http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Jamie-Carragher-c17728: Players should be blamed for Liverpool’s failure in the last two seasons – EPL News
Influential Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has refused to put blame on the former club owners, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Tom-c35214 Hicks and George Gillet, for the Reds’ failure to qualify for the UEFA Champions League in the past two seasons.
The English defender believes that the players are solely responsible for the Reds’ failure to participate in the Elite European competition.
For the past two years, Liverpool have failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, a competition which they have won five times.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Liverpool-c39809 finished a disappointing seventh under Rafael Benitez two seasons ago, majorly due to the departures of some high-profile players from the Merseyside club. The Reds’ then-owners refused to spend cash on new players and consequently Benitez decided
to leave the club.
Hicks and Gillets then appointed Roy Hodgson, who failed miserably to make an impact at Anfield as Liverpool endured the worst start to the Premier League in 58 years. Fenway Sports Group took over Liverpool in October 2010 after the board voted against
Hicks and Gillets.
FSG replaced Hodgson with club legend Kenny Dalglish in December 2010 and despite the Scotsman’s immediate impact, the Reds only managed to finish sixth in the league standings last season, failing to qualify for the champions league yet again.
Carragher has admitted it was a difficult period for Liverpool under the ownership of Hick and Gillet. However, the English defender believes that the players should be blamed for their two very disappointing seasons.
The English international told the reporters, “The last couple of years under Hicks and Gillett were difficult. But, to be honest, the players have to shoulder a lot of the blame for missing out on the Champions League. The ownership issue became an easy
excuse to trot out.”
The English defender outlined the example of Manchester United owners, the Glazers Family, who are very unpopular with the Old Trafford supporters, but their ownership problems never caused any harm to their club’s progress on the pitch; United won the Barclays
Premier League and finished runners-up in the UEFA Champions League last season.
“If you look at the Glazers at United, they are just as unpopular with the fans. Yet United have carried on being successful, winning the big trophies. It hasn’t affected them one bit on the pitch,” Jamie Carragher concluded.
Fenway Sports Group has made an immediate impact at Liverpool as they have already splashed over £100 million on new acquisitions in the past two transfer windows. With Kenny Dalglish at the helm, Liverpool are being considered favourites to finish in the
top four of the Barclays Premier League next season.
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