Liverpool FC Forum

[tubby]

Carra still has a good 2 years maybe even 3 left in him here. I hope by that time Agger and Skrtel improve and we also get another established CB.

[7_Kewell]

i'm not saying we should sell him...but Rafa should certainly look at rotating him next season a bit.

[Madmax]

Carra has passed his peak but still is an influencial figure. i doubt it next season he could hack as many games as he has this season so yeah probably best thing is rotation for carra next season. Not often but at times when its useful.

[Lando_Griffin]

He's played every minute of the season and as a team, we're pushing much further up the pitch.

He's fine.

[Octsky]

how old is carra? late 20's, comon guys, that a peak period for a defender. believe carra still have much to offer to the club. but wat's up with rafa rotating agger and skertel alternate games? trying to keep both happy? or cant made up his mind?

[DanAn]

I think he has a bit of a dip in form but that happens to everyone. I've not seen him physiically shown up, just a few mistakes now and again whichsays to me it's form rather than age. When at rightback he's been below average lacking ability to get forward and ambition with his passing but by and large he's been pretty solid this year. Still our best defender IMO by some margin and still has a few top class seasons in him.

I think I saw that Carra turned 31 a few months ago

[Number 9]

All a load of balls,silly folk looking into things too much and trying to find something to cry about!
Keep looking and you will always get a reason to cry....He's still one of the first on Rafas teamsheet and rightly so.
Legend of a player that typifies the very soul of the club with every breath he takes!Fuc'king legend..end of.

Dodgy Carra??..take a look at what is beside him and ask yourself if hes had doubts,I surely have!
Skrtel is a quarter of the defender Hyypia was and that is being generous.
Basically Carra is a hell of a lot more exposed now than he ever was,simple!

[Emerald Red]

Nonsense. He's made a few errors, aye, but who hasn't? And don't even mention age. Carra's ropey form can be attributed to the two planks we have at both sides of our full-back areas. Dossena was terrible earlier in the season, and Arbeloa isn't up to snuff much either. Nothing worse than playing at center half having to run out and cover a fullback who isn't up to it.

[Owzat]

how old is carra? late 20's, comon guys, that a peak period for a defender. believe carra still have much to offer to the club. but wat's up with rafa rotating agger and skertel alternate games? trying to keep both happy? or cant made up his mind?

Actually he's 31.

Is he "past it"? That phrase is getting so used these days I'm surprised it hasn't been worn out and "past it" itself. Anyone gets close to 30 and has a poor spell of form, a few injuries or simply people don't rate them, and they're "past it".

I wonder how much recent defensive displays are getting to Carra - and fatigue. He's played every Premiership game this season, when we conceded only eight goals in the first 15 games people weren't on his back, now we've conceded 18 in the last 21 games, and he makes a mistake, it's him that is being singled out.

By the way, in those first 15 games we conceded only eight goals but scored only 21. In the last 21 games we may have conceded 18 goals, but we've scored 51 Most of our dropped points have been through draws, only two of which were in conceding more than one goal.

[JC_81]

how old is carra? late 20's, comon guys, that a peak period for a defender. believe carra still have much to offer to the club. but wat's up with rafa rotating agger and skertel alternate games? trying to keep both happy? or cant made up his mind?

Actually he's 31.

Is he "past it"? That phrase is getting so used these days I'm surprised it hasn't been worn out and "past it" itself. Anyone gets close to 30 and has a poor spell of form, a few injuries or simply people don't rate them, and they're "past it".

I wonder how much recent defensive displays are getting to Carra - and fatigue. He's played every Premiership game this season, when we conceded only eight goals in the first 15 games people weren't on his back, now we've conceded 18 in the last 21 games, and he makes a mistake, it's him that is being singled out.

By the way, in those first 15 games we conceded only eight goals but scored only 21. In the last 21 games we may have conceded 18 goals, but we've scored 51 Most of our dropped points have been through draws, only two of which were in conceding more than one goal.

Forget the stats and just watch the lad play.  Then tell me he's as good as he was three seasons ago.

[Owzat]

how old is carra? late 20's, comon guys, that a peak period for a defender. believe carra still have much to offer to the club. but wat's up with rafa rotating agger and skertel alternate games? trying to keep both happy? or cant made up his mind?

Actually he's 31.

Is he "past it"? That phrase is getting so used these days I'm surprised it hasn't been worn out and "past it" itself. Anyone gets close to 30 and has a poor spell of form, a few injuries or simply people don't rate them, and they're "past it".

I wonder how much recent defensive displays are getting to Carra - and fatigue. He's played every Premiership game this season, when we conceded only eight goals in the first 15 games people weren't on his back, now we've conceded 18 in the last 21 games, and he makes a mistake, it's him that is being singled out.

By the way, in those first 15 games we conceded only eight goals but scored only 21. In the last 21 games we may have conceded 18 goals, but we've scored 51 Most of our dropped points have been through draws, only two of which were in conceding more than one goal.

Forget the stats and just watch the lad play.  Then tell me he's as good as he was three seasons ago.

I do watch him, and you're telling me he plays that much worse than previously and I wonder if you're watching him - noone can say they can remember his games from three years ago anywhere near as well as one YESTERDAY

[JC_81]

I do watch him, and you're telling me he plays that much worse than previously and I wonder if you're watching him - noone can say they can remember his games from three years ago anywhere near as well as one YESTERDAY

What are you on about?

I'm not talking about just yesterday.  He made a stupid mistake which can happen to any top defender on a bad day.  Fact is he's slightly slower and his timing of the tackle's not quite what it was a few seasons ago.

[kazza]

He'll play untill he is thirty five or so (barring injury) and he is still our best defender. He is physically fit and does not look like the type that will gain weight (as you do when you reach your thirties). I think many years to still to play!

[Owzat]

I do watch him, and you're telling me he plays that much worse than previously and I wonder if you're watching him - noone can say they can remember his games from three years ago anywhere near as well as one YESTERDAY

What are you on about?

I'm not talking about just yesterday.  He made a stupid mistake which can happen to any top defender on a bad day.  Fact is he's slightly slower and his timing of the tackle's not quite what it was a few seasons ago.

He's made a few mistakes this season, he's also made some excellent (saving) tackles. My point is not that you're basing this entirely on yesterday, just that perhaps you're remembering him as faultless from three seasons ago when he might well have made a few errors. And there are such things as good, bad and not the best seasons, some things aren't black and white - past it or not past it

I don't think Carra was ever that quick, usually CBs make up for it with improved reading of the game. As for telling if someone is slightly slower and not timing his tackles quite as well as a few seasons ago - feck me, if you're doing that from memory. I doubt you rewatch past matches, you're not lending much credibility to it by comparing speed and timing across fairly large gaps of time

[JC_81]

I do watch him, and you're telling me he plays that much worse than previously and I wonder if you're watching him - noone can say they can remember his games from three years ago anywhere near as well as one YESTERDAY

What are you on about?

I'm not talking about just yesterday.  He made a stupid mistake which can happen to any top defender on a bad day.  Fact is he's slightly slower and his timing of the tackle's not quite what it was a few seasons ago.

He's made a few mistakes this season, he's also made some excellent (saving) tackles. My point is not that you're basing this entirely on yesterday, just that perhaps you're remembering him as faultless from three seasons ago when he might well have made a few errors. And there are such things as good, bad and not the best seasons, some things aren't black and white - past it or not past it

I don't think Carra was ever that quick, usually CBs make up for it with improved reading of the game. As for telling if someone is slightly slower and not timing his tackles quite as well as a few seasons ago - feck me, if you're doing that from memory. I doubt you rewatch past matches, you're not lending much credibility to it by comparing speed and timing across fairly large gaps of time

I never said it was black and white.  'Past it' is a term used all too often.  What does it mean?  Does it mean a player is past his best?  Or does it mean he's finished as a player?  It seems to be used in both circumstances.

Personally I think Carra is past his best.  If you can't remember the standard of his performances just 2-3 seasons ago then that's your problem.  And yes I do watch games from seasons past, that's what interests me about football - watching it - not dragging up stats on how many times a player scratches his balls in 90 mins or how many corners are taken left footed rather than right.

Basically you're saying that we can't comment on whether players have improved or deteriorated in the space of 3 seasons because our memories aren't good enough??  Bollox mate.  Speak for yourself.