Seamus Coleman hits back at Jamie Carragher Everton…

Seamus Coleman hits back at Jamie Carragher Everton criticism and addresses Richarlison claims

Everton captain Seamus Coleman has said he was able to take personal criticism from Jamie Carragher - but admitted he does get ‘angry’ at consistent attacks on his club and former teammate Richarlison.

The 33-year-old came under serious fire from ex-Liverpool defender Carragher for his part in last season’s 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Tottenham, which saw Spurs three up by half-time and five up before the hour. Everton’s lacklustre performance warranted criticism, but the Sky Sports pundit somewhat unfairly zoned in on Coleman.

"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 told Sky Sports at the time. "And that goes back to Everton's recruitment, that Seamus Coleman's still playing right now."

Despite being personally targeted for criticism, the Republic of Ireland international admitted he was able to brush it off as ‘part and parcel of the game’ - but he admitted that constant bombardment of his club and teammates cannot be ignored so easily.

“It’s part and parcel of the game that you get criticised,” said Coleman, speaking exclusively to the Irish Independent. “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. 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.

“At the end of it all, it could have been a disastrous season for Everton, so you have to understand where pundits are coming from at times.”

Coleman remains an important part of Frank Lampard’s plans at Goodison Park, but has taken a more restrained role in the first-team as Nathan Patterson continues to impress. He remains club captain and, following minor surgery on a groin injury during the summer, has been slowly returning to playing - mainly for the under-21s side.

The Goodison Park faithful will no doubt see the veteran throughout the season, as fixtures come thick and fast. But at 33, the right-back is no doubt considering life after playing - he has admitted, however, the controversial nature of punditry might not be for him.

“Nowadays to be a pundit, you need to be so controversial with your opinion to get back on TV next week,” Coleman added. “That means that sometimes some of the opinions can be a bit silly. At the same time, you don’t want to be sitting on the fence, but it is a balancing act.

“I see pundits and you kind of wonder whether they have forgotten that they were a player once and went through the same battles that the current players are going through. When I’m injured and watching a match in the stands, the game looks so easy, but when you are in the thick of it and in a tough match, you can’t always be perfect.

“Sometimes I question whether pundits are saying things for the sake of getting a reaction on TV. This is why I think I’d like to stay in football in some way when my career comes to an end. For now, I still have big targets to aim for with Everton and Ireland, but I know that day will come.”

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