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JIMMY CARTER


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Good article here on Jimmy Cater, one of Kenny's more infamous signings. Looks like he's playing for the legends now.

 

 

 

Jimmy Carter on his Liverpool FC heartache and Kenny Dalglish's eye for a player

By Ben Thornley

Jun 16 2011

3ShareAdd a commentRecommend (3) As Liverpool’s summer spending continues, Kenny Dalglish’s transfer judgement receives backing from an unlikely source – Jimmy Carter, a player often described as his biggest failure

 

HISTORY may not remember his move to Liverpool kindly, but Jimmy Carter has a fond keepsake of his short spell at Anfield.

For two decades he has endured the jibes of Liverpool supporters and the harsh words of critics who gave him the label of Kenny Dalglish’s poorest signing and an indication the Scot was struggling with the pressure which prompted his resignation in 1991.

“People have long memories,” says the 45-year-old.

Yet many forget that Carter – who has backed Dalglish’s eye for a player, now and 20 years ago – made a blistering start to his Liverpool career.

Days after completing his £750,000 move from Milwall in the January of 1991, he made an impressive debut in a 0-0 draw at Aston Villa before claiming the man-of-the-match Champagne in his next outing against Wimbledon.

The unopened bottle still takes pride of place in his house.

“I signed on the Wednesday or Thursday and went straight into the side playing in front of 52,000 people at Villa Park,” says Carter, who was once hauled off by Graeme Souness shortly after being brought on from the bench. “We drew 0-0 but we dominated and deserved three points.

“In the next game against Wimbledon I was awarded the man-of-the-match award. I still have the bottle of champagne, which I’ll be showing to the grandkids.”

However, Carter – speaking at the inaugural British Airways Football Legends Invitational Tournament in Barbados where he was playing for Liverpool – has now represented the club on more occasions in masters football than he did as a professional.

Only a month after recruiting the pacy winger, Dalglish quit Liverpool because of stress-induced poor health following a turbulent two years.

The loss of his biggest backer shook the confidence of Carter who failed to recapture his early Anfield form.

And the arrival of Souness as Dalglish’s long-term successor ended his Liverpool career after just five games and two starts.

He was sold to Arsenal for £500,000 in October 1991 but never fulfilled the promise he had shown at Milwall.

“When I signed it was a great joy to be asked to play for Liverpool. It was a great honour for me to wear the red shirt,” says Carter, who had terrorised the Reds defence in Liverpool’s 2-1 win at The Den in the 1989/90 season.

“Kenny signed me in the January of 1991 and by February he was gone. You can imagine from my point of view I was totally deflated.

“When King Kenny comes in for you, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

“Graeme Souness came in and said straightaway that I wasn’t going to be for him and within 10 months I’d gone.

“I wanted to stay but I wasn’t going to take a stance, there was no use hanging on.

“It knocked my confidence big time. I don’t think I ever recovered from it.”

Despite the personal pain caused by his rejection, his biggest regret is leaving a blemish on Dalglish’s transfer record.

Carter, a tricky, pacy winger in his prime, said: “I get a bit of stick now and again from Liverpool fans and outsiders who say ‘what the hell was Kenny doing?’.

“In a way I feel like I’ve let Kenny down because I wasn’t successful there. That’s the bottom line.

“You can look and this and that, but for whatever reason I didn’t make it at Liverpool. For me that is a great regret because Kenny is a true gentleman and a fantastic guy.

“For him to have that blot on his transfer record, I feel sorry.”

Defending the signing of Carter, who was bought as back-up to John Barnes and Ray Houghton, Dalglish wrote in his autobiography, ‘My Liverpool Home’: “Jimmy was what I felt we needed.

“He had pace, could go right or left.

“I think Liverpool were just too big for him. In the end Jimmy felt inhibited by Anfield, which was a disappointment because he could have given us an extra dimension.”

But Carter, now a property developer, rejects that explanation.

“I wouldn’t go along with that to be fair,” he insists. “Kenny leaving was a big blow to me. He had watched me for a number of years. He knew I was comfortable on the ball and could play the Liverpool way. But it wasn’t to be.

“For me, I felt very comfortable with the quality Liverpool had there.

“I was never in awe of any of the lads, they made you feel so welcome anyway.”

Even before Carter signed for the Reds there were complaints from supporters and the media that he was “not a Liverpool player”.

As the Reds’ summer rebuilding continues, there have been similar grumblings from some fans about the list of names linked to Anfield, with Dalglish and director of football Damien Comolli targeting young, predominantly English players.

Carter, though, insists there are few better judges of talent in football.

“I think Kenny is knowledgeable enough to go for any player he believes can improve the side and help Liverpool challenge for the title, whether he’s English or otherwise,” he says.

“Kenny wouldn’t discriminate. Anyone he feels will benefit the club, he’ll be in there wanting to sign them.

“He has a great eye for a player. His transfer record is up there with the very best.”

Follow me on Twitter @BThornley_DPOST

 

 

Jimmy Carter on his Liverpool FC heartache and Kenny Dalglish's eye for a player - Liverpool FC - Sport News - Daily Post North Wales

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One of the funniest things in life is to listen to Jan Molby talk about Carter. I think he actually decked him in training once he was getting so annoyed at how shite he was.

 

Think that was Nicky Tanner he wanted to deck, Funny as fuck though!

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Guest San Don

Carter had a very good reputation at milwall when we signed him. I really think souness mind fucked him when he subbed him in a game not long after putting him on. That must have been one hell of a kick to his confidence. souness also got rid of speedie who managed to score a couple of goals against united for us when rushie in his pomp couldnt.

 

Im not say speedie or carter were our best signings but the way souness managed the club at the time is a matter of record.

 

Who is it who used to say 'football's a funny old game, saint.' (Rhetorical)

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Carter had a very good reputation at milwall when we signed him. I really think souness mind fucked him when he subbed him in a game not long after putting him on. That must have been one hell of a kick to his confidence. souness also got rid of speedie who managed to score a couple of goals against united for us when rushie in his pomp couldnt.

 

Im not say speedie or carter were our best signings but the way souness managed the club at the time is a matter of record.

 

Who is it who used to say 'football's a funny old game, saint.' (Rhetorical)

If I remember it correct we bought him after a cup game he played in.Not to sure if it was against Arsenal,but I remember he absolutely tore them to shreds.

 

Think he scored one or more as well,but that performance he was sensational,we bought him pretty much after it.

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Met him after an evening game when we used to wait for the players to come out and get autographs, he was a really nice guy, spent a good 5mins chatting with us even though his mates were in the car telling him to hurry up..... Top fella.

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If I remember it correct we bought him after a cup game he played in.Not to sure if it was against Arsenal,but I remember he absolutely tore them to shreds.

 

Think he scored one or more as well,but that performance he was sensational,we bought him pretty much after it.

 

Didn't he score for Millwall against us at Anfield? Seem to recall he smashed it into the roof of the net. Think we drew 1-1 and it was their first season back in the top division.

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  • 9 years later...

I always feel that Carter gets a lot of stick simply because Kenny left so soon after his arrival. As the article says, he was man of the match in his second game, and he was already a First Division player who was good enough on the wing to make Tony Cascarino look like a top striker. We beat Arsenal to his signing, and even after Souness made it publicly clear that he didn’t fancy him we still got almost all of our money back. 
Speedie is a different story - apparently he and Souness had never got on, going right back to their time with Scotland half a decade earlier. But Kenny had tried to sign Speedie a few times over the years, and he made an immediate impact when he came in. 
The real transfer boobs were made much earlier. Glenn Hysen had a good first season, then an iffy second season, and barely featured in his third. Ronny Rosenthal was a brilliant loanee, but once he’d arrived for £1million never hit those heights again. 
 

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20 hours ago, Ron B said:

I always feel that Carter gets a lot of stick simply because Kenny left so soon after his arrival. As the article says, he was man of the match in his second game, and he was already a First Division player who was good enough on the wing to make Tony Cascarino look like a top striker. We beat Arsenal to his signing, and even after Souness made it publicly clear that he didn’t fancy him we still got almost all of our money back. 
Speedie is a different story - apparently he and Souness had never got on, going right back to their time with Scotland half a decade earlier. But Kenny had tried to sign Speedie a few times over the years, and he made an immediate impact when he came in. 
The real transfer boobs were made much earlier. Glenn Hysen had a good first season, then an iffy second season, and barely featured in his third. Ronny Rosenthal was a brilliant loanee, but once he’d arrived for £1million never hit those heights again. 
 

Speedie would have been even better under Kenny,he was decent for Souness but he didnt know a good player from a bad one as Liverpool manager. We also tried to sign both Gary Mac and Gary Mabbutt under Kenny,and Pallister too which I felt contributed to his sudden departure too. Kenny saw the writing on the wall,while Souness was that writing!

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55 minutes ago, VladimirIlyich said:

Speedie would have been even better under Kenny,he was decent for Souness but he didnt know a good player from a bad one as Liverpool manager. We also tried to sign both Gary Mac and Gary Mabbutt under Kenny,and Pallister too which I felt contributed to his sudden departure too. Kenny saw the writing on the wall,while Souness was that writing!

Yeah. In slightly unclear as to when Kenny first tried to sign Speedie. It might have been at the time Rushie left (I’m more than glad we got Aldo instead) or it might have been instead of Rosenthal (which I’d have been fine with, looking back). 
Gary Mac didn’t think he was good enough to force his way into the side, which sounds mad, but then you remember that we already had Whelan and McMahon absolutely bossing it, and that when Leeds won the title a couple of years later Gary Mac was the least celebrated of that Batty-Strachan-Speed-McAllister midfield. I believe this was why the deal for Big Jan to go to Barcelona fell through.

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