Carragher joining Sky’s line-up of legends (Video)
In a fortnight that has seen Gareth Bale awarded the double wammy of PFA player of the year and young player of the year, it’s fair to say that Gary Neville would feature pretty highly in any punditary equivalent. Having struck gold with Neville’s brand of no-nonsense yet intelligent Mancunian analysis, Sky Sports are staying in the north with their appointment of Liverpool’s soon-to-be-retired Jamie Carragher.
In some quarters within Anfield, Carragher is seen as a future Kop manager. This is understandable as he bleeds not only red, but all the colours of the change kits Liverpool possess. Behind the desk in the Sky Sports studios he will have the ideal opportunity to develop a reputation as a shrewd tactical mind.
While that may seem like a speculative attempt to shoe-horn star ex-players into illl-fitting managerial roles, take a moment and think about this. If your club, in the next five years, announced the appointment of Gary Neville as a manager, would you not feel like your team is in safe hands? I would advise Carragher, not that he needs any guidance, to take his new role seriously, and bother to really carry on the great work done by his United rival. Respect within the game, and not just at Anfield, awaits.
Sky, with their admittedly extortionate subscription packages, seem to have woken up and smelt the coffee. If they are going to be paying pundits presumably generous packages to analyse the action they televise, the customers are going to want to see value for money. It is something the BBC, funded by British tax-payers have sadly neglected – coasting off the back of Alan Hansen’s ‘never win anything with kids’ soundbite. He, Mark Lawrenson, and more recently Alan Shearer, have been peddling their oral chloroform for too long. The addition of Phil Neville to the MOTD2 team is welcome, but just like on the field, he will never be quite as good as his brother.
With the appointment of Carragher, Sky are in danger of leaving the competition behind.
Just don’t let this video put you off.
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