he's exciting to watch.

 

At the time he was a league 1 player not saying £5m would've got him but it was the price being banded about. He's a good player I agree. No HBA though

 

Amalifitano, Bigi, Vuckic, Abeid etc are good players who we'll see come through at some point (for a lot less money and they are younger), I think, so I'm not so sure it was a mistake. I think everyone is liking the look of Southampton due to the fantastic stuff they've played, but a bit of steel is needed to stay up. A full season in the league and there's a couple of nuggets in their that might be extracted at a massive cost... I'm looking at you Liverpool

 

Shhhhh, they might come in with a £35m bid for one of them.

 

They're just the new Blackpool, Southampton.

 

It's better than being called the new Bolton/West Ham, I suppose!

I certainly prefer the teams coming up that'll have a full-out go.

 

Seem to remember somebody that was linked to those two teams, just can't think of his name at the moment.

 

Lallana is good, HBA is exceptional! Im more then content with our current players there! i dont know why he didnt get much playing time v that greek side but amilfatano looks class imo!

 

We've got some really good youngsters, some that haven't been seen in the first team yet, but the future's looking good.

 

Yeah, without buying many players you can almost see what the teams going to be like (I Hope cause as you say weve got really good youngsters) in perhaps 5 years time!

 

This was taken from an article by Sammy Ameobi.

“This is an unprecedented opportunity for us younger players.

“With the players we’ve got now, they’re top young players that are coming through.

“I appreciate the fact the manager has put his faith in us since he took over and now it is up to us to start repaying him.

“We have games to come where we will get chances that previously wouldn’t have come our way – and I can’t wait.”

 

Does anyone know that other fans of other teams hold some of their youngsters in equally high esteem, only to see the vast majority disappear? Look back over the years since the exposure Sky-rocketed - Paul Brayson, James Coppinger to go back a few years through to the Adjei's, Airey's and now possible Abeid's of the World. The future only look bright because, really, it always kinda looks bright if you choose to see it that way.

In reality, I'd hedge bets that this season is going to be a tougher one for NUFC. What I think we will struggle with most is a lack of a real identity. At Barcelona (extreme example) the youth teams play the same formations as the first XI, so when a kid is called upon it's not quite the shock it could be. They won't do as great a job, but they'll know how it works. What I think we suffer from is something different - our desire is to have a squad of flexible, multi-position players which I think is ok at first XI level, where you get that ability to quickly adapt to new formations, but for kids coming in they have no idea where they're likely to play, or what we're playing at the time. So I don't think the kids that we're lauding at the moment will necessarily get the real chance to shine, apart from maybe Bigirimana who plays a specific role. Guys like Vuckic are gonna struggle.

 

Gotta remember, being called up to the England squad doesn't mean much right now. Raheem Sterling got in the most recent squad and he's only played 200 minutes of Premier League football!

 

Carr may well have got one wrong with Lallana. I think he looks a good young player. However there is not a scout in the world who has been right about every single player. Scouting is not an exact science and therefore errors will occur. To be a top one you have to just ensure that you are right the vast majority of the time. Thankfully Carr is over qualified in this respect.

 

I'd have to disagree here. Getting called up to the England is massive and is an achievement. International football is the pinnacle of a footballers career. I would however agree that getting called up to any international squad does not guarantee you are a world beater. I've seen some ropey players in Brazilian, German and just about every other national squad! England are no different and since football began there has been the odd unexpected inclusion. It certainly has not diluted through the years though, this has always been the case. Getting called up now means as much as it has at any other time for me.

The fans care less about their national team of course but that is more a reflection of the fans than the players who represent them.

With Sterling he has represented England at just about every level. He may be new to the PL and fans but he isn't new to those in the England set up. He is simply a bit of a freak in that his natural ability (which is vast) has seen him sky rocket and skip the 21's. Of course he wouldn't be in if everyone was fit but but he was a good option to include rather than some also ran who has no future at that level.

 

I wasn't saying that it's not an achievement from a players perspective, I meant as you say, you no longer have to be a great proven player to get a place in the current England midfield. There have been lots of players to play in multiple levels of the England set up and not cut it in the first team. Personally I think an England place should be earned, by playing well at a high level. As far as I know, Sterling has very very very limited experience in any real first team competitive football.

Basically my point is, we can't use an England call up as proof that a player is good enough. Obviously England have players who'd fit in our squad, and those who don't.

As for fans, I think it's partly down to the fact that the club is in action all through the year, for people like us, financially much easier to go see, and due to that, we invest more money in it so have a greater interest in it.

 

Carr didn't want the money going on Lallana as he wants it to line up some young lad called Messi. I've not seen him play, but Carr seems impressed and I trust his jugdement.