It is so disappointing that there cannot be rational debate on this issue without people taking such defensive viewpoints and shunting aside any interesting points because they are deemed to be disrespectful to Jamie Carragher or simply brushing it all aside with a 'Kenny knows best’. We aren’t questioning the player’s legacy or the manager, it is a discussion.
The fact it this season he has struggled, even more so than last season and the one before that. If we want to make an assault on fourth place we really, really need a solid defence and unfortunately Carragher has been a big factor in a lot of costly errors our side has made, and above that we are now accommodating him with such a deep defensive line that is hampering our general play to boot.
The comment made before about who decided to have us play that deep was not a suggestion of anything untoward, it was just clear that we played far, far too deep in the last ten minutes of that game against United, and it wasn't simply nerves or protecting a lead. We were deep for the other 80, and we just took it to the extreme. This was based on Carragher's inclusion in the side. Enrique and Kelly are fast, Martin Skrtel isn't a slouch for a centre back and Carragher clearly struggles the further up the field he is.
Now the most important game is the next one at home to Norwich will not be an easy affair, we haven't had the best record against newly promoted sides of late and these will come for a point. But with Lucas suspended we are likely to go with a midfield of Gerrard and Adam, both obviously capable footballers but neither will provide the same amount of defensive cover as Lucas because it isn’t there job and it isn't what they are skilled at.
As a result they will play further forward, or be deep but in an unorthodox position, so we will be slightly vulnerable.To counter this we have to play a highdefensive line as we simply cannot afford a massive space between defence and midfield. It is too dangerous. Agger should start this one and I feel that at least for this one, from a tactical point of view it has be Carragher who makes way. Skrtel has been very good under Kenny, people may scoff as certain posters don’t rate him but he was our best defender under the King and hasn’t done anything to warrant being dropped.
Skrtel and Agger is a good, solid partnership, the Danes injuries have prevented us seeing it more often but it was very successful for a spell under Kenny last term and the players are comfortable alongside one another and complement their partner’s style of play.
The problem is there is far too much nostalgia connected to Carragher, there are people who react in a frankly ridiculous way about a player who is plainly, it really is there for all to see, having a negative effect on our results, being questioned. I am sure a lot of it is down to his legacy and that people still want Carra in the side because he used to do what he did and probably even more due to the fact he is Scouse. But his past nor where he was born will help us tomorrow.
When Agger and Skrtel are fit, they should partner one another, Coates should be next in line. He is our future and sadly Carragher is our past and should have been a while ago. There is a danger, the longer we play him of damaging how he will be viewed by supporters.
None of the clubs ahead of us, or around us would continue to accommodate Carragher if he was in their squad. Not just play him. But accommodate him. Adapting our style of play to suit a 33 year old defender is not a sensible approach. Adapting our style of play for a 33 year old who is making mistakes on a weekly basis, even after we have dropped deeper to combat his lack of pace, is farcical.
There are certain defenders who can play forever because they read the game so well, Maldini, Hyypia, being tWo modern day examples. Their game was about reading, anticipation, movement, foreseeing a problem and countering it before the forward players had the chance to try it. Carragher has always been a more hustle and bustle type of player and it has served us brilliantly. A last second tackle, a good challenge, hunting a forward down, organising a defence that is what Carragher is about, however as his legs are going so too are his capabilities to do much of that and it is becoming a bit desperate.
We have to be ruthless, it has served us well before and it is the way forward. As Aristotle brilliantly wrote we used to ship out players at the height of their powers before they could go on the wane and replace them with the future. So why anyone who wants us back to the heights of Kenny’s playing days would see us persist with a player whose best days left him the best part of 3 seasons ago is beyond me.
It really is the time to integrate Coates into the XI, or run with Skrtel and Agger, and I feel it should start with Norwich.
