7 May 2009(Thu)

May 5, 2009: With all these exciting forwards around in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, I thought it would be interesting to find out Dragan Stojkovic's take on the modern European game the other day.

We were standing outside Hitachi-dai at Kashiwa, and Pixie had a few minutes to kill before the Reysol-Grampus game.

"So who's the best player in the world at the moment?" I asked him, and expected a predictable answer.

I did not get one, although the player in question plays for Manchester United.

"I really like Michael Carrick," Pixie replied.

"As a coach he is exactly the kind of player you want in your team.

"He links the defence to the attack, and never gives the ball away. He is not a spectacular player but he is a key player because he organises the game and controls the team."

The choice of Carrick by someone so gifted as a player, someone touched by genius and who could mesmerise opponents with his extravagant skills, may come as something of a surprise. But the Grampus gaffer is mellowing in his middle-age, and appreciating the substance needed to form the backbone of a solid, consistent, successful team.

"It would be easy to say Ronaldo or Messi is the best in the world, but as a coach you are looking for someone to hold the team together game after game and never drop their level," he added.

"Carrick makes the right pass and never makes a mistake. If he makes a mistake in his position he kills his own team."

I was impressed with Pixie's choice -- and not only because I am biased towards Carrick due to his north-east roots at the famous Wallsend Boys Club, which also produced England greats Alan Shearer and Peter Beardsley among others.

Carrick is the kind of player whose work often goes unappreciated in the modern era of superstars and stepovers, fancy-dans, fancy flicks and fantasistas.

"When I talk to people in Europe, even some of them do not like this style of play. They say it's more like a circus," Pixie concluded.

No wonder Stojkovic is always quick to underline how important his own Michael Carrick -- Keiji Yoshimura -- is to the Grampus team, deep in the midfield engine room.

ends