The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Killarney turns red
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher was in Killarney on Friday for an evening with fans at The Gleneagle Hotel. Ahead of the gig, The Kerryman’s Editor Kevin Hughes caught up with him to discuss all things Champions League, including how the current side compares to the heroes of Istanbul...
PICTURE the scene: the 2002 World Cup up for grabs, Shay Given in goal, and in defence there’s Steve Finnan, Ian Harte, Steve Staunton – and Jamie Carragher.
And it could just have happened.
A childhood Everton fan, Jamie Carragher switched allegiences after the Liverpool Academy came calling to his Bootle home. He soon joined the England international youth set-up and at under-21 level he held the national record for most caps. But it could have been so different – if he’d answered Ireland’s call.
“Yes, Mick McCarthy asked me play for the Republic of Ireland, not directly, but it came from him,” he reveals.
“When I made my debut for Liverpool and scored against Aston Villa, someone [from the Irish set-up] got through to me asking would I be interested in playing for Ireland. I didn’t look back at my family tree but I was qualified.”
That was 20 years ago and while Jamie eked out a solid career with the Three Lions, it’s his heroics with Liverpool Football Club including a Champions League title that he’ll forever be remembered.
He’s speaking from the comfort of The Aghadoe Heights Hotel where he’s checked in ahead of an evening with fans in The Gleneagle Hotel Ballroom. It’s all in aid of Foundation 23, a Liverpool-based charity initiative set up during his testimonial in 2009. He eventually retired at the end of the 2013 season.
For the moment, though, he’s in relaxed mood and, as always, he’s ready to talk football.
The interview takes place ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final with Roma on Tuesday.
So just how does the current Liverpool team compare to the 2005 winning side?
“I think this team is better and that was before they beat Man City [in the quarter-final].
“We weren’t a great team in Istanbul but we had some great individuals as players who then went on and got better. We also got better players as we went on.
“I thought we were actually a better team when we lost the final in 2007 and when Fernando Torres arrived a year later; that was a better team than 2005.
“I actually think this team is a very, very good team, the one Jurgen Klopp has built now.”
While he’s a fan of the current side, he still doesn’t believe they’re the finished article. And while Liverpool’s defensive frailties have been an issue, particularly during the first half of the season, he focuses on Liverpool’s impressive front three of Sadio Mane, Salah and Firminho.
“You obviously have Keita to come, maybe two or three additions. We need someone to add to the front three, a player who could fill the three positions, like an Alexis Sanchez type who could play on the left, the right and up front, so you would have four players going for three positions.
“If there was one more player of the quality of the front three you could rest one. I think Mane or even Salah could play centre forward because I don’t think we have the back up quality.
“But I also think we need a defensive midfield player to back up Jordan Henderson or replace Emre Can, and maybe even a goalkeeper.”
Despite losing a world class play-maker in Philippe Coutinho, Liverpool have adapted and results have improved. Critical at first despite a club-record fee, Carragher has changed his mind on the club’s decision to sell the Brazilian.
“I was very critical of Liverpool for letting him go in January, a top side still trying to qualify in the Champions League letting their best player go. But if you look at it now, Liverpool lost Coutinho and gained Van Dijk for £70m or something and what a deal that looks like now.
“Klopp is in the training ground every day and he could see if he [Coutinho] was having an adverse affect in and around the place or if he was sulking because he can’t get his move.
“I think Klopp’s done a brilliant job – he’s only really had two full seasons and in the first season he got to two cup finals, including a European final, and he got us back into the Champions League where there is massive competition. It looks like he’s going to do that again and also improve.
“I think this side is better than the 2005 side – and that was before beating Man City’
“So many decisions that Klopp’s made over the past two and a half years have turned out to be right and that shows what a top manager is.
“Even little decisions like playing Trent [Alexander-Arnold] against Man City, there was a lot of talk before the game that he shouldn’t play; the set up of midfield, or the change in Mane’s position at the start of the season after he’d been Liverpool’s player of the year.
“Nothing sways the manager; he’s very set on his ways.”
So just how does he rate Man City’s Premier League-winning manager?
“Guardiola, I think he’s unbelieveable. There’s no doubt that Man City have got more finances than Liverpool, so it’s sometimes difficult to compare the managers, but Guardiola is special.
“I think the way that they play...They’ve been unbelievable and it’s down to him more than the players and the chequebook.
“It’s not as if he’s gone out and bought absolutely worldclass players. He’s spent a lot of money but look at the players he’s bought: no one had heard of Ederson really and he’s a brilliant keeper and there’s Sane, a young player in Germany – it’s not like he’s gone to Barcelona, Real Madrid or PSG and bought their best players. He hasn’t bought a Neymar.”
One of the talking points in the last round of the Champions League was the sending off Juventus keeper Gianluigi Buffon for infringing on the referee on his last Champions League appearance. Carragher scored his first ever international goal at under-age against Buffon – both were born on the same day, as it happens – and he was in the stadium for the Real Madrid game.
“It was an unbelievable atmosphere and, to be honest, because I was at the game I didn’t see any replays until a long time afterwards on my phone. I thought it was a penalty and I thought the referee was brilliant, Michael Oliver is our best referee.
“Buffon is a legend in the game. We were born on the same day so we played against each other as England and Italy Under 16s and I got the goal in Sardinia. It was a long time ago.
“In the heat of the moment he’s done something, I hope, he looks back on and regrets.”
He’s speaking after visiting St Oliver’s National School earlier in the day and was suitably impressed by the support
“You sometimes don’t realise the power of Liverpool Football Club, you can just take it for granted as it’s just on your doorstep. I was at a school in Killarney this morning and there was every kid with a Liverpool shirt – and there was one Man Utd shirt.”
Well there’s always one!