Jamie Carragher article

[SheffGinge]

Is anybody able to share article from the Telegraph so that I don't have to sign up to read it?

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Is anybody able to share article from the Telegraph so that I don't have to sign up to read it?

Just type it out

 

[MobileBlade]

Of all the managers recently promoted to the Premier League, none have impressed me more than Sheffield United’s Chris Wilder.

There have been many coaches excelling directly from the Championship, all worthy of special praise. Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and Nuno Espirito Santo have shown it is possible to establish yourself as a Premier League regular, with Wolves going further than most in competing at the top of table rather than flirting with relegation, albeit with the considerable influence of super-agent Jorge Mendes.

Huddersfield Town’s David Wagner was exceptional in his first season in the Premier League, defying the odds to keep his side in the division before reality caught up the following year. Brendan Rodgers made such an impression with Swansea City he got the Liverpool job. And you cannot underestimate the contribution of experienced coaches such as Tony Pulis and Steve Bruce, who led sides into the top flight and consolidated their positions. In Pulis’ case, his efforts were appreciated by Stoke City far more after he left and their troubles began.

But when you look at the whole package - the transfer resources available, the progressive style of football and the nature of results and performances - Wilder has achieved something few newly-promoted coaches have managed. He has brought genuine tactical innovation to the Premier League and demonstrated it is possible to thrive by playing a front-footed rather than negative, dour game.

After my first visit to Bramall Lane this season, observing Wilder’s three-at-the-back system, I was certain they would stay up. More than that, it was obvious they would cause huge problems for any side they faced trying to figure them out. I have to be honest, this shocked me in an exciting way.

Managers tend to be conservative, especially those who come up with a primary target to avoid relegation. How many think the best way to thrive and survive is to take the game to the opposition? Most of them will justifiably point out they must work with what they have, which tends to mean building defensive blocks. An early stand-out performance came in August when Sheffield United came from two down at Chelsea. Wilder spoke about ‘getting into his players at half-time’. Other managers would have taken the 2-0 defeat and been thankful to leave with dignity. He demanded more.

 

[Sam64]

Of all the managers recently promoted to the Premier League, none have impressed me more than Sheffield United’s Chris Wilder.
There have been many coaches excelling directly from the Championship, all worthy of special praise. Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and Nuno Espirito Santo have shown it is possible to establish yourself as a Premier League regular, with Wolves going further than most in competing at the top of table rather than flirting with relegation, albeit with the considerable influence of super-agent Jorge Mendes.
Huddersfield Town’s David Wagner was exceptional in his first season in the Premier League, defying the odds to keep his side in the division before reality caught up the following year. Brendan Rodgers made such an impression with Swansea City he got the Liverpool job. And you cannot underestimate the contribution of experienced coaches such as Tony Pulis and Steve Bruce, who led sides into the top flight and consolidated their positions. In Pulis’ case, his efforts were appreciated by Stoke City far more after he left and their troubles began.
But when you look at the whole package - the transfer resources available, the progressive style of football and the nature of results and performances - Wilder has achieved something few newly-promoted coaches have managed. He has brought genuine tactical innovation to the Premier League and demonstrated it is possible to thrive by playing a front-footed rather than negative, dour game.


After my first visit to Bramall Lane this season, observing Wilder’s three-at-the-back system, I was certain they would stay up. More than that, it was obvious they would cause huge problems for any side they faced trying to figure them out. I have to be honest, this shocked me in an exciting way.
Managers tend to be conservative, especially those who come up with a primary target to avoid relegation. How many think the best way to thrive and survive is to take the game to the opposition? Most of them will justifiably point out they must work with what they have, which tends to mean building defensive blocks. An early stand-out performance came in August when Sheffield United came from two down at Chelsea. Wilder spoke about ‘getting into his players at half-time’. Other managers would have taken the 2-0 defeat and been thankful to leave with dignity. He demanded more.

Of course, at the elite level, coaches like Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp can put their vision into operation with the most technically-gifted players - and those trying to get to the top will study and imitate what they are doing. That has undoubtedly filtered down through the divisions in a positive way. Norwich City and Aston Villa have been similarly proactive in their tactical approach this season and struggled, which serves only to underline the excellence of Sheffield United.

Playing three centre-backs is not new - a lot of promoted clubs have done it and Liverpool played that way when I made my debut in 1997 - but the way Sheffield United go about it is unique. You do not see other teams encouraging the wide centre-backs to overlap like Sheffield United, or telling their centre midfielders and strikers to overload wide areas.
Wilder did not play 3-5-2 at his former clubs. In fact, he only changed tack after losing three and drawing one of his first four League One games in charge at the start of the 2016/17 season. His side was booed off after a 3-0 home loss to Southend. They lost their next game, too, but went on to win 100 points to gain promotion. It needed courage and vision to lead that kind of transformation.
I am looking forward to seeing how Wilder’s coaching career develops, and what kinds of opportunities present themselves or attract him in the future. We all know how difficult it is for English managers to get the biggest Premier League jobs. It is easier to get the England job than one at a top-six club.
Premier League 2019/20 table - latest standings (top six)
English Premier League

	Team	P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
1	Liverpool	25	24	1	0	45	73
2	Manchester City	25	16	3	6	36	51
3	Leicester City	25	15	4	6	28	49
4	Chelsea	25	12	5	8	9	41
5	Tottenham Hotspur	25	10	7	8	8	37
6	Sheffield United	25	9	9	7	3	36

I am not sure that is fair, or right, but it has been that way for a while and I do not see it changing soon.

The last thing I want to do is go down the tired route of complaining English managers are misjudged on stereotypes and false perceptions. I think the way certain coaches are typecast is more complex than that.
We attach labels based on more than nationality. Since they are facing each other on Saturday it is worth comparing the broad view of Wilder to Bournemouth’s Howe.
On the surface, they have followed a similar career trajectory. The difference is Howe is seen as more sophisticated, possessing purer footballing beliefs, a manager-in-waiting for a club such as Tottenham Hotspur, or even England. That opportunity has not yet come - and to be fair to Howe he regularly plays the hype down - but there are plenty who believe it unjust that he has been overlooked for so long.
Do we feel the same way about Wilder? There is a patronising tone about the praise heaped upon him.
Does he have too much of a plain-speaking northern accent? Is it because he is not deemed ‘fashionable?' I keep hearing how his side has qualities such as togetherness, spirit and organisation - attributes which ought to be compulsory in any team but tend to be emphasised more when judging sides of limited ability. You never hear Bournemouth described in such a manner, the implication being there is more finesse to their game. It is not true.

Sheffield United did not have the same wealthy backing as Bournemouth when moving up the divisions. They did play a cultured game, however, and there is nothing ‘old school’ about Wilder’s approach. He has achieved amazing results through far more than hard work.

There is another cause to celebrate Wilder’s success. The Premier League is healthier with a geographical mix and for a while there was an imbalance between clubs from the north and south.
When the Premier League formed in 1993, clubs such as Leeds United, Sheffield Wednesday, Blackburn Rovers and Oldham Athletic joined the powerhouses of Liverpool, Everton and Manchester United.
There has been a worrying decline at northern clubs which were once established in the top division, and it is sad to see the state of the likes of Blackburn, Bolton Wanderers and Sunderland when you consider where they were not so long ago - and where they should be now.

This trend concerns me. Overseas players may be more attracted to living near cities such as Brighton and Bournemouth, but if some of the great institutions of the north west and Yorkshire revive themselves, that can change.
Leeds might add to the Yorkshire contingent by securing Premier League promotion. That will add more colour, emotion and - dare one say - interesting fixtures to the calendar. Such clubs bring passionate supporters who make the game more entertaining for neutrals.
Bramall Lane is proof of that. It has been one of the most thrilling venues to watch Premier League football this season.

Wilder must take the credit for this and the Sheffield United board must appreciate what they have before any tempting offers materialise.

 

[MobileBlade]

Of course, at the elite level, coaches like Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp can put their vision into operation with the most technically-gifted players - and those trying to get to the top will study and imitate what they are doing. That has undoubtedly filtered down through the divisions in a positive way. Norwich City and Aston Villa have been similarly proactive in their tactical approach this season and struggled, which serves only to underline the excellence of Sheffield United.


Playing three centre-backs is not new - a lot of promoted clubs have done it and Liverpool played that way when I made my debut in 1997 - but the way Sheffield United go about it is unique. You do not see other teams encouraging the wide centre-backs to overlap like Sheffield United, or telling their centre midfielders and strikers to overload wide areas.

Wilder did not play 3-5-2 at his former clubs. In fact, he only changed tack after losing three and drawing one of his first four League One games in charge at the start of the 2016/17 season. His side was booed off after a 3-0 home loss to Southend. They lost their next game, too, but went on to win 100 points to gain promotion. It needed courage and vision to lead that kind of transformation.

I am looking forward to seeing how Wilder’s coaching career develops, and what kinds of opportunities present themselves or attract him in the future. We all know how difficult it is for English managers to get the biggest Premier League jobs. It is easier to get the England job than one at a top-six club.

I am not sure that is fair, or right, but it has been that way for a while and I do not see it changing soon.

The last thing I want to do is go down the tired route of complaining English managers are misjudged on stereotypes and false perceptions. I think the way certain coaches are typecast is more complex than that.

We attach labels based on more than nationality. Since they are facing each other on Saturday it is worth comparing the broad view of Wilder to Bournemouth’s Howe.

On the surface, they have followed a similar career trajectory. The difference is Howe is seen as more sophisticated, possessing purer footballing beliefs, a manager-in-waiting for a club such as Tottenham Hotspur, or even England. That opportunity has not yet come - and to be fair to Howe he regularly plays the hype down - but there are plenty who believe it unjust that he has been overlooked for so long.

Do we feel the same way about Wilder? There is a patronising tone about the praise heaped upon him.

Does he have too much of a plain-speaking northern accent? Is it because he is not deemed ‘fashionable?' I keep hearing how his side has qualities such as togetherness, spirit and organisation - attributes which ought to be compulsory in any team but tend to be emphasised more when judging sides of limited ability. You never hear Bournemouth described in such a manner, the implication being there is more finesse to their game. It is not true.

Sheffield United did not have the same wealthy backing as Bournemouth when moving up the divisions. They did play a cultured game, however, and there is nothing ‘old school’ about Wilder’s approach. He has achieved amazing results through far more than hard work.

This trend concerns me. Overseas players may be more attracted to living near cities such as Brighton and Bournemouth, but if some of the great institutions of the north west and Yorkshire revive themselves, that can change.

Leeds might add to the Yorkshire contingent by securing Premier League promotion. That will add more colour, emotion and - dare one say - interesting fixtures to the calendar. Such clubs bring passionate supporters who make the game more entertaining for neutrals.

Bramall Lane is proof of that. It has been one of the most thrilling venues to watch Premier League football this season.

 

[MobileBlade]

Well that got mixed up. But we got there!

 

[Trigger Blade]

What does he mean when he talks about the revival of some of the great institutions of the North West and Yorkshire, that will mean that players don’t need to live in Brighton or Bournemouth?

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

A very interesting and well researched article .

Clearly not written by Carragher since , apart from other obvious pointers , it doesn't say " eeah , eeah " after every other word .

 

['Doc' Pace my hero]

An excellent article and surprisingly aware.We are everything that the premier league needs and the sycophantic manner in which the media are drawn to the southern prima donnas and traditional northern powerhouses is sickening.We can change the dynamics,we can be the future,because we are witnessing at SUFC a premier league revolution.It happened under Brian Clough at unfashionable Forest and the similarities at Bramall Lane under Chris Wilder are very much the same,this is our time to make history.

 

[bornablade]

A good article. Thanks for posting A couple of points.

Carragher didn't write it.

At the end why did he have to bring Leeds into the article?

Overseas players being attracted to Bournemouth and Brighton. I think he had to make up his word count and just made this part up.

'Bramall Lane .... one of the most thrilling venues.....Chris Wilder must take credit for that'
Bramall Lane has always been a thrilling venue. Chris Wilder would even acknowledge that.

In 2014 (when the likes of Carragher didn't even know we existed) the atmosphere at those cup games against Forest and Charlton was equal to anything we are seeing now.

The Blades supporters can never be accused of just appearing in numbers and vocal support now we are in the Premier league.

 

[ATL Recs]

A good article. Thanks for posting A couple of points.

Carragher didn't write it.

At the end why did he have to bring Leeds into the article?

Overseas players being attracted to Bournemouth and Brighton. I think he had to make up his word count and just made this part up.

'Bramall Lane .... one of the most thrilling venues.....Chris Wilder must take credit for that'
Bramall Lane has always been a thrilling venue. Chris Wilder would even acknowledge that.

In 2014 (when the likes of Carragher didn't even know we existed) the atmosphere at those cup games against Forest and Charlton was equal to anything we are seeing now.

The Blades supporters can never be accused of just appearing in numbers and vocal support now we are in the Premier league.

I think we are very quite at home tbh
Other than the South Stand kicking off at every not offside by a mile that they believe is offside by a mile -
It’s a decent article doesn’t matter if it’s a ghost writer and that’s obvious ,why else would he mention *eeds surely any footy follower knows the “wheels coming off” is an annual event in that rugby town

 

[SherburnBlade]

Well that got mixed up. But we got there!

So good , I read it twice!

 

[SheffGinge]

Thanks for sharing. Still not sure how to feel about the love in we are getting from some sections of the media. I'm almost happy that we still have lawro, Durham and Crooks to get pissed off at.

 

[Cheesebored]

What does he mean when he talks about the revival of some of the great institutions of the North West and Yorkshire, that will mean that players don’t need to live in Brighton or Bournemouth?

They may be tempted to live in other seaside towns in the north. I recommend cleethorpes and morecambe.

 

[TTMeysh]

Overseas players being attracted to Bournemouth and Brighton. I think he had to make up his word count and just made this part up.

To be honest, I think this is true. There is a footballers' enclave for Bournemouth players in the Sandbanks/Branksome area that first developed when Portsmouth were having their brief moment in the sun: lots of the kind of properties that footballers like (modern, swimming pool, home cinema etc) and an ecosystem has developed to service it of expensive shops, car dealers etc. South Yorks doesn't have a similar enclave which might be a good or bad thing depending on your point of view, but I suspect it is easier for the south coast clubs to take a continental footballer and his missus on a tour of the area and show them how they are going to fit right in.

 

[John Street West Terrace]

Good article that .. enjoyable read & I agree with a lot of the points .. good point about how there had been a decline in the number northern clubs in the PL over the years

 

[Boxer Blade]

I presume it was written by Jamie Carragher who then passes his report on to a Telegraph professional writer to put it all together to make it a more interesting read, good read as well, I think Carragher is ok generally.

 

[borg elite]

A very interesting and well researched article .

Clearly not written by Carragher since , apart from other obvious pointers , it doesn't say " eeah , eeah " after every other word .

 

[RealMcCoy]

To be honest, I think this is true. There is a footballers' enclave for Bournemouth players in the Sandbanks/Branksome area that first developed when Portsmouth were having their brief moment in the sun: lots of the kind of properties that footballers like (modern, swimming pool, home cinema etc) and an ecosystem has developed to service it of expensive shops, car dealers etc. South Yorks doesn't have a similar enclave which might be a good or bad thing depending on your point of view, but I suspect it is easier for the south coast clubs to take a continental footballer and his missus on a tour of the area and show them how they are going to fit right in.

Also, I think it’s the London attraction. Anywhere in the SE is close enough to access all the delights London has to offer premier league footballers and their wives.

 

[sitwell]

I think we are very quite at home tbh
Other than the South Stand kicking off at every not offside by a mile that they believe is offside by a mile -
It’s a decent article doesn’t matter if it’s a ghost writer and that’s obvious ,why else would he mention *eeds surely any footy follower knows the “wheels coming off” is an annual event in that rugby town

You think we are quiet at home ,have you been away this season ?

 

[Davalon]

Some good points well made whoever wrote it.

I like the acknowledgement that adjectives like hard working and organised are often patronising plaudits when they should be a given for any team at this level.

We can play football like Villa and Norwich but we do the other necessaries much better.

 

[BushBlade]

Also, I think it’s the London attraction. Anywhere in the SE is close enough to access all the delights London has to offer premier league footballers and their wives.

That’s certainly the case for Brighton but Bournemouth is quite a distance, it’s not really in the south east.

 

[grafikhaus]

Chris's style reflects his upbringing - in life, in football and in management. He's not been parachuted into top jobs like some, he's had to fight for everything he's got. All these kind words will soon translate into 'I told you so's' from the usual failures (who none have ever succeeded as managers) if it starts to go wrong and Chris knows he'll stand and fall by his own efforts and his alone.

He 'chimes' exactly with our fans.

 

[coaxingstar71]

There's a growing amount of discussion about Wilder being touted for a 'top 6 club' or even the England job. I'm sure it's meant to be complimentary but Wilder has just signed a new 4 year contract, we are in the top six, we've just shown our ambition in this transfer window and he loves the club - barring an absolute catastrophic sequence of events, there is no way he would even consider going anywhere else.... and why would he?

I honesty think we are on the cusp of an opportunity to become at least a regular top 10 club with aspirations to win silverware.

I don't even believe it's about money.

 

[John Street West Terrace]

They may be tempted to live in other seaside towns in the north. I recommend cleethorpes and morecambe.

2 Vegas’s Of The North there .. Drugs , Dogshit & DSS

 

[BushBlade]

Chris's style reflects his upbringing - in life, in football and in management. He's not been parachuted into top jobs like some, he's had to fight for everything he's got. All these kind words will soon translate into 'I told you so's' from the usual failures (who none have ever succeeded as managers) if it starts to go wrong and Chris knows he'll stand and fall by his own efforts and his alone.

He 'chimes' exactly with our fans.

It seems like that because of the change in owners at many of the big clubs lessons of the past haven’t been learnt. They’re very similar to the new owners of the championship clubs over the past ten or so years; come in, spend money before they understand the pitfalls of recruitment and make unfathomable managerial choices. Is there that much of a difference between the Glazers and Chancer? Football clubs can be quite fragile and it takes a lot longer to repair them than it does to break them.

 

[Le Cynique]

Of course Carra didn’t write it himself; he’s a pundit, not a journalist. How it works is the pundit will have a conversation with a journo who’ll then turn it into something fit for publication (at least once it’s been through a sub-editor).
Even journos like Phil McNulty have their work polished.

 

[Tom Bott]

Football clubs can be quite fragile and it takes a lot longer to repair them than it does to break them.

Unless you appoint the dream team that is CW/AK.