Thanks to a last-gasp header from Andy Carroll, Liverpool snatched a victory over relegation-threatened Blackburn on Tuesday night, securing three premier league points for only the third time this year. Once again, Daniel Agger had a galvanizing impact on the team, and after the game, Liverpool legend Alan Kennedy was full of praise for the Dane.
Summarising the victory on LFC TV, Kennedy - who won four league titles and two European Cups with Liverpool - enthused:
"For me, Daniel Agger played absolutely magnificent. He came on as a second half substitute, found himself in a forward position, headed the ball, and Andy Carroll finished it off. He was absolutely brilliant. It was a good performance by the whole team".
I totally agree with that; Liverpool always miss Agger's drive, leadership and ability on the ball when he's injured, and it was his flick-on that led to the winning goal.
It's great to have a proper ball-playing centre-back on the pitch, and it makes a huge difference to how the team plays.
Changes are needed at every level of the club, and if it was down to me, I would transfer the captaincy to Agger for the start of next season. I've never been convinced that Gerrard is the greatest captain, and since he returned from injury, Liverpool have failed to win 10 out of 11 Premier League games, notching up 5 defeats, 5 draws and only 1 victory.
I'm not suggesting Liverpool's poor form is Gerrard's fault; clearly, there are many other players in the squad who are more culpable than him (!). However, the club captain hasn't been able to inspire the club in the league, and it's no coincidence that the team showed real fight and determination last night *without* him in side.
Jaimie Kanwar
Summarising the victory on LFC TV, Kennedy - who won four league titles and two European Cups with Liverpool - enthused:
"For me, Daniel Agger played absolutely magnificent. He came on as a second half substitute, found himself in a forward position, headed the ball, and Andy Carroll finished it off. He was absolutely brilliant. It was a good performance by the whole team".
I totally agree with that; Liverpool always miss Agger's drive, leadership and ability on the ball when he's injured, and it was his flick-on that led to the winning goal.
It's great to have a proper ball-playing centre-back on the pitch, and it makes a huge difference to how the team plays.
Changes are needed at every level of the club, and if it was down to me, I would transfer the captaincy to Agger for the start of next season. I've never been convinced that Gerrard is the greatest captain, and since he returned from injury, Liverpool have failed to win 10 out of 11 Premier League games, notching up 5 defeats, 5 draws and only 1 victory.
I'm not suggesting Liverpool's poor form is Gerrard's fault; clearly, there are many other players in the squad who are more culpable than him (!). However, the club captain hasn't been able to inspire the club in the league, and it's no coincidence that the team showed real fight and determination last night *without* him in side.
Jaimie Kanwar
Am I the only one that thinks that the team will benefit hugely if Gerrard and Carragher were to leave?
ReplyDeleteIf fit I think he'll b perfect captain(Agger). Results got nothing to do with Gerrard IMO and everything with KD. When drawing at home to A Villa and beating relegation team Blackburn is hailed as an achievement says it all. GOD help us.
ReplyDeleteFor me we look a better team without Carragher, Coates I believe has done enough to push himself in front of Carragher in the pecking order. Leaving Gerrard out would be a mistake. He's not the player he was but is still one of our better players. In the summer we need players who can be on the same wavelength as Gerrard and Suarez, then hopefully Gerrards form will improve.
ReplyDeleteToo injury prone
ReplyDeletewasnt skrtel captain yesterday
ReplyDeletereplace captain fantastic?? :(
ReplyDeleteagger is more injury prone then gerrard
ReplyDeleteThe difference between Carragher now and Hyypia at this stage of his career is staggering. Sami always seemed more calmer and assured. Carra looks laboured and the snarling at other players is annoying.
ReplyDeleteAs for Gerrard, he has looked uninterested in some of the game he has played recently e.g. Newcastle. I just think his powers, sadly, are on the wane.
I think what my original post was getting at more was psychologically, would the players be more at ease without them in the dressing room/ I have, for a long time, got the impression that the other players, the inferior ones at least, are scared of them
He's a good stand-in but suffers from too many injuries to be captain. Gerrard still has a couple of seasons left in him yet.
ReplyDeletehyypia had a smarter footballing brain,carra makes too many rash challenges,his legs are gone.hyypia actually got better with age in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteyou could argue that with gerrard being such a big player for us that it affects the other players-henderson always looks to play the ball to gerrard rather than make something happen.i remember sissoko used to do the exact same thing week in week out.
ReplyDeleteif reina bucks his ideas up and commits to liverpool propperly, than he would be my choice
ReplyDeleteAre they on the wane or his Gerrard still finding his fitness after being out for so long good that he was rested yesterday.
ReplyDeleteCan't see either of them leaving the club! Carragher is doing his coaching badges, his views on having to many foreigners at the club is the most worrying problem about Carragher.
Agger is injured too often and spends more time in treatment table than on the field, but if he can stay injury free then i won't mind him being Liverpool captain. But personally, I would like to see Lucas as the next Liverpool captain.
ReplyDeleteI agree 100%. By giving the armband to Agger or Skertel it may also make others step up as leaders and take the burden of expectation off Gerard. Remember we did this before when the captaincy was taken from Phil Thompson (a hometown boy) and given to Souness and lead to and uplift in form leading to the league title.
ReplyDeleteYes, definitely Lucas for me too! Gutted he's injured!
ReplyDeleteskrtel for captain for me after gerrard, skrtel has been player of the season for us imo
ReplyDeleteIf you were there when Gerrard made his first debut at LFC like that,and how he played with Alonso under Rafa.You would not be lost like that.You are the same people who are going to come up with develish talk seeing him as inhuman for dumping Liverpool.
ReplyDeletecoates is still too raw for a starting place. give gerrard some space,he has carried the team for many seasons now, so if he is a bit off or tired or a bit fed up, is it surprising?? the legend can only do or take so much .
ReplyDeletemaybe suarez??
ReplyDeletefuck off gerrard is mr liverpool
ReplyDeleteYou know my soft spot for Agger, he is a very strong character and a player of a great quality. You just see when he comes on as a sub, he immediately brings in calmness, determination, threat in attack.. He was the one to change the game v Villa, when he came on as a sub, and basically made sure we get at least a point.
ReplyDeleteI am sure though, he can be a great leader without the captain armband which belongs to Gerrard. It would be a huge blow for him if his armband goes to someone else suddenly...
That being said, someone (who could that be?) has to have a word with Gerrard, and tell him not to get into the Henderson/Shelvey territory too much, because he distrupts their game. He presses too much on them with his authority and they just lose their purpose. It's not their fault, and neither it's Gerrard's fault, who just wants to be everywhere on the pitch and influence the game, do everything on his own. But something needs to be done about it.
Skrtel was a great captain last night, btw.
I voted NO in the poll, but the case for a YES is a good one, it certainly does "appear" like Gerrards inclusion in the side is failing to inspire the team, personally i feel that he and Carra have been none too popular in the squad since Rafa's departure....
ReplyDeleteHe has my sympathies in this respect, so does Carra, i can't knock his ability to Captain the side, although i can't hand on heart say that the team will rally behind him atm either....., its a tricky one because as good a captain Agger might make he is quite injury prone... and doesn't always have such a great impact...lets also not forget at what level we are these days....and what competitions etc we are in....and how are expectations have been lowered....
Gerrard has proven experience of Captaining the side at the highest level, we have seem him inspire victories in major Cups.....before we move him aside we would be wise to consider all this, i don't buy the idea that he's lost his "power"...or anything like that, he hasn't, i think we all know who is responsible for our rather lacklustre season.....Gerrard was not playing earlier on when we had some very lame performances and results, dropping points against lesser sides etc....so i don't think its as easy to make an assesment as we think, there are grey area's, the squad has divisions IMO and Gerrard is caught up in those divisions....
Basically anyone who takes that Captians badge of Gerrard will have to be super consistent and maintain a high level of not just personal form but the ability to keep inspring other players some who are not good enough perhaps to be at the Club....
I'd hate to see Gerrard have to now hand over the Captains armband tbh, it just wouldn't seem right, i still believe he is the best man for the job but as i said already i think certain team mates perhaps don't......
One things for sure, he must be very very dissapointed in how things have panned out at the Club, esp this season, he's not getting any younger and the opportunity to help us win the title is becoming more and more remote.....
I feel for him, i really do, maybe releasing the burden of captaincy might actually come as a relief for him, but i doubt it, Gerrard is very proud and very passionate about LFC, it would probably be the last of many insults he's had to endure over the years at the Club, might sound harsh to some, but i feel we have wasted a golden opportunity to build a team around this guy and in so doing reap the benefits, one of which surely would have been the League Title.....
I say keep him as captain, bring in Mourinho in the summer, spend big, sell whoever needs to be sold, and give Stevie every assistance in bringing that Title home....where it belongs...
I'll probably be hunted down and killed for this
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's time for Gerrard to take a backseat and play a more peripheral role, maybe out wide on the right, or up front off front man
Here's some stats a mate passed to me earlier.... not sure if 100% accurate
League win ratio when Gerrard hasn't started - 48%
League win ratio when Gerrard has started - 9%
For some reason his team mates don't click when he is playing, is it living, playing legend syndrome?
Agger, Skrtel, Lucas, Gerrard.. Liverpool aren't short of great captains.
ReplyDeleteYeah, changes needed at every level, let's sack Dalglish and bring back Rafa, sell off half the squad and spend another 100+mi,get rid of Gerrard and give the captains armband to Spearing!!!!! What on earth are you talking about???, is there anything you actually like at all about LFC ?
ReplyDeleteSkrtel or lucas in the future for me agger gets injured too much but skrtel and lucas have proven this season and last they can lead in gerrards absence
ReplyDeleteAnd benitez didnt play hyypia and let him leave for nothing and bought a big greek dope
ReplyDeleteThe club logo is pretty snazzy.
ReplyDeleteDoes Gerrard just look uninterested because the performances of the players around him have been so terrible?
ReplyDeleteHaha
ReplyDeleteNot a "Pro Rafa" comment at all but on Kyrgiakos proves the ultimate hypocrisy of the media. When we bought him and throughout his LFC career, the media derided him and all the "experts" called him useless. As soon as Saint Martin O'Neill, he with a British passport, buys him, the media claim it's a masterstroke and inspired business on sunderland's part?!
ReplyDeleteBeside Gerrard or Carragher ....my choice will be 1) Reina 2) Lucas 3) Kuyt(If He play all match) 4) Charlie Adam
ReplyDeleteGerard has never been The greatest captain? R freakin kiddin me? How many times has he carried the team on his shoulder n won it for us. If u say he's not the old him then it maybe acceptable. But never been? Seriously? They don call him captain fantastic for notin Jamie. Even at tis age he gives his all for the team. I would be gutterred if Gerrard was stripped of his captaincy. Pls have a good look at yourself Jamie. I used to be your fan. Read every post. But tis is simply unacceptable
ReplyDeleteLucas? Oh my god...No!
ReplyDeleteHe captained Ajax in a title winning side!
ReplyDeletePeople having different opinions to you is 'unacceptable'? I imagine it must be hard to function in life with a view like that, no?
ReplyDeleteSent from Samsung Galaxy Note
-------- Original message --------
Subject: [liverpoolkop] Re: Kennedy: LFC star was "magnificent". Replace Gerrard as captain...? | Liverpool-Kop.com
you are entitled to your opinion yes. no doubt in that. but when i read bout someone I idolised growing up negatively, I cant keep quiet. IMO, LFC has great players who can take on the responsibility. but when it comes to motivation, Gerrard's presence on the pitch gives them that little extra.
ReplyDeletewhen you see a player giving his all, you will ultimately give your all yourself. wouldn't you?
I have long stated that Carragher is a destabilising factor in the dressing room and on the pitch.
ReplyDeleteThe sooner he's moved on and proves his credentials at another lower league club, rather than riding on LFC the better.
Said it before anyone who puts Barney Rubble in there all time greatest eleven shouldn't be taken that seriously , just saying things for effect sucks , a bit like a woolly headed T V person ( not a comedian or personality )
ReplyDeleteWhat so he can Captain 20 games a year?
ReplyDeleteWould be thinking more along the lines of bringing in a CB of similar quailty that will spend less time on the treatmnet table!
Jaime, I think you need to consider in man-management perspective also. You cannot demote Gerrade while he is still at the club. I completely agree with you on Agger influence to the them, I have to say no on this replacement.
ReplyDeleteJust seen on LTV site Comolli and Liverpool FC have parted ways...I never saw that coming.
ReplyDeleteLucas was used to be the Brazil under 21 captain!!!
ReplyDeleteAfter Comoli next to go is Dullglish!!! Bring back Rafa....miss the team of 2008/2009!!!
ReplyDeletelike Aquilani. The thing with Gerrard is he latches on good players, and plays well for them. In his Torres days, he was always looking for a pass to him. He does it with Suarez. Him and Aquilani had a good connection in the few games they played together. Gerrard just needs better players around him. He can't play a one-two with Adam!!
ReplyDeletetalking of replacing gerrard next season 2 days before we go into a semi final against everton, with the knowledge the last time we played them it was gerrard who scored a hatrick. whilst gerrard is at liverpool he shold remain as captain. gerrard and maybe surez are the only people who truly have the capability to change a game and produce something special. agger is a great leader and he will replace carragher in controlling the defence. but your captain needs to be an icon figure and that for moe is still gerrard!
ReplyDeleteHyypia was getting too slow....and Rafa signed the Greek for merely 1 mil!!!
ReplyDeletevery true.
ReplyDeleteBoth Agger and Skrtel were bought by Rafa...the Greek was just a back-up player!!
ReplyDeletehe misses Torres, Alonso, Mascherano, Aquilani. Hes even missing Babbel.
ReplyDeleteI don't think agger suit to be captain as he's injury prone. However, contribute two goal in consecutive game shouldn't make him a good captain. If that's the case we should have Maxi as a captain as well. I still didn't see anyone can replace Gerrard sooner. Lucas might be the best candidate if he became better next season. But till now, it's should be Gerrard.
ReplyDeleteObviously Gerrard is the captain until he either retires or cannot stay fit anymore. As much as i'd love to see Agger as the next captain (I think everyone agrees he's pretty damn awesome) I still think Pepe Reina is going to get the armband. And he'd be a good captain as well.
ReplyDeleteagree!
ReplyDeleteMourinho would be a dream, but a nice one. But no more Benitez please.. Fergie would wreck his mind again.
ReplyDeleteI Want to know who made all you experts on who should and shouldnt, come and go, sell and not sell, who plays and who doesnt.... bla bla.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I do know is .. none of you havent a friggin clue what happens at the club including me which is why I dont get involved with all the sh1te you all put on here day after day, I'm in close contact with the club on a regular basis as my work has a contract on providing generators for the lighting and I hear loads of stuff coming out but I dont air it as I'd be slated if it didnt come off...I SUPPORT Liverpool financially by going to games and buying merchandise, i support the club through wind and rain and whatever else it may throw at me, even if they turn out in 6 months time to be the worst buys ever... mistake, so what? get over it, we're here for a long time not a short time..
too many people expect instant results from buying a few new faces! get real!... look where we were 12 months ago! facing relegation and almost into administration, Personally I see GREAT PROGRESS in where we are now and can only see it going one way in the future due to spending money and some great talent coming through the ranks. we have a fantastic supporting family (although waining a bit at the moment partly due to press, partly due to not winning easy games...partly due to idiots posting negative comments constantly... partly due to losing our Spanish stars in the squad, but Hicks and Gillett ruined that for us and Xavi went to a better team..
I strongly believe in these forums doing more harm than good in the sense that negative views on your 'beloved' club tends to make others think in the same light, negativity spreads very quickly especially if you have a valid point.. take Carroll for example, 'donkey!' 'Carroline!' etc etc.. you really think that abuse helps? no.. neither do I.. he needs support and training and help that only a few people can give him, his famly, teammates, Kenny and ultimately us...
after looking through al the evidence of the buys last year it was Damian that pushed for these buys as 'british was best'.. although all negative energy is aimed towards the easiest person... KD.!
I'm bermused as to how our own so called fans are calling for Kennys head after all he's done, and not been given enough time in the job. success is not instant... unless you have billions to spend nowadays... It also makes me laugh at the amount people think they know of him.. I saw he was labelled racist today??!! lmao you fake supporting lot need to get a grip of your priorities and start with not slating your own club on an internet forum... thats whats called a plastic fan.. Jaimie I have in the past enjoyed reading all your threads but recently it's nothing but negativity and it's grating on me, I see how your so passionate about the club and want the best for it but often you get involved with matters that noone could ever know.. change of Captain next season! dont be rediculous .. How can we comment when we know nothing of what goes on at LFC behind closed doors, do you know if he has any say in who goes where, who plays next, who trains, who is ready/not ready? or whether Pepe or Agger could do it? no neither do I so I dont comment..
yes were not having a good time at the moment as were still going through a transitional phase. but what I do know is we have the right man and the right owners to do it who's not perfect, but knows where he wants the club to go.. and that compared to the 2 penis's last year I'll take anyday..
Who Knows, Damian Comoli might have been a Spurs snake in the grass for his duration here? on a mission to ruin our team..
Alan Kennedy, is i right Dick!
ReplyDeleteStevie G deserves to give it one more shot,its tme to pull the weeds,sell what you can,hire some tacticions,a PR person,and a coach who is tuned into the game the way it is played today,there is a nucleus of players who are bein wasted on this team,and in reserves lets build a team for the fans,not just the coach
ReplyDeleteWhat is it with O'Neill? I live in Derry and the guy is loved here for no reason whatsoever. The latest example is McClean I watched him playing for Derry City and he was special here. I wrote to Liverpool asking them to look at him as I believed then,and still do, that he had more potential than Downing. So how does O'Neill get vredit for him, he didn't sign him, he wasn't someone who's taken a dip in form
ReplyDeleteGood point read his views on Igor Biscan in his autobiography, for me he should have rembered how good Igor did i the run to Istanbul rather tha slate him but that's the bad.The good is he has been truly inspirational when we've needed him, the difficultity with Gerrard is when we lose people question whether he's bothered rather than the performances of some of the others, my ma always slags him when we lose but won't slate Carra.
ReplyDeleteFergie wreck his mind? Don't believe everythig you read in the press, Rafa hit out in the Jan agaist the total shit Fergie gets away with, now you might be different but most non united fans I know agreed with him. As for losing mind games yeah Rafa lost them didn't he 4-1 at old toilet wise up Uited won that league due to Macheda (who can't hit a barn door nowadays) scoring vital goals and the 2 games v Stoke, disallowed goal for no reason at Anfield and hittig the inside of the post and rollig out down there.
ReplyDeleteGerrard is one of the best Liverpool players.His body language with Suarez is incredible.Liverpool can be invincibles if Carroll improves quick. People blaming Gerrard,Suarez and Carroll are just hearing with ears not seeing with eyes. Carroll is working hard than any Liverpool player. You guys back Dalglish but not Carroll. Why? Is it because he is King Kenny. Its time we give Carroll some support he needs. Next season i promise you if Dalglish is out and Rafa comes in Agger and Skrtel will be the best defenders in the world, Gerrard,Suarez and Carroll will be the most feared players in the world and Suarez will win the Ballon'dor award.
ReplyDeleteYNWA.LFC.
O come on the lad has proved most wrong after the quite shocking treatment he recieved from our fans. Let me ask you this, do you think Lucas's injury has affected our push for a top 4 spot? If the answer is no then congrats you can join Aldo, Lawro ad Claridge (and Carra) in the I hate foriegners club. Lucas is a leader and we've missed hugely
ReplyDeletemy first step would be to leave Gerrad as captain for 1 more season. change the vice captain immediatly, so reina and carra can get a wake up call delivering high level football. to throw in the hat. lucas;skrtyl;agger. this would show that liverpool means business and you cant talk about leaving all the time and also commit players to our cause.
ReplyDeleteIn the future the captains armband should go to martin kelly. in a couple of years i have no doubt he will be a quality centre half and a very good captain!
ReplyDeleteTotally agree! Agger was great defending and imposed a threat including finding Carroll who headed that ball fantastically!
ReplyDeleteCarragher has to retire! Let him coach the U18's!
Coates needs to be given time ahead of him! He is young, tall and for his age calm in defense!
I'd also like to see Johnson thrown in as a winger just to see what he can do a little higher up the pitch!
Chi Bai le, me Ashfah and my Puki Mak thinks that the club need to appoint Skrtel as vice captain to unerstudy Gerrard. Gerrard can be phased out slowly. Time for Kunkit now, bye.
ReplyDeleteI think that Gerrard, absolutely love the bloke???? but he does not seem to be able to command a match or indeed inspire the team anymore. Seems to have 1 in 5/6 good games now and I think that is probably due to his injury and fitness. Another problem here is that when he is not on the pitch the players play for the team, when he is on they (the players) see such an icon they dont seem to be able to think for themselves and keep giving the ball to Gerrard, using him to make all the decisions. With that the team is suffering.
ReplyDeleteAnd me!!!!
ReplyDeleteI too used to support you Kanwar, now I realise you're just a wind-up merchant.
ReplyDeleteAlthough he is an excellent player, Agger can barely walk the length of the pitch without the need for hospital treatment. Not the type of stability you want from a captain.
ReplyDeleteDo you think J. Kanwar should stop writing non-sense? (was never convinced that Gerrard is a great captain)
ReplyDelete*Yes
*No
I'd definitely choose yes all the bl**dy time. Have you ever watched a football match with Gerrard in form? The man is the incarnation of skill and drive in the same body. He just does complicated things look simple!! And you come saying that he's not a great captain. Gerrard is a player who leads by example! Not by shouting non-sense to his team mates! At 32 he can easily walk in today's Barca team!
Gerrard's problem is not how to motivate the team..its how to keep motivating himself after year in year out carrying the false hopes of the club..enough to break any man..
ReplyDeleteLead by example captins never inspire their teammates to improved performance. For me that is what a captain is all about. He should never have been given the job of captain in the 1st place.
ReplyDeleteUnlike cricket captains football captains rarely influence a game so it matters little who goes for the toss up. Inspirational players of ability to turn a game will always do so arm band or not.
ReplyDeletekanwar yor full of crap.
ReplyDeleteare you furgie in disguise kanwar
ReplyDeletewell said Jamie
ReplyDeleteagreeded
ReplyDeleteGerrard is the one player who has a world-class ability to turn a game. I wouldn't blame him for getting dis-interested after 10 years of carrying the team single-handedly. To strip his captaincy would be an insult, he's given the club more than they've ever given him
ReplyDeleteThank god, someone dares to challenge Gerrard and carragher. For me Carragher is way past his best, and we look a weaker team with him in it. As for Gerrard, I almost feel embarrassed saying it given the years of fantastic service he has given, but he too seems to weaken the team. Aside from the Everton game, he just hasn't contributed an awful lot. He has looked better when coming off the bench than when starting.
ReplyDeletetotal and utter bull---t
ReplyDeletethe author is as usual a mong
ReplyDeleteits surprising that people are nominating lucas when not so long ago 90 percent of fans wanted rid of him
ReplyDeleteI will go for Agger,even if I will miss Gerrard as Captain.But it's time for a change because SG can't play 90 min every weeks anymore.
ReplyDeleteCrap. Just total, utter crap.
ReplyDeleteFully agree Jaimie, put in Aggger as captain and let Gerrard play his
ReplyDeletegame without the added pressure of captaining which seem to be getting to him. Only problem is that Agger is too injury prone
The problem with us(fans) is that we want immediate success esp in the league. However, I feel the main reason we have done poorly in the league was due to bad luck at anfield. We are the best team in England as evidenced by the 2 finals we have reached this season. Therefore NO CHANGES ARE NEEDED AT THE CLUB. WE ONLY NEED THE LUCK ON OUR SIDE
ReplyDeleteIndeed, Daniel Agger is definitely the future captain of LFC ahead of even Pepe. But allow Gerrard to run its course first IMO. Of Gerrard's impact I have no doubt, even though I agree he has slowed down somewhat since his return from such a long lay-off.
ReplyDelete