Michael Carrick - Should he retire?

Whenever England enter any tournament, they are touted as one of the major threats and potential winners, but they always end up trophy-less.

What has been the reason for a country to not win any tournament, when they are considered to have by far the best league in the world? They also possess some of the best technically gifted and tricky players on the planet.

The reason that comes to mind is that England have been weak in an area which is considered to be the most important on the football pitch. This year, I thought England had a better chance with Ashley Young, Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson and Scott Parker; a midfield that any country would envy. So what contributed to England’s downfall?

England have tried various combinations in the midfield to try and win a major, or minor tournament for that matter. But England missed a trick by not picking Michael Carrick in the squad when he had by far had the best season. All teams across the globe want a midfielder who can hold on to the ball when required, and make tackles when necessary. England have attacking midfielders but always lack a midfield engine. A role that perfectly suits Carrick.

It is quite funny to see that the world’s best manager believes Carrick to have all the potentials to be his main man, and yet he is not considered good enough for England. Sir Alex has always trusted Michael Carrick to be his main midfielder, and has relied on him time and time again.

In 2006-2007, he played a key role in Ferguson’s side in helping them win the Premier League title after four years.

A year later he played the full 120 mins in the Champions League final and also converted his penalty to help United win on penalties.

He enjoyed a third consecutive title success in his third year with Manchester United.

All this speaks volumes about a player who has managed to achieve so much success for his club, and is yet deemed as surplus to requirement for his country.

Over the years, he has been sacrificed for the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry and recently Scott Parker. But were these players better than Michael Carrick and did they justify their selection? Let’s see.

Last season Carrick played a total of 30 league games, started 27 games and played the full game for 26 games, getting substituted once. During these games he attempted and completed more passes than any player on the pitch, on 19 and 24 occasions respectively.

The only answer or excuse Hodgson had for not selecting Carrick was “I wouldn’t dream of putting Michael Carrick on a standby list after he’s made it clear in the past he doesn’t want to be involved like that.” “I’d have to be convinced he was better than the four [central midfielders] I’ve selected, and that he’d be happy to come out of retirement.” However, the FA did confirm exactly after this quote that Carrick had not retired, and is available for selection.

So why is he overlooked? The answer is, either England don’t want to win any tournament or the stats are wrong. But neither is true.

Perhaps he is not selected because he not as big a brand as the above mentioned players. Probably he should retire!