Carragher joins Sky

[Rosco]

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher will join the Sky Sports punditry team for the 2013/14 season.
The 35-year-old, who will retire from playing at the end of the current campaign, will work alongside the likes of Gary Neville, Graeme Souness, Jamie Redknapp and Alan Smith next term when Sky Sports brings you over 500 matches from the domestic, European and International games.
Carragher has spent his entire career at Liverpool, racking up over 730 appearances and winning the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup, two UEFA Super Cups, two FA Cups and three League Cups.

Players should share the blame​

And the Bootle-born star who, after Ryan Giggs is just the second player to play over 500 Premier League games for one club, says he can't wait to begin his new role.
"I watch Sky Sports all the time and I'm a huge fan. I can't wait to be part of their coverage and work with the best in the business," said Carragher, who will make his bow in August.
"What Sky has done for football for over 20 years is incredible and I'm thrilled to be part of their exciting plans for next season.
"I don't think there could be a better move for me: to retire from one of the world's best football clubs at the end of the season and then join one of the world's best broadcasters.

"I don't think there could be a better move for me to retire from one of the world's best football clubs and then join one of the world's best broadcasters."
Jamie Carragher​

"Until that time comes, I'll remain fully focussed on my remaining playing career with Liverpool and I'm looking forward to ending the season with good results."
Barney Francis, Managing Director of Sky Sports, added: "Jamie has everything you want in an expert analyst; opinions, experience and incredible knowledge.
"He's hugely respected throughout the game and I know his immense insight on today's players, teams and tactics will make our football coverage even better.
"He joins us fresh from the changing room of one of the world's biggest clubs and will be part of our incredible line-up of football experts, who between them boast 25 League titles, 10 European trophies and over 700 international caps."

Redknapp hails Carragher's career​

Sky Sports' schedule for the 2013/14 season includes 116 fixtures from the Barclays Premier League - three quarters of all live matches and more than ever before.

 

[#roadred]

Good one Jamie, nice work if you can get it. Pity that he's going to miss out on a League medal next year.

 

[Modo]

I wonder what three of them have in common?

 

[Rosco]

They should all have an issue over taking money from Rupert Murdoch ?

 

[Modo]

They should all have an issue over taking money from Rupert Murdoch ?

well there's that, and they're wearing the same tie.

 

[Rosco]

as long as they're not all wearing Jamie Redknapp style trousers we'll be okay

 

[dee]

What a waste. I'm massively disappointed.

 

[gkmacca]

I would have thought he'd have more class than that. Horrible bunch of turds.

 

[FoxForceFive]

I wish him all the best, & hope against hope that he returns in some capacity soon. I doubt he will though.

Wonder how much his accent will begin to tone down. I highly doubt that he won't have to have do some speech/enunciation lessons as part of his contract.

 

[gkmacca]

In that picture he looks more out of condition than the others. He's supposed to be the super-fit one!

 

[Red Astaire]

I'm pleased for him. Looking forward to him talking sense on the TV next season. I honestly thought he would want to be a coach though. I'm sure he would have been offered something with us. Oh well.

 

[peterhague]

I wish him all the best, & hope against hope that he returns in some capacity soon. I doubt he will though.

Wonder how much his accent will begin to tone down. I highly doubt that he won't have to have do some speech/enunciation lessons as part of his contract.

He'll be all Phil Redmond posh scouse in no time.

 

[Richey]

Good luck to him. I think he'll make a great pundit, particularly alongside Neville, who is the best they have at the moment.

With a bit of luck this will mean that Redknapp's contributions are limited.

 

[gkmacca]

At the BBC he would have got proper training, at Sky they just give them all a stupid tie and jacket, get them using a touch screen and off they go. Neville will get the main analysis role so Jamie will be blabbing along like Redknapp. Hopefully he'll come to see what a sell-out his job is and go back to coaching.

 

[Rosco]

I'm pleased for him. Looking forward to him talking sense on the TV next season. I honestly thought he would want to be a coach though. I'm sure he would have been offered something with us. Oh well.

If he wants to be a manager long term, he's best to give himself some time to study others methods before starting out.

 

[Red Astaire]

At the BBC he would have got proper training, at Sky they just give them all a stupid tie and jacket, get them using a touch screen and off they go. Neville will get the main analysis role so Jamie will be blabbing along like Redknapp. Hopefully he'll come to see what a sell-out his job is and go back to coaching.

Don't really see what he has done to warrant being called a 'sell out' Macca. As far as I'm concerned he can do what the fuck he likes - He's certainly earned it. Plenty of time to go into coaching later on as well.

 

[peterhague]

Don't really see what he has done to warrant being called a 'sell out' Macca. As far as I'm concerned he can do what the fuck he likes - He's certainly earned it. Plenty of time to go into coaching later on as well.

I saw a documentary about Murdoch the other night. Apparently he bet the whole house on Sky working - this was back in 1988 I think, and it struggled badly for the first few years. Maybe that's why he was too preoccupied to apologise for his newspaper making life even more hellish for the Hillsborough families.

 

[FoxForceFive]

I saw a documentary about Murdoch the other night. Apparently he bet the whole house on Sky working - this was back in 1988 I think, and it struggled badly for the first few years. Maybe that's why he was too preoccupied to apologise for his newspaper making life even more hellish for the Hillsborough families.

If there's any subject you shouldn't troll on peter, I'd suggest this is it.

 

[gkmacca]

Don't really see what he has done to warrant being called a 'sell out' Macca. As far as I'm concerned he can do what the fuck he likes - He's certainly earned it. Plenty of time to go into coaching later on as well.

I just think Sky's a sell out. He'll be rebuked if he suggests that not every game is exciting, he'll be dragged down deep into their greed is good mentality, he'll be encouraged to join in the Sky plug-fest, and he could well find himself in programmes sponsored by The S*n.

 

[peterhague]

If there's any subject you shouldn't troll on peter, I'd suggest this is it.

How is it trolling?

I'm with Ross on this. You people see a truthful argument you don't want to hear and call it trolling.

Well, tough.

 

[Red Astaire]

Well I admit the whole Murdoch and Sky thing regarding Hillsborough is a thorny issue. Personally I don't buy or read The S*n. Detest and will turn the TV off if Kelvin the cunt comes on. Is it really hypercritical for me to watch the footy on TV? It's a personal choice I guess and I understand if people don't. I do and I'm ok with that decision.

 

[gkmacca]

Watching it is fine.Thanks to their near-monopoly that's almost unavoidable these days. But becoming a cheerleader for them is another matter IMHO. I find it increasingly creepy, all the 'hail the brand' stuff that is pushed these days. Souey looks like he loves it. I bet he wears that crested Sky jacket when he's at home!

 

[Athens]

I refuse to believe that sky was taking so much of his time that he couldn't organise someone to write an apology on his behalf.

 

[gkmacca]

I'm sceptical about how likely it is for an ex-player to move into punditry and then go back to coach. The shrewdest thing Andy Gray did was turn down Everton's offer to manage them - his reputation, such as it was, would have disintegrated pretty quickly, and I think, deep down, he knew it. Look at Redknapp - he's as bad as an armchair fan these days, seduced by super slo-mo and multiple angles for every incident. I suspect he'd be baffled stuck in the dug out after all this time. Modern TV coverage makes you a better-informed fan but probably a less realistic coach. It didn't take Gray long, studying freeze frames of crosses coming into the area, to think every chance was 'simple' and every off-target header 'very poor'. The whole technology takes you further away from the reality of actually playing the game. What it's training ex-pros to be, if anything, is video analysts, stuck in an office out the back preparing DVDs for the manager. It's a shame Jamie isn't just taking a break, then visiting a few clubs to study their coaching set-ups before starting as a coach himself. TV work is no preparation for life back in the heat of the action.

 

[juniormember]

Well, we're the ones who will be paying his wages.
A bit of a hypocrisy in my view to be a subscriber to Sky and then to criticize an explayer getting employed by them.

 

[Silver Sean]

I would have thought he'd have more class than that. Horrible bunch of turds.

Agree with you. He'll become just another blather merchant. And how is he going to be unbiased towards us. i guess we'll see. Except I always mute the fuckers or pause and then fast forward to the game. Oh yeah, I forgot, I don't have sky Sports. Oh well, farewell to another hero. Massive waste of talent and knowledge.

 

[Athens]

Luckily I don't subscribe to sky.

*Starts thinking of abuse to throw around*

 

[Rosco]

I'm sceptical about how likely it is for an ex-player to move into punditry and then go back to coach. The shrewdest thing Andy Gray did was turn down Everton's offer to manage them - his reputation, such as it was, would have disintegrated pretty quickly, and I think, deep down, he knew it. Look at Redknapp - he's as bad as an armchair fan these days, seduced by super slo-mo and multiple angles for every incident. I suspect he'd be baffled stuck in the dug out after all this time. Modern TV coverage makes you a better-informed fan but probably a less realistic coach. It didn't take Gray long, studying freeze frames of crosses coming into the area, to think every chance was 'simple' and every off-target header 'very poor'. The whole technology takes you further away from the reality of actually playing the game. What it's training ex-pros to be, if anything, is video analysts, stuck in an office out the back preparing DVDs for the manager. It's a shame Jamie isn't just taking a break, then visiting a few clubs to study their coaching set-ups before starting as a coach himself. TV work is no preparation for life back in the heat of the action.

Do you really think Sky makes fans better informed?

 

[gkmacca]

Maybe that's the wrong word. In fact it is! It makes them 'think' they're better informed. With all the camera angles, super slo-mo etc they can study exactly where the ball was struck, how a tackle was made, etc etc, and that makes them think they know what happened and why, but it progressively undermines their understanding of, for example, the sheer speed of the game. Most of their views these days about fouls, 'dives,' misses, etc, are based on their bewitchment by endless slow-motion replays. It misses the key factor of speed of action and thought. Craig Burley is the worst culprit of all among the pundits - he's constantly changing his mind about intention after gazing for ages at replays. It's actually backing away from reality.

 

[Rosco]

I find they ignore what happens during a game and look for an easy talking point and it's usually a reffing incident, dive or whatever.

It doesn't make anyone wiser