Carragher: Older Reds deserve more blame

By ESPNSTAR.com staff

Despite lifting the Carling Cup and finishing second in the FA Cup, Liverpool's season has been disappointing to most fans after the club ended their Premier League campaign in eighth place, missing out on the Champions League for a third successive year. Most of the blame has fallen on the shoulders of under-performing players, especially new arrivals like Andy Carroll, Stuart Downing and Jordan Henderson, who were expected to be part of a revolutionary group helmed by Kenny Dalglish to bring glory back to Anfield.

However, Carragher considers the vilification of the newer players as unreasonable. He believes the more exprienced playing staff that should have done more to halt the club's slide down the table.

"I think they have had a lot of unfair criticism. Henderson, Downing, [Charlie] Adam, Carroll - whoever it may be, it's always been a new signing," he said to the Daily Mirror.

"Have they been scapegoats? Yes. But I think it's players like myself, players who've been here a long time who deserve more criticism than the new players. They've just been finding their feet, learning what Liverpool is all about."

After Dalglish was sacked at the end of the season, a bevy of managers has been linked with the position at Liverpool and the central defender is hoping the appointment is resolved soon.

"At Liverpool, we would all like to know who our manager is, whoever it is, you give 100 per cent at the start of the season," Carragher said.