jamie carragher on talksport!!!!

[Big Dave]

Carragher is right to ditch England

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A24626793

by Phil McNulty - BBC Sport 10 July 2007


Liverpool will be the beneficiaries, as will their fans, who would not mind another 10 "bottlers" like Carragher in their side.

Especially liked this bit

All together now............

We all dream of a team of Carraghers

[Big Dave]

Oh.......and for anyone who still hasn't heard it..........another link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQipy5VReAY

[Maestro]

Carragher is right to ditch England

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A24626793

by Phil McNulty - BBC Sport 10 July 2007

Jamie Carragher's public profile is low-key to the point of invisibility - light years away from the cult of celebrity that has submerged England's under-achieving national team.

So it is ironic that Liverpool defender's decision to consider his England future has brought so much attention to a player who is happy to stay well beneath the radar of publicity.

And Carragher added fuel to the fire by ringing a radio station in fury at being branded a bottler by a presenter - even appearing to suggest a good old-fashioned Scouse straightener next time they meet.

Carragher should have brushed off such ignorant and ill-informed insults.

A "bottler" does not play as he has for Liverpool and England in recent seasons - or volunteer to take a penalty in a World Cup quarter-final shoot-out when other colleagues stood back.

And a bottler certainly does not have every major club honour bar the title in his trophy cabinet.

The serious question is whether Carragher is right to end his England career to concentrate on helping Liverpool finally mount a serious Premier League title challenge.

And I believe he is.

England coach Steve McClaren's treatment of one of Europe's finest defenders has arguably been more insulting than having Carragher's courage questioned by someone specifically paid to provoke such a debate.

McClaren might just swing the idea of picking Ledley King ahead of him in the absence of the injured Rio Ferdinand in Estonia, although I would still have picked Carragher.

But the selection of Wes Brown - not even outstanding in his favoured position of centre-back - instead of Carragher as right-back was surely the final straw.

McClaren will disagree but this was a desperately poor and inexplicable decision.

And it rightly crystalised doubts Carragher already had in his mind about his role with England.

Why should he, at 29 and with limited time remaining at the top left, turn up for England and be treated in such a fashion?

And sorry, I don't buy all the hysterical 'three lions' jingoism that states that the call of your country comes above all else.

It certainly doesn't in the north of England.

Ask Liverpool, Everton, Manchester United and Manchester City fans whether country comes before club and I'd wager a large amount on the majority answering in the negative.

Sorry if this comes as a shock to some but most football fans put club before country every time.

At this stage of his career, Carragher does not need to prove his quality or worth to McClaren.

He has been doing that for years against the finest strikers in the world at home and abroad.

And he also has no need to turn up for a few five-a-sides or a McClaren coaching masterclass only to sit in the stands at the end of it all.

If McClaren wanted to send a message to Carragher that his England future was behind him, then picking Brown ahead of him in Estonia did the job.

Carragher had every right to be insulted and decide to focus on Liverpool.

England is not the be-all and end-all for Carragher. Liverpool is and that is why he has decided to channel all his efforts into winning more trophies with the Merseysiders.

This is not the decision of a bottler, it is an understandable move by a player who has made a realistic assessment of his England future.

Liverpool will be the beneficiaries, as will their fans, who would not mind another 10 "bottlers" like Carragher in their side.

Good article that..

[Kaip]

The lemonhead is still banging on about it

[Guest]

Carragher is right to ditch England

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A24626793

by Phil McNulty - BBC Sport 10 July 2007

Jamie Carragher's public profile is low-key to the point of invisibility - light years away from the cult of celebrity that has submerged England's under-achieving national team.

So it is ironic that Liverpool defender's decision to consider his England future has brought so much attention to a player who is happy to stay well beneath the radar of publicity.

And Carragher added fuel to the fire by ringing a radio station in fury at being branded a bottler by a presenter - even appearing to suggest a good old-fashioned Scouse straightener next time they meet.

Carragher should have brushed off such ignorant and ill-informed insults.

A "bottler" does not play as he has for Liverpool and England in recent seasons - or volunteer to take a penalty in a World Cup quarter-final shoot-out when other colleagues stood back.

And a bottler certainly does not have every major club honour bar the title in his trophy cabinet.

The serious question is whether Carragher is right to end his England career to concentrate on helping Liverpool finally mount a serious Premier League title challenge.

And I believe he is.

England coach Steve McClaren's treatment of one of Europe's finest defenders has arguably been more insulting than having Carragher's courage questioned by someone specifically paid to provoke such a debate.

McClaren might just swing the idea of picking Ledley King ahead of him in the absence of the injured Rio Ferdinand in Estonia, although I would still have picked Carragher.

But the selection of Wes Brown - not even outstanding in his favoured position of centre-back - instead of Carragher as right-back was surely the final straw.

McClaren will disagree but this was a desperately poor and inexplicable decision.

And it rightly crystalised doubts Carragher already had in his mind about his role with England.

Why should he, at 29 and with limited time remaining at the top left, turn up for England and be treated in such a fashion?

And sorry, I don't buy all the hysterical 'three lions' jingoism that states that the call of your country comes above all else.

It certainly doesn't in the north of England.

Ask Liverpool, Everton, Manchester United and Manchester City fans whether country comes before club and I'd wager a large amount on the majority answering in the negative.

Sorry if this comes as a shock to some but most football fans put club before country every time.

At this stage of his career, Carragher does not need to prove his quality or worth to McClaren.

He has been doing that for years against the finest strikers in the world at home and abroad.

And he also has no need to turn up for a few five-a-sides or a McClaren coaching masterclass only to sit in the stands at the end of it all.

If McClaren wanted to send a message to Carragher that his England future was behind him, then picking Brown ahead of him in Estonia did the job.

Carragher had every right to be insulted and decide to focus on Liverpool.

England is not the be-all and end-all for Carragher. Liverpool is and that is why he has decided to channel all his efforts into winning more trophies with the Merseysiders.

This is not the decision of a bottler, it is an understandable move by a player who has made a realistic assessment of his England future.

Liverpool will be the beneficiaries, as will their fans, who would not mind another 10 "bottlers" like Carragher in their side.

That's a fantastic article.

[Revo]

Mcnulty is very good and calls it like he sees it

[BobTheCharmer]

Always admired Carra from day one. Yes even when he was hoofing balls down the line at full back. His passion couldn't ever be questioned. Give me a local lad over a foreigner anyday. I remember when Man City were rumoured to have offered £4m, I was f**king gutted. Thankfully it never ever materialised.

The guy should have been made captain for me after the first time Gerrard was looking to move. I know he is anyway on the pitch in everything but armband but I'd rather see him lifting trophies aloft than anyone else.

England is a strange one for me. I love my country but its hard supporting the national team when its full of players you depise for 11 months of the year. I view it as a good piss up come the world cup where everybody is together instead of trying to bottle or knock your teeth out. Although I still spend most of the games chanting rio takes it up the arse, neville shags his mum etc. Carra should have had more games at centre back FACT. Its a crying shame he hasn't but it didn't do old Crazy Horse much harm or Hansen for Scotland did it?

We'll benefit from this I'm certain.

[IrishPaul]

I was listening to Brazil & Beaky on the way home from work this morning and fair play to both of them, they both ****in' slaughtered Durham


I thought Beaky was gonna have a bleedin' cardiac


Brazil & Beaky

[Redbug1]

Thanks for the links lads - just listening to it now and hats off to the man.

Carra gold!!!

What a player - I'll hold my hands up and say that I really never thought he had the ability to be a great in his early days but the way he has developed his all round game has just been incredible.

I've only ever been to one England game - the Paraguay friendly at Anfield - and the atmosphere was just shocking - full of "no surrender to the IRA" types and it put me off ever going again to an international match.

[Zambian_Red]

its funny how most of us just take it for granted about club before country or liverpool winning a corner before ingerland winnin a world cup and those 2 buffoons were totally flabbergasted by the thought.
carra stood up for himself and was very diplomatic in giving his reasons for thinking about it, when you just know he would of loved to say that the **** maclaren has ****ed him about and stepped on his pride and the whole ingerland set up is a farce.
mclaren is cock sucker who is not up to any job and epitomises everything wrong with the game.

Can you imagine if england dont qualify for europe? FA will lose out on millions, maclaren can kiss goodbye his job and fans calling on radio stations/tabloids will have a field day stating thier exact thoughts that he wasnt right for the job.

Well cant wait fro england to mess up thier qualifying chances

[irishgeo]

legend without a doubt.

[twistnkuyt]

All this has just reminded me about the time the time that **** Lucas Neill broke Carras leg and he tried to get back on the on the pitch and carry on.

Bottler my Arse, **** off Durham you ****

[Red Chilli]

Fair play to good old Roy Evans

He was interviewed on Talk****e this morning and at the end he had his say and defended Carra to th hilt and said "that other lad" ( ) doesn't know what he's talking about.

Scouser Roy