Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger are doing a great job in defence for Liverpool at the moment, but former Anfield defender Mark Wright insists that the club is not currently playing its best defensive pairing.
Speaking on the Official LFC Site, Wright was put on the spot and asked to name Liverpool's best current defensive partnership. He argued:
"Carra is not past it, and I think he's a massive talker and a big influence in a side, so I've got to be honest: I'd go for him and Skrtel.
"Skrtel is ruthless; he wants to get involved, make tackles and be physical, and get involved with that side of it, whereas Agger is more of a 'player'.
If you've got three centre halves, I think you've got the ideal three, but overall, Carra would be number one on my list, and it would be Skrtel with him".
I can see Wright's point but I am a big fan of the merit system, and if Agger and Skrtel is working - which it is - then they should stay in the team.
Wright also stressed that, if needed, Carra could do a good job in the defensive-midfielder role for Liverpool:
"When Carra was coming through he was a central midfield player, and he could play that role now, no problem".
Carra as DM? With his penchant for hoofing the ball, I don't think that's such a great idea.
Jaimie Kanwar
Speaking on the Official LFC Site, Wright was put on the spot and asked to name Liverpool's best current defensive partnership. He argued:
"Carra is not past it, and I think he's a massive talker and a big influence in a side, so I've got to be honest: I'd go for him and Skrtel.
"Skrtel is ruthless; he wants to get involved, make tackles and be physical, and get involved with that side of it, whereas Agger is more of a 'player'.
If you've got three centre halves, I think you've got the ideal three, but overall, Carra would be number one on my list, and it would be Skrtel with him".
I can see Wright's point but I am a big fan of the merit system, and if Agger and Skrtel is working - which it is - then they should stay in the team.
Wright also stressed that, if needed, Carra could do a good job in the defensive-midfielder role for Liverpool:
"When Carra was coming through he was a central midfield player, and he could play that role now, no problem".
Carra as DM? With his penchant for hoofing the ball, I don't think that's such a great idea.
Jaimie Kanwar
Mark Wright hasn't a scooby do Kamie. Anytime he's on lfctv i turn it off. his commentary is shocking and harsh even when 17 year olds are playing for the ressies. Carragher? Skrtel and Agger are playing splendidly. Hasn't a clue this fella
ReplyDeleteis he being serious? agger deserves his place,him and skrtel have been great recently.
ReplyDeletewe have shelvey,henderson and spearing(after his ban)and he is talking about playing carra in midfield.
not exactly forward thinking is it?
no wonder his career as a manager has gone nowhere since 2008
Carra a DM? Sure if we are winning 3-0.
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable. Whilst reading his comments flashes of Carragher being pressed by forwards and then opting to launch it somewhere in the direction of the other half spring to mind, alongside Agger carrying the ball out from defence and linking midfield and attack.
ReplyDeleteSentiment for service to the club will only hold us back. Carragher is a good back up to that pairing and whilst Coates develops.
There have only been three (recent-ish) former Liverpool players who have done anything of note as a coach or manager. Dalgish, Toshack and to a lesser extent Keegan. Opinions like this kinds show why ex Liverpool players ALWAYS end up on the managerial scrap heap.
ReplyDeleteWho'd have thought it Grobbs tried and was mediocre,
Staunton flopped,
Lawro flopped,
Nicol 'managed' in America,
Whelan flopped,
Molby flopped,
Mcmahon Flopped,
Barnesy Flopped,
Houhgton Flopped,
Ince flopping
Rushy flopped and Beardsley is yet to make the break through.
Its incredible our former players under Souey and Evans have gone on to achieve next to nothing. Maybe this lack of mental strength and reading of the game was a reason why its been 20 since our last title.
Liverpool has never had a rock solid defense with Carragher in it but after a long long time Liverpool have the best defensive record this season in the premier league which proves something that Agger-Skrtel are the best centre back pairing Liverpool have. Wright can say anything he wants but the fact is Agger-Skrtel is the number one pairing. I agree Carragher provides leadership skills too but skill wise he falls short of both Skrtel and Agger. And also both Agger and Skrtel provide goal threat too whereas only goals Carragher likes to score are own goals. I don't want to be too critical of Carragher because he is still a very good defender but IMO he is not better than Agger or Skrtel.
ReplyDeletenicely put
ReplyDeleteHow is Mark Wright a liverpool star?
ReplyDeleteLiverpool have never had a rock solid defence with Carragher in it? You on drugs? Course we have, him and Hyppia where quality together. Your basically saying that our defence which enabled Reina to break Clemences clean sheet record was not 'rock solid'. If 11 games without conceding a goal isn't rock solid then what is? I do agree that Agger and Skrtel is the best defensive partnership though, an that Mark Wright is talking rubbish. Carra isn't mobile enough to be a DM, look at how much ground Lucas covers, but he still has a part to play.
ReplyDeleteHow is Mark Wright a LFC star?
ReplyDeleteI personly think Carra is a lfc legand BUT!! his time has been and gone as a first team player goes.Carra has lost his pace and when this happens too a CB they start dragging strikers down and making rash tackles out of desperation.Carra can still be good as a bench player though and i hope he will take a coaching role at the club in a couple of years.
ReplyDeleteAs for our best cb partnership id have to say D.Agger and either S.Coates or M.Kelly would be my pick Skrtel makes too many rash chalanges and is not a very clever player.
Id like to see us bring in G.Cahill to partner D.Agger and have Carra ,S.Coates and M.Kelly as cover.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjZ2sxzf6yg&feature=player_embedded Skrtel vs QPR. Rash challenges? Sensational aerially which is his big improvement.
ReplyDeleteSkrtel is so underated on the ball. He rarely hoofs it and often tries to bring the ball out from the back and join in with the play. He did have a poor time of it when his confidence dipped but for me It is hard to find any defensive pairing in the prem who are head and shoulders above our current 1st choicers either individually or collectively. Don't be fooled Skrtel AND Agger are both ball players. It's just that we have hung tightly to the impact Agger made when he 1st joined when he was smacking in 20 yarders. Don't get me wrong Agger is a great defender (and Rafa should be congratulated for picking up a world class center half for £5.2m) but its silly to think that skrtel can't hold his own with the ball at his feet because he can. For me if they are allowed to develop a partnership they'll be almost unstoppable.
ReplyDeleteMark Wrong.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree. As a supporter, you want to be enlightened or told something you don't know by professionals who have played the game and have an inside knowledge of the club.
ReplyDeleteWright was a poor player who actually knows less than most of the fans about the club. He's so 'England' it's unfuckingbelievable. I HATE watching the clown at the best of times, not least in the midst of a recession when there are probably thousands of unemployed deaf, dumb and/or blind football supporters out there who could do a vastly superior job.
Mark Wright was a great defender at his time if it wasn't due to injuries but the game is constantly changing. The new trend is having ball playing defenders and teams defend as a unit, pressuring opponents into submission or losing possession. These new type of defenders are then able to get out of sticky situation to make the transition from defend to attack.
ReplyDeleteWWhere do these idiots come out with this craaap ..when hypia went carry on forever should have gone too...he wasn't good enough then and he certainly ain't good enough now..
ReplyDeleteas for skrtl..if he makes rash challenges and is not clever...then what would you class carra who hooofs the ball..more own goals than Carrolls career goals..slow as a turtle and therefore always pulling shirts..hand balls and giving away penaltys..
Just a quick line regarding Carragher in the holding midfield position. I imagine a lot of people can't remember but Carragher was nominated man of the match in 2 games when playing there for England. Obviously that was at least 4/5 years ago so it would be alien to him filling the role after so long, but thought i would refresh a few memories. Wright could be on to something.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair four or five year ago I think he was a lot fitter and in footballing terms a lot younger. He started out as a striker an gradually moved back but I couldn't see him doing a job like Lucas or Spearing to be honest.
ReplyDeleteEvans was actually pretty good. Got us into the top 4 twice! Souey never did, but you can't really condemn him either - he's of the same calibre as Hodgson and has the numbers to back thaat up. They were both god awful for us, but they can keep a small club afloat. That said, I think Carra would be a great manager, along the lines of Fergie. I'm sure a football geek like him would have learnt heaps of Kenny, Rafa and Capello, but you can just imagine him giving the team a royal hair dryer treatment!
ReplyDeleteCarra, like Rio Ferdinand, and to an extent, even John Terry are increasingly becoming liabilities. They were indeed once great and aren't too shabby still, but age has certainly caught up with them and Rio and Carra in particular are no longer as fast as they used to be, not that Carra was fast to begin with. Terry has lost his sense of balance. They may know how to marshall a back line and read a game, but young, speedy and strong strikers will have a field day with them!
ReplyDeleteWe got Agger, having missed out on Vidic, and I for one rate Agger more, for his ability on the ball while being a left footer. He would be near impossible to replace. This is not to say we can't find competent cover, but his dominant foot balances our back 4. In terms of Vidic's qualities, Skrtel is easily his match and cheats less. I suppose why Agger and Skrtel would be our first choice right now is not only because they are both supposedly in their prime, but beyond their dominant feet, they offer a nice balance in approaches. Skrtel serves pretty much the same purpose as Carra, even if he is more skilled on the ball. He is our hard man at the back, with Agger the one carrying the ball out predominantly - but both can do either.
In terms of the misconception that Carra will always hoof the ball, we have to understand that he knows his limitations and doesn't wish to be caught too high up the pitch! If you know you're slow and you have to get the ball as far from you as possible, you'd have to hoof it. He doesn't hoof half as much when he's a fullback. I think he'd be a great holding mid if we're playing deep and he's got support in the midfield, meaning never in a 4-4-2. Still on hoofing, no one hoofed the ball out of our 18 yard box more than Lucas, and he certainly doesn't do it further up the pitch.
Liverpool need a massive centre back... not a massive talker who specialty is to hoof the ball to no-man's land.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I wouldn't let Carragher near the first team again.
ReplyDeleteOh, and another couple of ex-LFC players who didn't do too badly as managers - Sir Matt Busby and Bob Paisley.
Carra used to be a defensive midfielder and he could come in the team in that position in place of Lucas which we dont missed much of him. Without Gerrard, Carra needs to come in as captain. No point having Reina as captain cos he cant shout from the goal area to the upfomt players. That is the dsadvantage having a keeper as capain.
ReplyDeleteBusby was a disaster! He made the wrong team great...
ReplyDeleteThe armband is a piece of Material that spans the diameter of the bicep muscle. It is not a mystical piece of elastic that automatically covers all but one mouth. Adam was captain at Blackpool and judging by his manner and frequency of press conferences is also our leader on the pitch. If this was cricket I'd say you had a point but it isn't. Reina is captain because of his influence and seniority in the dressing room but Adam quite clearly is the man who brings maturity and stays vocal on the pitch. Carras glittering playing days are hopefully drawing to a close, let him go gracefully.
ReplyDeletein my opinion i play agger instead of lucas and carragher with skirtel. agger has the feel of the ball, he can dribble, pass, etc. he could be a super holding midfielder. kenny pls think of this, cause it would solve the problem left by lucas. YNWA.
ReplyDeleteThat guy jaime doesn't know anything and chat so much crap. Liverpool's best defender is agger and if agger wasn't playing then liverpool would be conceding bare goals. Kenny Dalglish like defenders like agger so there is no way of drooping him unless his injured or suspended.
ReplyDelete