Stephen Carr

[TrapAPony]

Michael Ballack is 33 but he is still Germany's main man. He'll probably be in the Germany squad for a while yet, as long as he is performing well. Carr could be an option for us in the qualifying if he's still playing regularly, although hasn't he been retired from international football for a while now? Maybe he wouldn't answer the call.

That's fair enough. I just think we should look to the future and give Seamus Coleman a go at right back instead.

[Razors left peg]

I seen Alex McLeish talking about Barry Fergusons possible return to the Scotland squad the other day.He was saying that at 31 his recovery time from games is not what it used to be so Ferguson would have to think about being on the bench after each international game and he might find it hard to get his place back at all in the team.Basically he was trying to talk Ferguson out of it. So with that in mind I think he would totally blow his top if Carr made any attempt to come out of international retirement

[Acornvilla]

if i was steve to be quite honest i would focus soley on club football he has enough injuriy problems and with his age it would be stupid to put extra strain on himself. I say enjoy your football but not with ireland we need to start blooding the new generation

[tricky_colour]

I don't agree I think you should play the best available, if it increases the chances of qualification that is better for the
new generation. It also means the new generation are more likely to be second rather than third seeds in a group.
You are not building for the future by playing players who are not up to standard, you are making it harder for them.

[Acornvilla]

will carr be the same player by september? who knows? his clock is ticking

[seanfhear]

Just out of curiosity why was'nt Stephen producing this form when he was playing for Newcastle.

[geysir]

Recurring injuries were one reason, the Newcastle jinx.

[seanfhear]

Recurring injuries were one reason, the Newcastle jinx.
Newcastle does seem to be a special case for some reason.

Still its a bit of a mystery.

He was one of the top full backs in the PL in his hayday at spurs. I would say that his career was very badly blighted by injury unfortunately.

Not that this is hugely important but I always thought he was a little extra small for a full back but as I have said this did not seem to hold him back in his hayday at Spurs.

[irishfan86]

Just watched midweek match of the day and he absolutely embarrassed his opposite number by driving forward. He still looks very impressive going forward for a player of his age.

[livehead1]

I'm not really a fan of this 'building for the future' mantra. Wales have been using that as an excuse for each qualifying campaign that they flop! Play the best 11 players for each competitive games. Blood the young players in friendlies and 'B' games and ensure that Ireland have the best chance of winning each game by putting the best available players on the pitch for qualifiers.

The way he is playing at the moment, Carr would certainly be in the top 11.

[Colbert Report]

Bad day at the office for Stephen Carr. Booked on 23 minutes, gave up an own goal on 56 minutes, subbed off on 65 minutes.

[elroy]

Had a great season last year but like his club i think he will be a big downward spiral this year.

[Charlie Darwin]

He was very hard done by for the penalty - it was outside the box and he may even have nicked the ball.

[Grafter]

So what's Stephen Carr's present status at Birmingham? Out injured? Hard to see him getting back in at 36 now....

[nigel-harps1954]

Announced his retirement today citing his persistent knee problem as the reason. Turning 37 soon.

[Yard of Pace]

I was happy enough he managed to come back and do well in his latter years at club level but I can NEVER forgive him for that performance against the Swiss at home that night. There was once incident in particular when he just didn't bother running after his man. He looked like he didn't care an absolute damn.

[paul_oshea]

Ya he was the Conor O'shea of Irish football.

[Grafter]

I was happy enough he managed to come back and do well in his latter years at club level but I can NEVER forgive him for that performance against the Swiss at home that night. There was once incident in particular when he just didn't bother running after his man. He looked like he didn't care an absolute damn.


I do recall a feeling of disgust with him when he announced his first retirement from the Irish team in 2005 shortly after that Swiss team... He was 29!!!

To me it looked like he had fallen out of love with the game at that stage, to be fair I'd say his time out injured naturally could have made him more cynical and bitter about what his career might have been.

However, I recall he did come back to the green in time for the 4-0 Holland home mauling in 2006... never the same player post 2004 IMO

[DannyInvincible]

An in-depth interview with Carr by The42.ie in which he discusses his career and life post-retirement: http://www.the42.ie/stephen-carr-interview-3364915-May2017/

[SkStu]

For me, he was one of the least likable Irish players of the modern era (i.e. my memory). Always had a scowl and an air of arrogance about him. Granted, that was just from seeing him interviewed and reading some of his quotes etc. In my mind, he was one of the earliest Irish players who felt that his country was privileged to have him on the team rather than him being privileged to wear the green. Paved the way for the Stephen Irelands of the world.

(I'll give the interview a read later - it may change my mind somewhat)

[elroy]

Agreed, 100% with all of this. Never got the impression he was overly bothered about playing for Ireland.

Far better club career than international

[geysir]

Agreed, 100% with all of this. Never got the impression he was overly bothered about playing for Ireland.

Far better club career than international
Successive managers liked him and his attitude and kept picking him. Maybe he just wasn't concerned about being interviewed and didn't bother too much with that sort of stuff.
"It was an honour to play for my country. I didn’t play enough. There were too many injuries. But just to play was the most important thing because not everybody gets that opportunity."

[tetsujin1979]

I'm convinced I read a piece before where he said he just didn't like being interviewed, think he was still with Birmingham at the time.

[seanfhear]

Injuries reduced his potential by a lot.......Its impossible to say what could have been had he been lucky with injuries......

[Olé Olé]

Himself, Gary Kelly and Steve Finnan are all in and around the same age and have about 50 caps each. There was a natural progression over time, I think, from Kelly to Carr to Finnan. In the cases of Kelly and Finnan, this was in line with European success and for Carr, it was in line with brilliant club form and fitness. And a link to Barcelona.

I don't think the public took to him as well as the other pair, or so the media try and portray. Always liked him. He was a cracking player when fit.

[DeLorean]

I can't remember having any negative thoughts about him, just a good pro and a brilliant player. Pretty low key alright I suppose but I would have thought the same about Finnan.

[geysir]

I'm convinced I read a piece before where he said he just didn't like being interviewed, think he was still with Birmingham at the time.

And added to that, I recall reading some journalistic spiteful gossip and innuendo about him.

Here is a good article (http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/carr-shines-a-light-in-dark-days-for-football-25925862.html)about saint Stephen from 2003

'Well, let us introduce you to somebody. You won't know him that well because fame and Stephen Carr are not especially friendly. He's just a good pro. Twice voted the best right-back in the Premiership, but armed with all the hubris of a bellboy.

Half-an-hour in his company brings a wash, rinse and tumble-dry to your prejudices. He is 27, current captain of Tottenham Hotspur and just about the sanest human being you could encounter in a high-performance domain.'

[geysir]

Whatever SkStu believes, the opposite opinion must be researched in order to establish vérité :)

[SkStu]

That's a fairly unnecessary post Geysir. I just expressed an opinion, you don't have to go and try to prove my opinion wrong. Your response to Elroy was enough to show you disagreed with my post but you felt the need to call me out individually. Okay, I get it, you dislike me.

I just took a look back through this thread and it seems that there were plenty more like me that felt the same way at the time he was playing/retiring/playing/retiring.

[tetsujin1979]

Stu has a point geysir, you presented evidence contrary to his opinion, no need to call him out personally on it

[EAFC_rdfl]

Well able to bang in a goal too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXCi9JXCrCA

And

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv7KXG-3wu0

[KrisLetang]

This recent conversation got me thinking, who are the top 5 most loathed Ireland players of all time. Loathed by the fans, I mean. SI, maybe Carr. Who else?

[tetsujin1979]

Up until this conversation, I didn't think Carr was loathed to any degree at all.

[Charlie Darwin]

It's comforting in a way that when we question players' commitment, we don't restrict ourselves to current players. That's where we differ from the English I think - they only hound players who are actually in the squad.

[CraftyToePoke]

It's comforting in a way that when we question players' commitment, we don't restrict ourselves to current players. That's where we differ from the English I think - they only hound players who are actually in the squad.

Nothing like a good grudge to keep the soul energised & alert CD.

[KrisLetang]

Up until this conversation, I didn't think Carr was loathed to any degree at all.

I didn't either. Just looking at the capped list on Wiki, there have been 9 Kelly's that were capped total. Alan Jr, Alan Sr, David, Gary, Jimmy, Mark, Noel, Phil, and Stephen. Surely at least one was loathed.

[SkStu]

Just to be clear, I didn't say "loathed" - that is a strong word. I said he was, for me, one of the least likeable Irish players in my memory...

[geysir]

That's a fairly unnecessary post Geysir. I just expressed an opinion, you don't have to go and try to prove my opinion wrong. Your response to Elroy was enough to show you disagreed with my post but you felt the need to call me out individually. Okay, I get it, you dislike me.
It was meant in jest that's why I put that smiley thing there, nothing to do with a like or dislike.


I just took a look back through this thread and it seems that there were plenty more like me that felt the same way at the time he was playing/retiring/playing/retiring.
I don't know how many others shared prejudices about Carr in the past, prejudice x 10 or x 20 is still prejudice, not a justification for having one. It was a well known fact at the time, that Carr didn't do interviews, because journalists referred to it often enough in their write-ups around the games.

[irishfan86]

Carr at his peak IMO was better than Finnan (certainly going forward) -- my issue with Carr was never his personality or any B.S. like that -- it was the fact he continued to keep his place even when it was clear that Finnan was playing at a higher level. And that often meant Finnan was shunted out to the left or not played at all.

[geysir]

Carr at his peak IMO was better than Finnan (certainly going forward) -- my issue with Carr was never his personality or any B.S. like that -- it was the fact he continued to keep his place even when it was clear that Finnan was playing at a higher level. And that often meant Finnan was shunted out to the left or not played at all.
Was there a time Finnan was available but not selected? I more or less thought that the main reason Finnan was shunted around to LB and RM was because our squad depth was weak and as he was the best footballer, he could do a good job elsewhere and allow the more limited Carr (by that stage) and Kelly to play at RB.
Stan called Carr up for that campaign because the squad was stretched thin, even Sledge was called up based on a TV reality show or something and that whiz kid O'Brien.

[Fixer82]

Was there a time Finnan was available but not selected? I more or less thought that the main reason Finnan was shunted around to LB and RM was because our squad depth was weak and as he was the best footballer, he could do a good job elsewhere and allow the more limited Carr (by that stage) and Kelly to play at RB.
Stan called Carr up for that campaign because the squad was stretched thin, even Sledge was called up based on a TV reality show or something and that whiz kid O'Brien.

Trap completely ignored Finnan and pretty much retired him iirc.

I remember people thinking Carr was arrogant but probably because he didn't like to do interviews.
I remember reading in one of Tom Humphries' books that he asked Carr for an interview and Carr looked him up and down and said 'No chance pal'.
So these kind of things don't help. But I'm sure he doesn't care.
I respect him for not doing interviews if he didn't want to

[Stuttgart88]

Carr was a good judge of character then.

I always thought Carr was a bit snarly and I was disappointed when he retired early from international football. His performances declined after his injury I think. He was total class in his prime.

Finnan suffered from his versatility I think. Super player. Much as I love Coleman, I don't think he's as good as either Carr or Finnan at their best. We've had some brilliant full backs in the last 30-40 years.

[tetsujin1979]

Trap completely ignored Finnan and pretty much retired him iirc.

I remember people thinking Carr was arrogant but probably because he didn't like to do interviews.
I remember reading in one of Tom Humphries' books that he asked Carr for an interview and Carr looked him up and down and said 'No chance pal'.
So these kind of things don't help. But I'm sure he doesn't care.
I respect him for not doing interviews if he didn't want to
Trapattoni's first game was in May 2008, Finnan played the Norway and Montengro games in August/September but barely played for Espanyol for the rest of the season. After moving to Portsmouth in 2009, he'd missed most of the previous 12 months and despite playing regularly couldn't force his way back into the Irish side, and retired at the end of the season.

[OwlsFan]

Finnan suffered from his versatility I think. Super player. Much as I love Coleman, I don't think he's as good as either Carr or Finnan at their best. We've had some brilliant full backs in the last 30-40 years.

If I had a choice between Carr, Finnan or Coleman at their best, I think I'd go for Carr. Blistering pace and good on the ball. Finnan, while a top player, always seemed that bit ponderous to me. Seamas, not far behind Carr with the pace but perhaps not as strong defensively but you're right: three great players.

[seanfhear]

Had Carr stayed injury free he probably would have been an Irish Super hero .

Injury can be the difference between not been overly popular and being a Super Hero .

Sport can be a hard business........