As some of you on here already know, I'm trying to make a career out of rambling on endlessly about football.
I'm in the final year of my course now at Liverpool JMU, and the probably desperate people at 'Voice of Football' have signed me up to write a column for them.
It's not going to be all about Liverpool (in fact I may be forced to say nice things about Man U soon), but my first column is about the legend that is Jamie Carragher.
Read it if you want, please...
(and I'm not sure what they've done with the pic)
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Raging Bull
MARK JONES
12 March 2007
Upon receiving his first ever ‘Best Director’ Oscar at the always glitzy and glamorous Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood two weeks ago, legendary film director Martin Scorsese joked: “Could you double-check the envelope?”
After being nominated five times for classic films such as Goodfellas and Raging Bull, Scorsese was finally honoured for last year’s crime thriller The Departed, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jack Nicholson. Ironically, many critics felt that this didn’t represent the director’s best work.
One man who must have known exactly how Scorsese felt was Jamie Carragher.
Had the Liverpool centre back opened his newspapers last Wednesday morning he’d have read gushing praise about his performance at the heart of the Reds’ back line in the epic, and very loud, away-goals triumph over reigning European champions Barcelona at Anfield.
Carragher’s performance earned rave reviews from all quarters, with virtually every national newspaper singling him out and praising how he dealt with Barca’s three ‘cracks’, Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto’o and Leo Messi.
For seasoned Carragher-watchers though, the display was nothing out of the ordinary. He has been playing like that virtually week-in week-out for the best part of the last three years. It’s just not often that he gets any praise for it.
If Scorsese were to make an epic thriller about last Tuesday’s events at Anfield, then the part of Carragher would surely be played by the director’s favourite, Robert De Niro. Gritty, uncompromising and with a will-to-win so large that it dwarfs all of his competitors, De Niro wouldn’t go far wrong if he were to portray Carragher like he did Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull. Before he got fat
Carragher’s display alongside Daniel Agger at the heart of defence allowed for the Reds’ attacking talents of Steven Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt and Craig Bellamy (surely the Joe Pesci to Carragher’s De Niro) to take control of the game, and Liverpool should have been at least two-up by half-time.
When the chances dried up in the second half, Carragher was there to snuff out any danger, and bar Ronaldinho’s moment of magic when he hit the post, Barca struggled to create anything before Eidur Gudjohnsen’s arrival.
Even in those tense, nervy fifteen minutes after the ex-Chelsea man’s goal, Pepe Reina was barely troubled.
What was most surprising about the entire night was that people were actually surprised by Carragher’s performance. Where were they when, ridden with cramp, he was throwing himself in front of every white AC Milan shirt that came close to goal in extra time in Istanbul? Were they looking the other way when, for 180 minutes (plus a lot of injury time), he didn’t let Chelsea have a single shot on target in the two-legged semi-final before that?
For years Carragher has been chief amongst the sufferers of England’s ‘everyone can get a game’ friendly policy. Play excellently for 20 consecutive matches in the Premiership, but come on as a sub for half an hour in a meaningless international, probably in the wrong position, and don’t immediately shine and that’s it. You’re written off as ‘not good enough for England’.
Until recently, players such as Jonathan Woodgate, Ledley King and Sol Campbell were considered to be ahead of Carragher in the England pecking order, but over the years the Reds man has slowly but surely been getting the praise he deserves, and there are now some calls for him to be slotted in as John Terry’s first choice defensive partner.
Given Liverpool fans’ passionate loyalties towards their club, most aren’t too bothered about the fortunes of the national team and whether Carragher plays for them or not.
But it’s about recognition: Carragher seems to be slowly winning over the opinion-formers of the game, and could soon be reaping the rewards that he so richly deserves.
Jamie Carragher the Scouse Scorsese? Well, I’m not sure if the legendary director is a Guinness drinker, but I’m sure he’d tell you that good things come to those who wait...
I'm in the final year of my course now at Liverpool JMU, and the probably desperate people at 'Voice of Football' have signed me up to write a column for them.
It's not going to be all about Liverpool (in fact I may be forced to say nice things about Man U soon), but my first column is about the legend that is Jamie Carragher.
Read it if you want, please...
(and I'm not sure what they've done with the pic)--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Raging Bull
MARK JONES
12 March 2007
Upon receiving his first ever ‘Best Director’ Oscar at the always glitzy and glamorous Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood two weeks ago, legendary film director Martin Scorsese joked: “Could you double-check the envelope?”
After being nominated five times for classic films such as Goodfellas and Raging Bull, Scorsese was finally honoured for last year’s crime thriller The Departed, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jack Nicholson. Ironically, many critics felt that this didn’t represent the director’s best work.
One man who must have known exactly how Scorsese felt was Jamie Carragher.
Had the Liverpool centre back opened his newspapers last Wednesday morning he’d have read gushing praise about his performance at the heart of the Reds’ back line in the epic, and very loud, away-goals triumph over reigning European champions Barcelona at Anfield.
Carragher’s performance earned rave reviews from all quarters, with virtually every national newspaper singling him out and praising how he dealt with Barca’s three ‘cracks’, Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto’o and Leo Messi.
For seasoned Carragher-watchers though, the display was nothing out of the ordinary. He has been playing like that virtually week-in week-out for the best part of the last three years. It’s just not often that he gets any praise for it.
If Scorsese were to make an epic thriller about last Tuesday’s events at Anfield, then the part of Carragher would surely be played by the director’s favourite, Robert De Niro. Gritty, uncompromising and with a will-to-win so large that it dwarfs all of his competitors, De Niro wouldn’t go far wrong if he were to portray Carragher like he did Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull. Before he got fat
Carragher’s display alongside Daniel Agger at the heart of defence allowed for the Reds’ attacking talents of Steven Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt and Craig Bellamy (surely the Joe Pesci to Carragher’s De Niro) to take control of the game, and Liverpool should have been at least two-up by half-time.
When the chances dried up in the second half, Carragher was there to snuff out any danger, and bar Ronaldinho’s moment of magic when he hit the post, Barca struggled to create anything before Eidur Gudjohnsen’s arrival.
Even in those tense, nervy fifteen minutes after the ex-Chelsea man’s goal, Pepe Reina was barely troubled.
What was most surprising about the entire night was that people were actually surprised by Carragher’s performance. Where were they when, ridden with cramp, he was throwing himself in front of every white AC Milan shirt that came close to goal in extra time in Istanbul? Were they looking the other way when, for 180 minutes (plus a lot of injury time), he didn’t let Chelsea have a single shot on target in the two-legged semi-final before that?
For years Carragher has been chief amongst the sufferers of England’s ‘everyone can get a game’ friendly policy. Play excellently for 20 consecutive matches in the Premiership, but come on as a sub for half an hour in a meaningless international, probably in the wrong position, and don’t immediately shine and that’s it. You’re written off as ‘not good enough for England’.
Until recently, players such as Jonathan Woodgate, Ledley King and Sol Campbell were considered to be ahead of Carragher in the England pecking order, but over the years the Reds man has slowly but surely been getting the praise he deserves, and there are now some calls for him to be slotted in as John Terry’s first choice defensive partner.
Given Liverpool fans’ passionate loyalties towards their club, most aren’t too bothered about the fortunes of the national team and whether Carragher plays for them or not.
But it’s about recognition: Carragher seems to be slowly winning over the opinion-formers of the game, and could soon be reaping the rewards that he so richly deserves.
Jamie Carragher the Scouse Scorsese? Well, I’m not sure if the legendary director is a Guinness drinker, but I’m sure he’d tell you that good things come to those who wait...
Excellent Stuff. Well Done,
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