The Soccer Blog: Sunday

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Monday, 28 March 2011

Video: Goals on Sunday with Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher

By: Ed | March 28th, 2011
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gos I suppose one of the nice things about being a famous footballer that’s generally well-known and popular and likeable is that people enjoy having you stop by to share your thoughts on any number of topics once in awhile. Goes without saying that I’m yet to receive such an invitation, but as our legend grows, I’m confident that, at the very least, either Noel or I will one day receive an offer to appear on a podcast or a strange foreign webcam chat.

Anyhow, when you’re Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher you luck out and get the luxury treatment from Sky Sports, and Goals on Sunday hosted the Liverpool men for a nice Sunday (go figure) sitdown. It’s typical for these types of things to be completely politicized and neutered, and I think we get that to some extent. But I also think we get a fairly candid assessment of a number of important issues in the club’s recent history, or at least as much as we could expect when two of the club’s legends get sat down for a discussion about recent departures, future directions, terrible tackles, and the unlikely difficulty one experiences when trying to shake hands with a primary school student.

Full video for those who missed it live (read: me) has been hard to come by, but I’ve included the few I could gather below, along with some excerpts from the transcript.

Thoughts on Scott Parker, playing for England, and the shenanigans about the captaincy:

Thoughts on the start of the season, Roy Hodgson, and Liverpool’s performances:

Thoughts on scratching Nani’s leg:

And, for those struggling to decipher the noises emanating from Jamie Carragher’s mouth, a few bits from the transcript published by the official site:

On playing for Liverpool:

Jamie Carragher: Why would you want to leave? I’m playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world, I’m a local lad, I’ve got my family around me and I play every week. Probably Stevie is in a different boat because clubs around the world have wanted him – I’ve never been in that boat. He’s had decisions to make at certain times but he’s stayed loyal to the club. It’s not just about winning the Champions League – you win it and your family and friends are there, when you come back you know so many people who were involved. You feel like your family and friends are part of winning things with you. Winning things at the club where you’ve come through means a lot more.

Steven Gerrard: It’s been well-documented that it’s turned my head at times when clubs have been interested in me, but now looking back I’m just glad I did make the right decisions. The feeling you get when you’re a local lad and you win a trophy, and you see your people, your family and friends joining in and celebrating with you – it’s unbeatable. It’s better than winning trophies where you’re not local.

On the fans:

SG: We believe we’ve got the best fans in the world. European nights at Anfield – go there and experience it. The support we get on and off the pitch from the fans is unbelievable. We’d love to go and win those fans a few more trophies before we finish.

JC: I never played when they had standing on the Kop but it comes alive on European nights. It’s touch and go whether we make Europe this season but I’m desperate to get in because they are the great nights – they’re something we’ll always remember when our careers finish.

On Torres leaving:

SG: We felt slightly let down, like the supporters did. He was a top player and a friend. We wanted him to stay but he made his decision and we have to respect that. Only he knows whether he downed tools and only he can explain why his form wasn’t as good in his last few months. But knowing Fernando, I don’t think that was the case. I think he just wanted a change. It’s sad the terms in which he left because he was idolised by the fans, the people around the club and by us as players.

JC: He always kept himself to himself, even when he was banging the goals in. It wasn’t like he’d changed his character. After the World Cup we probably realised he was half looking to move on. Then he spoke to the club and decided to stay, but it didn’t go that well. The disappointing thing was that it was so late in the window, but fortunately Damien Comolli and the owners made a difference for us. It’s football, we got a great price and we got two new players in.

On Robbie Keane:

SG: He’s a top player and we were gutted it didn’t work out for him at Liverpool. We’d have liked him to have stayed around a bit longer. Maybe under a different manager it would have worked out.

That last bit is included for sheer comedic value, as it’s a) not founded in reality, and b) coming on the heels of the boys saying how managers can’t be taken to task for the performances of individuals. But again, not wanting to hurt anyone’s feelings, a fairly standard response, even if the dig at Rafa is unwarranted.

All in all, a decent enough appearance and a decent enough excuse to buy some time until I figure out what the hell I’m supposed to post next. The only real issue I’d take with any of their comments is the thoughts on Roy Hodgson and the fans’ feelings towards him, as well as the apparent coolness towards Rafa Benitez that comes through, which we mostly knew existed to some extent anyhow.

But whatever, I’ll save it for that webcam podcast I’m doing with those guys in Bangladesh on Wednesday.

Some Related Liverpool Posts:Steven Gerrard Out, Segura to Coach Reserves, and Other Friday NotesVideo: Carragher and Agger v. ChelseaThe Inconsistent Brilliance of Steven GerrardVideo: The King SpeaksGerrard on Dalglish, Approaching Wolves, and Other Notes

Category: Team News

Tags: English National Team, Goals on Sunday, Jamie Carragher, Kenny Dalglish, Not Fernando Torres, Roy Hodgson, Sky Sports, Steven Gerrard, Talking Heads, Team News, Video Killed the Radio Star
Tweet « More Renovation Rumors, Saturday Recap, and Other Sunday Notes | Home | NoelHaving a face for radio and a voice for the newspaper, I'll be waiting on some kind of semaphore-based football program to invite me on.UgeswaranLove you GERRARD... YNWANoelgopsillGreat piece of writing lets have moreblog comments powered by Disqus

Harry Redknapp, England manager? (Awful writing) Is It Too Early to Get Excited About Sturridge? Denmark 1 - 2 England (Via Hamlet) more news...

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Sunday, 27 March 2011

More Renovation Rumors, Saturday Recap, and Other Sunday Notes

By: Ed | March 27th, 2011
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kop We’re almost there—this afternoon closed out the first wave of international matches, with Euro qualifiers and friendlies taking us through the evening and ever closer to a spell that sees Liverpool race to the finish. There’s one more in action tomorrow (Lucas and Brazil v. Scotland) before the last few qualifiers and a slew of friendlies wraps things up for the foreseeable future.

For those with an investment in their national side it’s a sad time, but for the rest of us it’ll be a welcomed return. And on a Liverpool front, there’s something besides teeth-grinding and hand-wringing that’ll accompany the final matches of the international break.

But mostly it’ll just be the teeth-grinding and the hand-wringing. Onwards, though:

* The only big non-international news from the weekend isn’t so much news as it is a rumor that’s gained increased traction—more than a few sites have run with talk that a stadium announcement is due shortly, and that said announcement will be focused on a gradual renovation of the famous ground. There’s been no confirmation as yet, but several sources close to a source that’s closer to a source that has sources close to sorcery are expecting something in the very near future. It’s an exciting prospect, and one that’s certainly a more credible possibility now that the folks in charge don’t just frame pictures of fantasies and conduct interviews in front of them.

The broader discussion about the future of British stadiums has also taken on a very serious tone, though, particularly with the recent news that the idea of terraced seating will be “listened to” as a viable option. This was quickly denounced by the Hillsborough Family Support Group, who announced that they “will not be encouraging the Government to change the law,” and today Kenny Dalglish lent his voice to the opposition as well.

Given the timing of the announcement and Liverpool’s history, there’s no way any plans for Anfield’s future would involve such a proposal. The discussion’s bound to continue, though, and as we saw when it was introduced here a little over a month ago, it’s inevitably going to be an emotionally-charged one. As with everything around these parts, we’re happy to entertain any line of discussion so long as it’s one that’s respectful on all sides, and this is certainly a topic that demands it.

* As for the actual football, today was the busiest day of the break thus far in terms of fixtures and the action for Liverpool internationals. The brief rundown:

England 2, Wales 0

Noel managed to dissect England’s performance yesterday in some depth, so I’ll point you in that direction for a more thorough recap. I’ll just leave you with a link to Glen Johnson’s sexy pass to set up the second and the knowledge that Andy Carroll didn’t feature.

Denmark 1, Norway 1

Daniel Agger played a full 90, which hopefully erases any fears created when he left training early in the first day of training. Or it aggravated whatever happened, in which case I’ll end up in the fetal position. Christian Poulsen played nearly 70 minutes for the guests, who could have drawn level with Norway atop the group with a win.

Slovakia 1, Andorra 0

Martin Skrtel also logged a full 90 in the win over Andorra, with Filip Sebo netting in the 20th minute to give the visitors the win. Slovakia remain level on points with Russia and Ireland on top of Group B.

* There’s an interview with Luis Suarez doing the rounds in all sorts of media outlets, but it was actually conducted by The Redmen, who do a series of videos on their YouTube channel. The Liverpool Echo was one of the only sites to acknowledge the actual source, and they’ve got the text of the interview here. Interesting stuff from the January signing, who touches on the transition to the Premier League and his exit from Ajax:

That’s going to do it to close out the weekend, and a reminder that Brazil and Scotland will wrap up a busy weekend with their friendly at 13:00GMT and 9:00EST. ITV and STV will carry the match in England and Scotland, respectively, and ESPN2 and ESPN3.comwill carry it for viewers in North America. Check the usual sites for stream links—MyP2P.eu, Atdhenet.tv, and FromSport.

Whatever you do, watch Lucas and enjoy. Or watch Lucas and keep telling yourself that he’s really not that good, even though he’s become an established starter for both Liverpool and Brazil. Because most people who aren’t really that good do that.

Some Related Liverpool Posts:More Reasons to Love Lucas, Friday Recap, and Other Saturday NotesYouth Cup Wrap, A Deal for Dalglish, and Other Sunday NotesLooking Ahead at InternationalsA Fenway Friendly, Contract Renewals, and Other Sunday NotesMatch Preview: Liverpool v. Stoke City, 02.02.11

Category: Euro 2012, Hillsborough, International Duty, Miscellaneous

Tags: Anfield, Christian Poulsen, Daniel Agger, Euro 2012, Euro Qualifiers, FSG, Glen Johnson, Hillsborough, International Duty, John Henry, Kenny Dalglish, Lucas, Martin Škrtel, Miscellaneous
Tweet « England 2, Wales 0: Winning the Battle and Losing the War | Home | HoffaThere’s been no confirmation as yet, but several sources close to a source that’s closer to a source that has sources close to sorcery are expecting something in the very near future.

hahaha.. this should be the definition of rumours, especially "the ll year around the silly season rumours" !Eddiehttp://www.thisisanfield.com/2...
http://www.sports-stadia.co.uk...

interesting links on photos of what anfield will look like after renovation. what do you guys think? personally i like the look of the "redevoloped anfield"
Zachyeah that wouldnt be too bad altho i cant say im a fan of the 'new anfield' with the circular design and halo ring around the top...ElizabethOn the terraced standing areas, a couple of days ago the Premier League announced that their "view is that the benefits of all-seater stadia far outweigh the return of standing areas" and that they "will not be encouraging the Government to change the law."

http://www.premierleague.com/p...EdThanks for the link, Elizabeth.YoogibearoneLFC need a 'NEW' stadium, not something like a rabbit warren !!! The club has been falling behind all the others for years ! Bolton,Sunderland,Stoke,Arsenal,Man City, and others have all moved on,looking to the future! LIVERPOOL need to look to the future also ! I've been a LFC supporter since 1952 (59 yrs) ,and have loved Anfield,but 'IT IS TIME TO MOVE INTO THE FUTURE'. A NEW STADIUM IS REQUIRED,and 'STANLEY PARK' is a fantastic site! There will never be another chance like this again!blog comments powered by Disqus