Carragher asks for fans' backing

[cymrococh]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/no...-liverpool-fans

 

Jamie Carragher has pleaded for patience from Liverpool supporters after admitting their frustrations affected the team's performance during the goalless draw with Fulham.

 

Liverpool missed the chance to go top of the Premier League on Saturday with a turgid display that yielded a second away point of the season for Roy Hodgson's side and audible irritation around Anfield. Jeers greeted both the full- and half-time whistles at Anfield, which has not witnessed a league defeat for Liverpool in 2008, while the midfielder Lucas was targeted by supporters as the Brazilian made his sixth start of the season in place of the in-form Xabi Alonso.

 

Carragher has revealed that Rafael Benítez's players were acutely aware of the criticism as they struggled to break down an accomplished Fulham defence, and believes it is self-defeating as Liverpool attempt to claim their first league title since 1990. "People shouldn't get too downhearted that we've drawn at home to Fulham," said the Liverpool defender, one of the few who played well on Saturday. "The crowd, especially at Anfield, want us to win so much that it transmits itself down on to the pitch at times. You could feel that when we were trying to get the goal in the second half on Saturday."

 

The 30-year-old added: "The supporters have to realise we are in November and not March or April yet. Like us, they are so passionate to win the title but sometimes that passion can bowl you over. We have to all stay patient. It's a long race and it's not the be-all and end-all if we draw a home game in November. Don't get me wrong, the fans are great for us. But the fans, and the players, all of us together have to realise we have to be patient. It is a long, long race and I'm sure there'll be a few more games like the Fulham one before the end of the season."

 

Carragher also defended Benítez's decision to leave Alonso on the bench for 64 minutes of the goalless draw, despite Steven Gerrard being ruled out of the Fulham game with a muscle tear. "It goes without saying that you are going to miss players of the quality of Stevie, who was injured, and Xabi, who was on the bench because he'd played 90 minutes for Spain in midweek," said the Liverpool centre-half. We didn't create as many clear-cut chances as we would have wanted against Fulham but it's difficult to replace players with the quality of Stevie and Xabi."

 

Gerrard himself shares his team-mate's belief in Liverpool's title credentials. "We know we're a good team, we know we're getting closer to a title challenge - we can say that. But we've to prove we can stay in the race till the end," he said.

 

Benítez, meanwhile, expects Gerrard to have recovered from the injury that cost him a place against Fulham and for England in Germany last week in time for tomorrow's Champions League group game against Marseille. "We are disappointed about Saturday but we cannot talk about past games now," said the manager. "We have to think about making mistakes and analyse why."

[Bootle Buck]

The crowd seemed to be very frustrated right from the KO Saturday. It's like we are expecting to just go and and win every home game easily. In CL games the crowd seem to get right behind the players yet in the league resort to their impatient groaning after plays break down. That has to affect the players.

[fyds]

It is a weird thing I've noticed myself - the more successful we are, the more impatient the crowd has become.

[cymrococh]

It's a strange feeling at the moment because we're doing well but a lot of our players are not really performing as well as they can, or as well as is expected of them.

 

People are more likely to take out their frustrations on individual players rather than the team/manager in situations like this. I know I've certainly felt like screaming at some of the performances of certain players, game after game.

[Stevie H]

It's a strange feeling at the moment because we're doing well but a lot of our players are not really performing as well as they can, or as well as is expected of them.

agree with that and think it's heightened somewhat by us being in touch with chelsea, the mancs not particularly flying out of the blocks and our having beaten the pair of them. so maybe collectively fans are thinking we could be a several points clear right now. that in mind though, we're always stronger in the back half of the season so carra's maybe right about the need for a bit more patience and faith.

[Cobs]

But the fans, and the players, all of us together have to realise we have to be patient. It is a long, long race and I'm sure there'll be a few more games like the Fulham one before the end of the season."

 

spot feckin on, Carra

[Alonso]

It is a long, long race and I'm sure there'll be a few more games like the Fulham one before the end of the season."

 

 

spot feckin on, Carra

Problem is we can't afford many more games like the Fulham one if we want to win the league. Chelsea and Man Utd don't slip up that often so we need to capatlise when we can.

 

That's not to say we as fans have the right to get impatient just means we have to try and get them going as much as we can in those type of games.

[MarkD]

Saturday was horrible all round. Teamdid not play well but the atmosphere was as bad as I can recall. The only sounds your could hear were the moaning from the moment the team was announced to berating of certain players. Was glad when it ended because I thought I was going to get a dig from some of the moaning brigade....

[Hassony]

Problem is we can't afford many more games like the Fulham one if we want to win the league. Chelsea and Man Utd don't slip up that often so we need to capatlise when we can.

 

Funny seeing chelsea have dropped exactly the same amount of points as us this season, and we are 8 points ahead of united

 

This does seem to be the strongest Premiership for a long time, most teams seem to have £10m players and internationals all over the pitch, and I don't think there are many easy games around

[beejay]

This is all part of the process of building a title winning side. The players & fans have to stay patient when we are struggling to break sides down but that's easier said than done.

 

While there is this belief that it's now or never (to coin a phrase) we are bound to get edgy when you can feel points slipping away but we have to overcome this and get behind the team. For their part, the players have to develop the right mentality as well. We should have been flying into Fulham from the start but too often this season, we have failed to start well and have had to chase the game in the 2nd half.

[Knox_Harrington]

Saturday was horrible all round. Teamdid not play well but the atmosphere was as bad as I can recall. The only sounds your could hear were the moaning from the moment the team was announced to berating of certain players. Was glad when it ended because I thought I was going to get a dig from some of the moaning brigade....

Worse time I can ever remember having in the ground. Especially given our league position. It made me more miserable than the dying days of Houllier.

[Cobs]

Problem is we can't afford many more games like the Fulham one if we want to win the league. Chelsea and Man Utd don't slip up that often so we need to capatlise when we can.

 

Do you think we'll go the season unbeaten?

 

 

 

feck knows what it'll be like when we lose a game

[usualsuspect]

Rightly or wrongly I can understnd the fans being nervous. We have been in promising positions before only to fade away around this time of the year. If we can get through the next few weeks the belief will only grow.

I just wish we could apply the CL fan energy to every League game. Would make a difference no doubt.

[Knox_Harrington]

Rightly or wrongly I can understnd the fans being nervous. We have been in promising positions before only to fade away around this time of the year. If we can get through the next few weeks the belief will only grow.

I just wish we could apply the CL fan energy to every League game. Would make a difference no doubt.

We've never been approaching joint top after thirteen games under this manager. First time since 2002, surely? There's also a difference between nervous and a gang of right c****. Pompey was nervous then mass panic. Saturday was just g*******ism.

[Hassony]

We've never been approaching joint top after thirteen games under this manager. First time since 2002, surely? There's also a difference between nervous and a gang of right c****. Pompey was nervous then mass panic. Saturday was just g*******ism.

 

Is it because the game was a 3 pm saturday kick off?

[Chili Palmer]

we're always stronger in the back half of the season so carra's maybe right about the need for a bit more patience and faith.

 

 

It will be interesting to see if thats still the case this season, without rotating half as much as we used to, the players might not be as fresh as they would be normally.

[Hassony]

It will be interesting to see if thats still the case this season, without rotating half as much as we used to, the players might not be as fresh as they would be normally.

 

I am hoping that Players Like Babel, Lucas, Dossena and Skrtel will flourish in the second half of the season

[DanielS]

I am hoping that Players Like Babel, Lucas, Dossena and Skrtel will flourish in the second half of the season

 

Thanks, Hassony. I needed laugh this morning.

[Barnesy_10]

Now I love Carragher, but saying 'The supporters have to realise we are in November and not March or April yet.' is ridiculous.

[Tosh]

Perhaps Snorky could organise a fan cull of some sort...

[Chili Palmer]

Now I love Carragher, but saying 'The supporters have to realise we are in November and not March or April yet.' is ridiculous.

 

I thought it was clear what he meant, no point on adding more pressure onto the team, if come April and we are drawing 0-0 at home and need the points to stay top, thats different.

[Barnesy_10]

I thought it was clear what he meant, no point on adding more pressure onto the team, if come April and we are drawing 0-0 at home and need the points to stay top, thats different.

Surely points dropped in November are potentiallty just as important as ones dropped in April? Points are points after all.

 

How many times have we looked back on a season and said 'if only we hadn't drop points at home to Birmingham/Spurs/Wigan last September etc etc'

 

Our away form was where we slipped up last season and we have certainly improved in that department, we can't afford to slip up on our own turf regardless of the opposition.

[DanielS]

Surely points dropped in November are potentiallty just as important as ones dropped in April? Points are points after all.

 

How many times have we looked back on a season and said 'if only we hadn't drop points at home to Birmingham/Spurs/Wigan last September etc etc'

 

Our away form was where we slipped up last season and we have certainly improved in that department, we can't afford to slip up on our own turf regardless of the opposition.

 

We can't, as fans, create the impression before a ball is kicked that we are being impatient and unsupportive. It doesn't matter what time of year it is the atmosphere on Saturday was awful even before the players came out.

 

Just a bad day all round.

[Chili Palmer]

Surely points dropped in November are potentiallty just as important as ones dropped in April? Points are points after all.

 

How many times have we looked back on a season and said 'if only we hadn't drop points at home to Birmingham/Spurs/Wigan last September etc etc'

 

Our away form was where we slipped up last season and we have certainly improved in that department, we can't afford to slip up on our own turf regardless of the opposition.

 

of course, 3 points in november is worth as much as 3 points in April/May. but at the minute we don't know if the point gained against fulham will win us the league or the 2 points dropped against fulham will lose us the league, in April/May we will KNOW exactly what the points mean, I think thats what Carra is trying to say.

[Barnesy_10]

We can't, as fans, create the impression before a ball is kicked that we are being impatient and unsupportive. It doesn't matter what time of year it is the atmosphere on Saturday was awful even before the players came out.

 

Just a bad day all round.

woah.... I aint justifying the fans impatience... that was s**** and cringeworthy stuff. I am talking about results.