West Ham v Liverpool. If Anybody Deserves A Great Reception, It is Carragher.

I was appalled by the crowd's treatment of Lampard and Terry, feeling that in the case of these two, bygones should be bygones. Lampard had no choice other than to leave the club after the dismissal of his dad and uncle, and had been a figure of hate for a section of the crowd even whilst wearing the Claret & Blue. Terry left us aged 14 and can hardly be held responsible for the actions of his mother. Both are brilliant in their positions and fantastic servants of the England team. Carragher, on the other hand, is beyond reproach as a model human being.

To begin, leaving aside his supposed great crime against West Ham, there is this mistaken notion of Jamie's dodging his National Service. The guy has been accused of being a traitor, putting his ego over and above the national football team. Upset about not being first pick, some say, the Jamie Dodger walked out on the England team and declined to swallow his pride when injuries and suspensions made his presence crucial in that vital game against Croatia. Now some will argue that, in the long run, that torrential cloud had a silver lining because the Wally with the Brolly was washed back down his spout, but I believe that, even with McClaren in charge, we could have made the final in the Euros. Because of Carragher's selfishness, some say, we will never know. "If I'm not number one, I'm not playing and sod the country." Carragher's attitude seems, to some, to sum up the whiney Scouse Nation perfectly - they think they are a people apart, so special, so unique. Give them their own Nation some say, now that literally would be a police state! What nonsense! The people of Liverpool are the salt of the earth - every one a model bastion of society and the perfect citizen!

And Carragher is not a stranger to crime some say! They point to that "autobiography" where he talked about his mates asking him on a mobile about whether they should beat up Luckless after seeing him in a shopping Mall? The only reason Carragher gave for not green lighting it, he says in the book, was that Neill had seen him with one of the guys, so the link might be made. Do I believe the story? That's not the point, it is the example it sets some say. Those Liverpool teenagers who have actually entered the education system might read that and think it is acceptable to behave in that way, they contend! What nonsense! We know there is no street crime in Liverpool, no gang crime! What an absurd assertion! Everybody in Liverpool respects the laws of society and cooperates with the police to help solve crime. Closing ranks against the rossers? Not in Liverpool mate!

But to the supposed big crime, the reason why West Ham fans should loathe Jamie - that instruction he gave to press Scaloni in the Cup Final, ignoring all the supposed rules of gentlemanly conduct in the process. Gentlemanly conduct? What am I saying? This was a Cup Final, a showpiece event it is true, but a Cup Final. Remember what Shankley said about football being more important than Life and Death? There's no gentlemanly conduct in war is there? Well apart from the Geneva Convention and that seems to be flouted all the time these days anyway. No, Jamie was right to give that instruction! He was leading, setting an example, showing the world that winning at all cost is more important than honouring the spirit of the game. Jamie deserves a medal. Oh, of course, he got one!

So I don't want a repeat of the vicious abuse of Terry and Lampard - that cannot be justified under any circumstances, and nor do I want to see the guy get the whistle every time he touches the ball. That's not what he deserves. In fact, why not give him a plaque before kick off thanking him for his services to the National team and to the spirit of the game? Jamie Carragher, Liverpool and England God, a figure admired and revered by every Hammer in the land. Jamie, this blog salutes you!