Whilst Liverpool have been let down by their forwards rather than their centre-backs this season, it would be churlish not to think that the Red’s couldn’t do any better in this area. Despite a good performance during Saturday’s early kick-off against Arsenal, it was slight lapse of concentration at the back that saw Liverpool offer the Gunners a root back into the game.
Bacary Sagna’s cross, though delivered well should have been cleared by Jamie Carragher who allowed Robin Van Persie to get the wrong side of him and head home.
Whilst Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel are one of the best centre-back combinations in the League, if one of the pairing were to go missing through injury or suspension, then it would soon become clear that the Red’s have very little in reserve in this area. That’s all the more worrying given Agger’s tendency to pick up injuries throughout a season.
In these cases Liverpool are forced to rely on Jamie Carragher – a man who is clearly in the autumn of his career. Wouldn’t it make more sense to give experience to some of the young blood desperate to make a name for themselves at the club? I am talking, in particular, of Sebastian Coates.
Yes Jamie Carragher remains a club legend, but I’d rather see him eased out before he becomes a liability. It’s fair to say that he’s no longer the defender he used to be and is now at the top of a very slippery slope. Coates has been at the club since August and has impressed sporadically when offered opportunities. Perhaps it’s time to establish him as Agger and Skrtel’s understudy?
Coates has great speed of thought, an excellent reading of the game and the height (he’s 6”5) to deal with any aerial threat. Given that he’s just 21-years-old, he’s at a key developmental stage. With very little to play for now in the Premier League it can hardly hurt to give him more opportunities at the heart of Liverpool’s defence.
The more chances he gets to test himself at the top level, the quicker he’ll learn. He may well make the occasional mistake, but given that Carragher himself has been guilty of this kind of thing, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. Liverpool need to start looking forward and planning for the future. If Coates is to be a part of this future then perhaps the time is right to make him third choice centre-back.
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time for carragher to hang his boots
He has had the worst season directly causing goals! Some of these goals has meant dropping of points! Kast week v Arsenal, his marking on Van Persie was non existent! If it was anyone else… He would have abused them in his typical fashion!
He is slow, not up with the tempo of football we are playing now, but more importantly, we need Coates to begin playing!
Do you think the managemt of the teams read some of these websites to hear what the people are saying? I agree with this article fully. I’ve been saying for while now, bring in the Ecclestones and pacheco’s etc. for the rest of the season especially on right wing.
i agree, coates has won the copa america so has the experience to be 3rd choice c/b, jaimie may well be a club legend but todays premier league football is very cut throat and very fast, of which jamie is neither, he lanquashes on the ball, wildly hacks clearances when a simple pass would be easily an option for coates. its always a sad story the decline of a legend but as bob paisley famously said the secret to a succesfull team is to make sure that your players go on to play for other teams before they retire and im sure he learnt that from shanks. in other words ageing legs will inevitably cost you games and points and ultimately success. in the very extreme circumstances and with extremely exeptional world class players it might be advised to keep them until the end of their careers but that is only the world class few, carra is a legend, has beed a great servant and player but has never been world class, surely it is only sentiment that keeps him there as 3rd choice c/b but it is costing us points and games, kenny if you read this, please please, jamie has surely played his last game and raheem sterling should be intergrated into the first team before the end of the season. YNWA
Against Arsenal, he should have played instead of the aging Carra who let in the 2 goals.