A Bench Of Carraghers?

 Six months ago it seemed unthinkable that Liverpool could go into a big important game without Jamie Carragher in the team but Sunday sees a real possibility of that happening. Carra has been around the first eleven for going on fifteen years and has been a consistent starter for a decade, putting in whole hearted performances every week and very rarely slipping below an 8 out of 10. Sometimes his workrate, determination and obvious effort are cited as his biggest qualities but most Liverpool fans feel that is a little insulting and overshadows his real main quality – his ability. Jamie’s football brain often sees him in exactly the right place to make an important tackle and his influence on his team mates’ positioning has saved us from conceding many many more goals than his knack for sticking the ball into his own net has cost us. His long range passing isn’t a standout feature of his game but it’s certainly on a par with that of John Terry and other respected centre backs, and his intelligence when passing short allows us to retain the ball comfortably enabling the midfield to get on with its job of providing service to the front men. Jamie Carragher has not only been a fantastic servant to Liverpool Football Club but also a fantastic player for us, and he continues to be so, his performance against Brighton on Sunday was up to his usual standard.

 I’ve chosen to highlight our number 23 in the run up to Sunday’s Cup Final to show the harsh reality of being a professional footballer and it looks like Jamie could find himself very unlucky. Carra has been one of the first names on the teamsheet for ten years, a leader by attitude and a leader by example. He is LFC through and through and playing at Wembley for Liverpool would mean as much to him as it would to anybody, he has often spoken of how much he wants this and how proud it would make him. It’s hugely unfortunate that in the few months before our first Wembley final of the millennium he has lost his place in the team for the first time in a decade.

 What should Kenny do about the defence this weekend?

 Pick Carra for sentimental reasons? If chosen to partner either Martin Skrtel or Daniel Agger he wouldn’t let us down and including Jamie wouldn’t weaken the team but picking him purely so he can play at Wembley for Liverpool is kind of insulting to somebody who doesn’t deserve it. Jamie wants to be in the team on merit and more than anybody would hate to feel he got the sympathy vote.

 Leave Carra out of the side and play Agger and Sktrel? These two have been in excellent form and will provide the heart of our defence for years to come. They both deserve to be in the team at Wembley and it would hit either one of them hard if they were left out. They are both quick, strong, dominant in the air and, in real contrast to Carragher, goal threats. They should both be in the starting eleven.

 Change formation and play three centre backs? I think this is a real possibility, Kenny has played three central defenders a few times this season and, while the team has never looked totally comfortable with it, it is certainly a system they are not unfamiliar with. This would allow Gerrard, Adam, Henderson, Suarez and Carroll to provide our attacking threat, aided by Johnson and Enrique on the flanks. Downing and Kuyt have improved since the turn of the year but neither has been in undroppable form. Bellamy would be a good option out wide against a club that means so much to him but he hasn’t really featured in the last couple of matches so could justifiably be left on the bench. I would expect Cardiff to pack their midfield against Liverpool so 5-3-2 would mean we weren’t outnumbered in that area. The only downside is I don’t expect Cardiff to commit too many men forward, meaning we may have an extra central defender with very little to do, and you can’t afford any redundant positions in a cup final.

 Choosing how we line up on Sunday and informing those who don’t start of his decision is a part of Kenny’s job I wouldn’t want. As exciting as it is picking a team for a cup final it looks like there will be at least one very difficult call to make. Let’s hope we’re 4-0 up at half time and we have the opportunity to give plenty of time on the pitch to all of those who deserve it.