Now thats how a captain should speak!

[disco]

Why? If you are stressed or worried about something can you give 110% at work? Why should they really be any different. Maybe they're not arsed but at the same time they aren't robots either.

Fair enough if you want to use that as an excuse.

My take is that we took the foot off the pedal vs Wigan and conceded a poor goal, were very unlucky vs Man City, were beaten to every ball by Luton and were useless against Middlesbrough until the last 15 minutes when we finally had a decent team on the pitch.

We were excellent in the second game vs Luton though, despite everything going on off the pitch....

[Roboklopp]

Doesn't count does it, that was in England guise. We are talking about him as Liverpool captain.

Bollocks, he is always a representative for Liverpool FC at some level. He was seapking about clubs & therefore everyone will infer he also means about Pool.

[Roboklopp]

It's just silly to discuss. Stevie is a pretty damn good leader too if you don't mind. Stevie leads by example and wins games. He ain't perfect but he is still pretty good, especially in Finals.

Except the Wortho

[Jack D Rips]

I actually dont see anything there that Stevie wouldnt have said or indeed has said.

There is no backing of the manager and it would appear that the players are not allowed to come out and give that backing

[Skillz]

I actually dont see anything there that Stevie wouldnt have said or indeed has said.

There is no backing of the manager and it would appear that the players are not allowed to come out and give that backing

Hopefully that changes when we reveal DIC

[Mumsafan]

I know what ou're saying, but Xabi is more the brains on the pitch, he isnt vocal or forceful enough to act as capitan.

Stevie does come out with some clangers tho in interviews- he aint the brightest or most press-savvy.

Sometimes he even falls over

[lawrie]

good post and I agree. However it is Carra's honesty that would see him undone in pressure situations as far as the media is concerned. If you read what he said in full in this interview he has given the press a few angles to twist if they so desire.

I agree. After reading his interview, rightly or wrongly, I had the impression that Carra no longer fully backed the manager.

[El Jefecito]

xabi doesnt talk enough on the pitch

carra is the man imo

Xabi is the general, Carra is the sargeant major.

[Slinky Skills]

I think carra and steve are completely different in the way they lead, carra is an old school type of capt, puts everything on the line, screams and shouts and drags players through games...also he seams alot more comfortable and honest infront of camera.

stevie is a more modern capt, perfect for the business, very marketable, although he doesnt shout, just his presence and ability has everyones respect and also he can dominate a game and turn loses/draws into victorys...I do beleive though he is not as confortable in front of the camera and has preprepared comments/answers written by his advisors.

In my opinion we have two capts and which balance the team out, which we should be very lucky for.

Stevie doesn't shout.....bolloks, he goes ape whenever a team mate ****s up or the like. Stevie's like a madman sometimes, I'd hate to be a team mate who's made a mistake or a **** pass when Stevie's about, he goes ****ing mental!

[El Jefecito]

Stevie doesn't shout.....bolloks, he goes ape whenever a team mate ****s up or the like. Stevie's like a madman sometimes, I'd hate to be a team mate who's made a mistake or a **** pass when Stevie's about, he goes ****ing mental!

He sulks and gives the withering stare, he's not a shouter he said as much himself in the 60 minutes interview on lfc.tv.

[the rev leeroy brown]

stevie g is lfc captain for a reason....he leads a team like a captain on the pitch.

carra is a world class defender who shouts at the players when they do something wrong, is a rock at the back of the team, can see the game unfold ahead of him and tells the other players what he sees if it benefits the team.

xabi is a fabulous player but he is very quiet on the pitch. the reason rafa speaks to him to get his message out to the players might have somehting to do with the fact xabi is apparently fluent in a number of foreign languages and can communicate better with the team on a noisy pitch.

But Stevie G is the captain because he inspires all who play with him. He is the only player in our team who can grab the game by the scruff of the neck and drag us back into games that look all but lost. He covers every inch of grass during games making tackles, blocking shots, intercepting passes, setting up scoring opportunities and scoring loads of goals himself. He is very vocal on the pitch shouting at the other players, giving instructions and getting the crowd to create an intimidating atmosphere. Stevie is the ideal captain because he gives his all every game and his presence alone inspires not just the team but the fans in the stands.

[Red_hot]

Fair enough if you want to use that as an excuse.

My take is that we took the foot off the pedal vs Wigan and conceded a poor goal, were very unlucky vs Man City, were beaten to every ball by Luton and were useless against Middlesbrough until the last 15 minutes when we finally had a decent team on the pitch.

We were excellent in the second game vs Luton though, despite everything going on off the pitch....

I don't think what's going on in the background can be helping the team at all. It's not about excuses.

[tsb]

Carragher yearns for return to 'Liverpool Way'

Andy Hunter
Thursday January 17, 2008
Guardian Unlimited

Not every tribute paid by Liverpool this week has undermined a European Cup winning manager whilst accelerating turmoil through the Anfield boardroom. Steven Gerrard's request that Jamie Carragher take the captain's armband for his 500th club appearance and the guard of honour that welcomed Bootle's finest onto the pitch against Luton Town was fitting reward for an outstanding servant and a timely illustration that loyalty does retain some place at Anfield. Pity Tom Hicks' salute to the "very impressive" Jurgen Klinsmann ensured Carragher's night was not without distraction.

The latest foot-in-mouth outbreak to affect the Liverpool co-chairman divided Anfield into celebration and demonstration on Tuesday night and strengthened the theory presented by Sami Hyypia that a club once renowned for quiet efficiency now resembles the soap opera that is Newcastle. That was always the risk when David Moores sold his family interest to George Gillett and Hicks last February and Carragher, consistently the voice of the fan in the street, is not alone in yearning for the return of 'The Liverpool Way'.

"It is not just me thinking that, ask any fan," he states. "It's not the way we have done things in the past. You want the Liverpool Way to continue because we have to pull together and focus on what we have going for us at the moment, such as the FA Cup and the Champions League."

The Premier League is a painful omission from that statement. Carragher, along with Gerrard, Benitez et al made no secret last summer that a first league championship in 18 years is the priority for Liverpool but today, 12 points behind the leaders with 17 games to go, the wait appears destined to continue. Along with the insistence instability is no excuse for the team's recent slump in form, the defender does not entertain the theory - put forth by his manager - that a lack of spending compared to Manchester United and Arsenal makes the title a formidable request.

"It is possible to win it," Carragher insists. "The spending power of other clubs does make it more difficult but you only have to look at Arsenal. They don't spend the big money and they have won a lot under Arsene Wenger. You just have to get on with it."

So is Benitez the man, as his American employers doubt, to bring the league championship back to Anfield? "Only time will tell," says his vice-captain. "I haven't got a clue. It doesn't look like it is going to be this season. The manager has done very well here but the league is the one we want. We are not stupid. You never throw the towel in, but for us to get back into contention for the title we would have to have an unbelievable second half to the season and the rest would have to have an unbelievably bad second half."

Nothing, however, not title frustration or Texan blundering, could dampen the sense of achievement Carragher felt when he reached the 500 mark for Liverpool on Tuesday. He admits: "I am very proud. Maybe it is harder now because scouts are looking all over the world - South America, Africa - and that wasn't the case 20 or 30 years ago. The games are not that important though, the most important thing at Liverpool is to win trophies like Kenny Dalglish and Emlyn Hughes. They have not just got the games, they have got the medals as well." And so, with one elusive exception, does Carragher.

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2242012,00.html

[tsb]

Benitez fears not to blame for poor form, says Carragher

Andy Hunter
Thursday January 17, 2008
Guardian Unlimited

Jamie Carragher has insisted Liverpool's failure to mount a credible title challenge cannot be excused and that players' inability to handle pressure - not the uncertainty over Rafael Benitez's future - is the root cause of their domestic problems.

Liverpool recorded their first win in five matches in an FA Cup third round replay against beleaguered Luton Town on Tuesday, when Carragher captained the side on his 500th appearance for the club, to give Benitez respite from revelations Jurgen Klinsmann had been approached about his job.

The admission by Tom Hicks that he and fellow Liverpool co-chairman George Gillett met Klinsmann last November has added weight to the theory that top-level instability has had a detrimental effect on players. Carragher, however, yesterday dismissed that as a convenient excuse for falling 12 points behind Manchester United and Arsenal, albeit with a game in hand.

"I know some people say what happens off the pitch affects players and maybe it does, but it doesn't affect me. Why should it?" said the Liverpool vice-captain. "I am paid to play, your wages are still coming in and you are still playing for Liverpool, so I don't know why it should affect players and to be honest I don't know if it does that much.

"If I was in a foreign country and there was something like this going on at my club I don't think I would care or be bothered about it. I think it is an excuse just as it was at the start of the season to point to Pako (Ayesteran, former assistant manager) leaving. We had a few bad results and everyone was talking. I said then that you have to be strong mentally to play for Liverpool. Things happen off the pitch and you can't let it affect you." Carragher's argument is supported by last season's Premier League campaign when, without the threat to the manager's position, Liverpool finished 21 points behind champions United. He added: "The results weren't great in the Premiership last season so what was that down to? The results haven't been good enough because we haven't been good enough. End of story."

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2242001,00.html

[Mattimetal]

Why the constant criticism with Stevie G...?
It's almost like half of you don't respect him for the brilliant footballer he is, and he is a true leader. Watching Carra captain the other night he was hardly vocal enough. A captain cannot spend the entire match screaming his head off, he also has to play football.

Has no one noticed how all the new players to LFC (of all ages) always rave about how good our capt is?

My message is simple and clear - get off Gerrard's back people he is the best LFC have had for a long time. Respect him for who he is and what he is. He is the true LFC captain whilst Carra is the perfect vice captain. Alonso is the ****in' translator!

Rant over