IRELAND CAPTAIN Seamus Coleman has hit back at Liverpool and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher after the Liverpool man said 'he felt sorry for him' last season.
Coleman and Everton managed to escape relegation last year. Everton's defending for large parts of the campaign was dreadful. Coleman, who was Everton's first choice full back was on the receiving end of a few of those defensive lapses.
One example was when Everton were annihilated by Antonio Conte's Tottenham Hotspur 5-0.
"Seamus Coleman - I actually feel sorry for him - he's been a great full-back for Everton, but right now this is happening far too much, where people are just running in behind him,” Carragher said on Sky Sports.
"And that goes back to Everton's recruitment, that Seamus Coleman's still playing right now."
Liverpool and Everton will play in the first Merseyside derby this weekend. Coleman is expected to start on the bench behind Nathan Patterson.
🗣 Seamus Coleman on @Carra23.
“When Carragher had a go at me after the Spurs game, no problem at all.
But when you are maybe consistently having a go at Everton then you can get more angry at that.” pic.twitter.com/JOmO2s7Fl3— The Everton End (@TheEvertonEnd) September 2, 2022
Coleman knows well that it comes with the territory when it comes to football.
“It’s part and parcel of the game that you get criticised,” said Coleman, at a Spar Better Choices event.
“When Carragher had a go at me after the Spurs game, no problem at all.
"But when you are maybe consistently having a go at Everton then you can get more angry at that.
"As a player, I have always tried to understand where people are coming from and Carragher’s comments came after the Tottenham game, when we got well beat.
The Donegal man also felt that Everton were 'everyone's punching bag', and that balance was needed from pundits like Carragher at Sky at the time.
“We were everyone’s punching bag at that time, and we were very bad on that night, but you just want some balance in the comments from pundits at times.
“When you see Richarlison’s ankle bending over on a TV replay and some of the pundits are telling him to get up and stop play acting, then that can feel a little different.
“People were well within their rights to question us last season given where we were, but the lads showed great character to get out of the situation we were in.
Everton vs Liverpool will kick off at 12.30 tomorrow
