Carra's book

[Xherdan]

As far as footballers autobiographies go Carra's book is excellent. Future LFC manager imo.

[Nerik]

Carra's book is one of the best I've read by a player who is still playing. Most others are more into talking themselves up and blaming others whereas Jamie gives a lot of insights into the game. Just read Rushie's book which I enjoyed a lot, especially the first 2/3 of it.

[sir roger]

Crouchy's one was OK and gave some insights into guys he'd played with.

 

2 of the stories that made me chuckle were.

 

Ruel Fox got dropped and dumped into the reserves by David Pleat at Spurs , so he got his own back by twatting the ball at Pleat's head every time he turned up at the reserves' training sessions. Pleat stopped coming to training to avoid him.

 

Portsmouth's players held a crisis meeting about their shocking form and it went on for ages. Robert Prosinecki sat at the back & worked his way through a whole pouch of Golden Virginia roll-ups. Eventually Kit Symons turned to Prosinecki & said ' As the senior pro Robert what do you think is the biggest problem at Portsmouth' ? Prosinecki replied

' too many fucking meetings ' and lit another ciggie.

[Manny]

Crouchy's one was OK and gave some insights into guys he'd played with.

 

2 of the stories that made me chuckle were.

 

Ruel Fox got dropped and dumped into the reserves by David Pleat at Spurs , so he got his own back by twatting the ball at Pleat's head every time he turned up at the reserves' training sessions. Pleat stopped coming to training to avoid him.

 

Portsmouth's players held a crisis meeting about their shocking form and it went on for ages. Robert Prosinecki sat at the back & worked his way through a whole pouch of Golden Virginia roll-ups. Eventually Kit Symons turned to Prosinecki & said ' As the senior pro Robert what do you think is the biggest problem at Portsmouth' ? Prosinecki replied

' too many fucking meetings ' and lit another ciggie.

 

Prosinecki was ace.

[cracker]

At the risk of getting my head bitten off I got it for Xmas and have read about half and flicked thru some of the rest and it is a fascinating insight into our club, but also tbh there are things about what he says that have annoyed me about LFC and even put me off him a bit. Previously I could see no wrong in him, he is still a legend don't get me wrong, but the halo has slightly slipped.

 

For example

1) Not enough is made of Hillsborough which only has a couple of pages and a passing mention - that event and its aftermath has defined our club in the last 20 years.

2) A bit too big headed - arguing back at people who suggest his distribution is dodgy - sorry Jamie it is!!

3) Says if ever he was regualrly on the bench he'd want to leave LFC

4) Bit of a fighting culture to it - his mates saw Lucas Neill after the injury at Ewood Park in the Trafford Centre and their inclination was to hit him and also he described a Sunday League final in his youth where things ended in a fight - he does not really go on to say that he thought that was wrong.

5) I knew he used to be a blue obviously but his description of the 1986 Cup Fimal of LFC clinging on and EFC in control or whatever he said was not exactly the truth imo

6) Passages where he praises MUFC (and even SAF) a bit and seems to say he does not understand why our fans are so against them. Jamie - that club and that man are my number one hate in the game and I do not like to hear a LFC player saying anything at all in praise of them.

7) He says he hates EFC more than MUFC. I don't - for me it is the other way round.

8) Bit too pro the local lads and anti some of the foreign LFC lads - OK some of the overseas players he mentioned were poor in ability and attitude but the one I loved was Vladi who does not get any praise in the book even for his Istanbul contribution (quote 'kissing the shirt was premature')

9) Talks about tackling opponents for his first team place hard in training and almost says that he wouldn't have a problem if he injured them if it helped him cement his place in the team

10) Describes how he went for a heavy 'session' prior to our EUFA Cup game away to Sloven Liberec and feels he performed badly that night cos he was still the worse for wear. Even if now he has grown out of that kind of behaviour to do it in the first place is uinacceptable imo.

11) On the evening of the rerun of the 1997 Grand National the reserves had a game and many players rang in sick (basically lying) and then went to the race - not great to hear how lightly some treated performing for the team I love even at reserve team level - Carra was not among them I hasten to add.

 

So there you are - 11 issues!! Tbh it could be that some of those are not totally fair (and obviously some on TLW will not agree with what I say I expect), but definitely I think some are. It must look as if I hate Carra which is not true at all. He is clearly the player at the club who most loves it and understands something of the history and I think he would make an ideal LFC manager one day but as has been seen above that does not necessarily mean I agree with all he says or that i think all he's done has been admirable.

[FatTed]

Embarrassing.

 

Wait, North Wales. That explains it.

[hamstrung]

Give it a rest, for fucks sake.

[cracker]

 

Wait, North Wales. That explains it.

 

Whats that supposed to mean? - you are the one embarassing yourself mate imo.

 

Since I wrote that post I've read another 100 or so pages of the book tonight and am now three quarters of the way thru it - and theres been some more great bits - his attitude to the CFC/LFC rivalry is exactly how I feel (loved the bit describing the 2005 CL semi second leg) and part of what he said about England i totally agreed with (LFC more important than England - and the reasons why I also feel myself). Could see exactly why he retired from England and agreed with it entirely. Also I think the 'What club is bigger than LFC?' quote - which I have as my fav quote on my Facebook page - is brilliant - sums up how myself and many other LFC fans think. Also love his description of why he and Nicola his wife turned down Hello magazine for their wedding pics - love their values there.

 

However even in this bit there are bits I am not comfortable with like his attitude to the WAGs in the World Cup and the description of how people known to him got in trouble with the German police. Also his praise of John Terry and David Beckham neither of whom I rate as players or even as people particularly does not sit easily with me.

 

But its all about opinions I suppose.

[Woo]

Just started the Rafa chapter, so just over half way through.

 

It really is a superb read.