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Jamie Carragher: I’ll quit Anfield if I must

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iseered

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http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article7052630.ece

JAMIE CARRAGHER, the epitome of a one-club servant in football, has revealed he would not hesitate to walk away from his beloved Liverpool should his employers express any doubts about keeping him when contract negotiations begin this summer.

Leaving Anfield is almost the last thing Carragher wants to do but he would take the decision if he had to. While a number of senior players at Anfield have been offered new contracts, Carragher, who turned 32 five weeks ago, has been told to wait. He accepts the club’s position but is ready to leave as a last resort. “It’s up to the club, isn’t it? I play my football and I’ve got 12 months left in the summer,†Carragher told The Sunday Times.

“The club will give me a new contract if they want to. If not it doesn’t matter, I’ll still play my best and if I have to move then I’ll move, no problem. It wouldn’t bother me.â€

Liverpool can expect a decisive response if they indicate that Carragher’s time is up. He said: “It wouldn’t bother me. I made the England decision [to retire from international football] quickly and didn’t dwell on it, and I’m not scared of making big decisions. It’s a club thing. It’s down to them. I’ll keep playing and see where it takes me.â€

Carragher’s ruminations on his future are influenced by Liverpool’s decision to put off contract extension talks until the summer, when there will be just 12 months left on his current deal. The manager, Rafael Benitez, says that is because of Carragher’s age but, unlike at Manchester United, Arsenal or Chelsea, Liverpool do not have a club policy limiting the contracts offered to thirtysomething players.

Carragher would much rather stay but wants to remain a first-team regular. He has no interest in getting phased out into a bit-part player in his early thirties or becoming an ageing footballer clinging to status at a club that once relied on him.

Benitez reiterated his stance during the week, while advancing with talks over significant contract extensions for Pepe Reina, 27, and Javier Mascherano, 25. In the past nine months lucrative new contracts have been agreed with Steven Gerrard, 29, Dirk Kuyt, 29, Fernando Torres, 25, and Daniel Agger, 25.

Carragher joined Liverpool on schoolboy forms 18 years ago, though his association with the club extends back over two decades and he has played a record number of games for the club in Europe.

A few days ago Simon Kjaer, 20, the Palermo centre-back tracked by Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham this season, suggested he could be moving to Liverpool in the next transfer window. Palermo are looking for £20m for Kjaer, who partners Agger for Denmark.
 
it'll be interesting to see how the club handle this - I don't think we'll allow him to run out his contract, but Hyppia was realeased when in reality we could have benefitted from another year. as an example of tapping into a players need to feel valued - Scholes has been a bit part player for 2.5 years, but is still mentally comitted and weighing in with a contribution.

I hope Jaimie's not too iron willed to adapt in his later years.

The value these advabced senior players have on the mentality o the squad and development of younger players is worth it's weight in gold.
 
It'll be down to Carragher. We've seen how his form has seemed to slip over the last season or so, which has undoubtedly benn, in some way, due to him playing practically every game.

I've no doubt there will be a role for him to develop in to the coashing side of things and also no doubt that he can continue to be a major part of the first team for a few years yet, but we are right to be looking at potential successor's now.
 
We can't afford to have him on mega-wages aged 32/33/34.

Offer him 60K a week with the opportunity to get into coaching whenever he wishes.

Sad times
 
if we spend 20m on a center back than you have to assume that center back would be a starter*





*but then we spent on keane and aqua...
 
[quote author=Ryan link=topic=39193.msg1065037#msg1065037 date=1267951973]
He'll be awarded a new contract, and that'll be it.
[/quote] Can't see it any other way..
 
Carra deserves - and will get - a new contract, but one could argue that it should only take up to about 35; no silly 5 year deals, the last two of which are on the bench

In any case, if he wasn't playing (and thought he still should) he would probably leave anyway
 
One of the many advantages Utd have over us is the presence of Giggs, Scholes etc who accept that they won't and can't play every game however provide a wealth of experience as well as timely contributions such as yesterday Vs Wolves.

We have no golden oldies whatsoever and are unlikely to have any in the near future given Carragher's stance.
 
Carra doesn't want to leave. We don't want him to leave. I'm pretty sure he'll stay for a few more years yet, but I'm not against the club's stance on this. He doesn't deserve a new contract for what he's done in the past; he has to earn it with his contribution on the field, and I think he's bloody-minded enough to do exactly that. He went through a dodgy spell of form earlier this season, but he's been very solid lately and with his intelligence and passion there's no reason he can't keep playing an important role for us into his mid-thirties.
 
[quote author=themn link=topic=39193.msg1065078#msg1065078 date=1267971406]
Really good thing no-one's getting the wrong end of the stick here.
[/quote]

My money was on neil
 
[quote author=refugee link=topic=39193.msg1065079#msg1065079 date=1267971914]
[quote author=themn link=topic=39193.msg1065078#msg1065078 date=1267971406]
Really good thing no-one's getting the wrong end of the stick here.
[/quote]

My money was on neil
[/quote]

Oooooof!
 
[quote author=TheBunnyman link=topic=39193.msg1065074#msg1065074 date=1267967742]
Carra doesn't want to leave. We don't want him to leave. I'm pretty sure he'll stay for a few more years yet, but I'm not against the club's stance on this. He doesn't deserve a new contract for what he's done in the past; he has to earn it with his contribution on the field, and I think he's bloody-minded enough to do exactly that. He went through a dodgy spell of form earlier this season, but he's been very solid lately and with his intelligence and passion there's no reason he can't keep playing an important role for us into his mid-thirties.
[/quote]

agree
 
I must admit, I wish Carra had said this:

"It is an agonising process because to stop playing at this club is a big thing for me. I love the club, it's all I've ever known.

"But in some ways it becomes easier for me because I love the club that much I don't want to become a passenger. Everybody would say – play football for as long as you possibly can. Everybody would say that, because you can't go back to it.

"But there's more to it than that for me. For me to go and play at another football club just won't happen. I won't dilute my memories of football. I know that would happen for me. My colours are so firmly nailed to the mast at this club, for me to go and run out in a different shirt, I just wouldn't enjoy that. Is this going to be my last season? Who knows? I honestly don't know myself.

"There is a need for experience but it's a question of how long I can keep making a contribution, and more importantly how long the manager thinks I can make one."

Guess who?
 
[quote author=refugee link=topic=39193.msg1065079#msg1065079 date=1267971914]
[quote author=themn link=topic=39193.msg1065078#msg1065078 date=1267971406]
Really good thing no-one's getting the wrong end of the stick here.
[/quote]

My money was on neil
[/quote]

I've said what I think, I hope jamie reconsiders his position, look at manu the changing of the guard is always slow and gradual and it goes back to the time when the kids were eased in and those same kids are still there helping out even though their best days are long behind them, scholes getting the winner just last week.

I can understand that jamie wants to be a first teamer for his entire career. its there also the incentive try and beat callaghan's record?
 
Spidey, is it not a disgrace that he's been allowed to run down his contract and potentially leave on a free? Wouldn't you normally call for heads to roll?
 
[quote author=Rosco link=topic=39193.msg1065243#msg1065243 date=1268047846]
Spidey, is it not a disgrace that he's been allowed to run down his contract and potentially leave on a free? Wouldn't you normally call for heads to roll?
[/quote]

ah ha! no, not at all. c'mon, carra will rightly get a new contract (so no chance of leaving for free) but it would in all likelyhood be for 2 years after those two years he would likely get a rolling 1 year contract. what's wrong with that? the issue is carra wants to be a first teamer and when he is no longer a first teamer he will move on, that's fair enough and its his right but its not so good for us.

you have to wonder how fergie keeps his squad happy and how he keeps ahold of players like scholes who are more than happy to play a bit part. is it because they win stuff?
 
[quote author=Rosco link=topic=39193.msg1065246#msg1065246 date=1268049010]
What if he insists on a pay rise, or even continuing to earn 90k a week?
[/quote]

jamie definately deserves to be amoung our highest earners for the next two years after that who can say?
 
[quote author=Rosco link=topic=39193.msg1065250#msg1065250 date=1268049473]
Based on his form this season?
[/quote]

You're right Ross; in addition we should also renegotiate Gerrards contract down to 25k per week based on his form as well - Johnson too because he's been injured; Aquilani's barely played so he should only get £250; using the same sliding scale Lucas owes the club 2million.
 
[quote author=Rosco link=topic=39193.msg1065250#msg1065250 date=1268049473]
Based on his form this season?
[/quote]

form is temporary and all that. my problem with liverpool *brace for rant* is we can't seem to phase out good players, going all the way back to beardsley and to a lesser extent aldridge. the good players we have want to play and if they aren't playing they want to leave. look at manu, with the exception of ronaldo have any of their good players wanted out? they always seem to stay until fergie fucks them out the club, so you have stability which leads to success which leads to stability.
 
[quote author=Rosco link=topic=39193.msg1065250#msg1065250 date=1268049473]
Based on his form this season?
[/quote]

Forgetting the form, desire and commitment he's shown for the last decade? That would be nothing short of disgraceful and a kick in the teeth for one of our best defenders ever.

Football is what it is Ross, the best at it get paid highly. No one can deny Carragher's love for the club, he's shown it enough on and off the pitch and just because he's had a shakey season (which everyone suffers at some point) doesn't mean we should start calling the shots over his future. He deserves to see out his career here. If he's not good enough at some point to be starting every game, then demote him to the bench ala Hyypia and let him provide experience to the team.

Denying him a new contract would be fickle, and frankly, a fucking disgrace.
 
[quote author=mark1975 link=topic=39193.msg1065255#msg1065255 date=1268050261]
[quote author=Rosco link=topic=39193.msg1065250#msg1065250 date=1268049473]
Based on his form this season?
[/quote]

Forgetting the form, desire and commitment he's shown for the last decade? That would be nothing short of disgraceful and a kick in the teeth for one of our best defenders ever.

Football is what it is Ross, the best at it get paid highly. No one can deny Carragher's love for the club, he's shown it enough on and off the pitch and just because he's had a shakey season (which everyone suffers at some point) doesn't mean we should start calling the shots over his future. He deserves to see out his career here. If he's not good enough at some point to be starting every game, then demote him to the bench ala Hyypia and let him provide experience to the team.
Denying him a new contract would be fickle, and frankly, a fucking disgrace.
[/quote]

that's what I want to see but that's not going to happen as carra will leave so that puts pressure on new players to hit the ground and that puts pressure on us to remain relatively injury free. what is wrong with seeing out your career at liverpool? once upon a time you had to get players out of the club with a crowbar.
 
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