The word legend is one that is constantly overused by many in the footballing world be never in the correct context.
But at Liverpool we have a true footballing legend in the form of Jamie Carragher a colossus inspiring player who has served this great club with honour and dignity throughout his time at Anfield.
Carragher is everything a young hopeful would want to become, only players like Ryan Giggs and Steven Gerrard have shown the same devotion to a club like Carragher has for Liverpool.
Which will make it even more harder to say farewell to the great one when he hangs up his boots, now am not saying he should go now all am saying its inevitable that Carragher eventuality must call it a day.
There are some fans who want Carragher to leave now and some who want a more gradual exit either way we will miss his presence.
The simply fact is we don’t have anyone who can fill his shoes now in terms of leadership or game reading, Agger is a great defender but doesn’t have the leadership skills in term of vocal presence and Skrtel just does as he’s told quietly and comfortably in contrast to Carragher who shouts orders like a lion and organises the defence like a military operation.
Jamie Carragher is a key part of the Liverpool defence and Kenny Dalglish has the hardest job to find or mould a player to fill the gap.
Over the past 18 months Carragher has lost a little pace and mistakes are starting to creep into his game which is down to age and loss of that extra yard.
We have to remember that Carra is 34 in January and there’s no way he will be able to keep up with players like Aguero or Defoe in a sprint for the ball.
But what is the answer and what role can Carragher play until it’s no longer viable to play him? Well one answer is to use Carragher as a sub and come on if we need a degree of calm or organisation on the field or we can use Carragher as a full back until the injured players return then place him on the subs bench.
Every fan will have different opinions on this and am sure not all will agree, also some think that Carragher should not play at all.
But its important to realise what Jamie Carragher has done for the club and how hard he works to keep up a high level of fitness so I would expect that every fan would grant Carragher that much at least.
It could also be said that if we went into the transfer market and purchased a 33-year-old defender what type of reaction would that bring? You can also argue that we need young fresh players to push for honours and that we need to phase out the older more experienced players.
Personally I want Carragher involved this season maybe not every game but in big games you need big players and no one fits the bill more than Carra he will shed blood for Liverpool and that’s what you need in big games.
We have young and experienced defenders but not ones with the leadership or organisational skills that Jamie Carragher brings and should he decide to hang up his boots then it will be one of the hardest goodbyes in Liverpool history, a true footballing legend that is Jamie Carragher.