Rafa Watch

[Fredo]

It's not his first clanger about that kind of thing though is it? He tends to reiterate that **** from time to time.

[Craig_H]

He's entitled to his opinion of course, but i honestly dont see what positive effect it has for him to publicly voice it to a journalist.

[Phoenix07]

In any case, is it so weird that with a ton of different languages and nationalities at any particular club the dressing room might get a little disjointed? So Carra says something inane about wives getting on better in some throwaway interview, footballers say inane and slightly stupid things all the time if given the chance when all he's actually trying to say is that for him, the dressing room is a more together place than it was. We're not in it, and he's perfectly entitled to his own opinion about his workplace and his relationship with his colleagues.

If I was a foreign player joining the club and I heard an interview like that, I wouldn't go and mix with Carragher after that. Some things are better kept to themselves. I don't care whether it was said six months ago or last week, the fact is it doesn't make him very approachable.

[MrMichael]

It's not his first clanger about that kind of thing though is it? He tends to reiterate that **** from time to time.

He's a footballer, not a politician. His job is to kick a ball, which he's done for us his whole career, quite well for most of it. So he doesn't have the best way with words and sounds a bit "dim" at times, its not like he said anything at all offensive (and its not a clanger). He is entirely entitled to have an opinion about how he gets on with his workmates outside his work, its a sport we all might follow but its also his life.

[Craig_H]

Agreed about him being a footballer, which is why he's best advised to talk less and concentrate on football IMO.

[Buzzo]

What's even more strange is that i've not commented on Bellamy's comments, which i havent seen or heard.

Really strange.

If Bellamy said the same its just as inexcusable. I have no axe to grind with Carra. He is past his best as a player, has been an amazing servant to the club. But these comments do him no favours at all.

[Mattshark]

He's a footballer, not a politician. His job is to kick a ball, which he's done for us his whole career, quite well for most of it. So he doesn't have the best way with words and sounds a bit "dim" at times, its not like he said anything at all offensive (and its not a clanger). He is entirely entitled to have an opinion about how he gets on with his workmates outside his work, its a sport we all might follow but its also his life.

Yes but at the same time it isn't the first comment he has made that can be construed as xenophobic either.

[Craig_H]

Bellamy didnt make the same comments really, he just said that when he signed for us again under Kenny, it was more like the Liverpool he knew and grew up supporting, than when he signed under Rafa.

[Fredo]

Well it's his responsibility to ensure that foreigners integrate with the rest of the squad. That kind of mentality creates cliques. If it was me, Carra would have already packed his bags. He's past it, legend or not and those comments don't help.

[Buzzo]

...Another thread hurtles towards a 'race' debate.

I definitely don't want to defame what Carragher has done for the club. He is a legendary servant. But these comments are slightly insulting to some of the players and managers who have brought us some of our most exciting games and goals in recent years. Alonso, Garcia, Reina, Kuyt, Suarez, Lucas, Rafa, Houllier, Hyypia, Risse and dare I say Torres - obiovulsy not close friends of his. His comments come across as narrow minded in the multi cultural society we live in, and in particular in the multi cultural environment he works in.

[Craig_H]

To be fair, i dont think he was meaning them in that way. I dont think he's of that ilk. He just isnt the most intelligent, and hasnt had the foresight to see how such comments could be perceived.

[CJ]

As nige is a dirty foreigner (from croydon) maybe what fredo idls saying about xenophobia is a little more insightful than he is being given crefit for.

Pete and credit not two things i though i would write

[Alex]

Having not seen what he said, you lot are talking like he wrote an article about hating foreigners.

It's a pretty sad state of affairs when things get this sort of reaction

[MrMichael]

If I was a foreign player joining the club and I heard an interview like that, I wouldn't go and mix with Carragher after that. Some things are better kept to themselves. I don't care whether it was said six months ago or last week, the fact is it doesn't make him very approachable.

Meh. Really.

Would you mix with Suarez? Not knowing anything more about all that than what you'd read in the press?

I think people are well overdoing those quotes, especially without knowing how it was said, the context of the discussion or whatever. Unguarded quotes yeah, but loads of players say loads of stupid things if given the rope to hang themselves with. Is it not conceivable that if you put a bunch of people together, and most of them speak certain languages, they will to start with mostly gravitate towards eachother?

Anyway, we have no idea what most players are like in person. Whether Lucas has bad breath and a Roy Orbison obsession, or Maxi is a complete c*nt. Maybe all the Spanish speaking wives used to pick on Carra's missus. We simply don't know how things are or ever have been on that sort of level, and I really think most players wouldn't give a **** about some random comment in an interview, knowing themselves how easy it is to get trapped/taken out of context/express yourself badly/misquoted and would go much more on how someone actually is to their face.

[Kenneth]

Bellamy didnt make the same comments really, he just said that when he signed for us again under Kenny, it was more like the Liverpool he knew and grew up supporting, than when he signed under Rafa.

Part of that was kenny, but

"For me, the players they've signed this summer, there has been a lot of British which takes me back to when I started watching Liverpool. It looks so familiar to me and to be part of it is such a huge honour.