Like most Liverpool fans, I feel a sense of pride when the club's players represent their countries at a global event; in some way, they are still representative of Liverpool. Doing well in a World Cup reflects positively on the club.


It's almost a paternal sense of pride I feel: they leave the nest and go out into the wider world, with the aim to prove themselves, and I want them to do well for their own sakes, to enhance their own reputations – and boost their confidence – rather than wholeheartedly supporting the team they represent, as I would Liverpool.


Criticism of any Red on international duty irritates, especially when it's with England, when they have to suffer the particular mania of the tabloid press. I've always looked to defend players unfairly or excessively criticised, and I take it personally when I see someone like Peter Crouch – such an easy target at times – lambasted by journalists or fans who couldn't care less about him. I want him, and the others, back at Melwood next month in good spirits, not having been made to feel like a villain, as the newspapers are capable of doing.


I get the sense that any single mistake from Crouch will see a year in which he has proved himself as a more than capable international footballer wiped out by the fickle onlookers. It doesn't matter how well he does, he's walking a tightrope and will never bank enough credits for the naysayers.


But with just eight teams left he's still out there – unlike a collection of Reds whose elimination came this week.


We didn't get to see Jan Kromkamp in Germany. Harry Kewell's absence through gout gave Italy an advantage, after the Liverpool winger had found his best form in the final group game.


So they are on their way home, as are the three Spanish lads, two of whom – Luis Garcia and Xabi Alonso – did their reputations no harm at all, while the third – Pepe Reina – has time on his side when it comes to getting a game on this stage. If he can't dislodge Iker Casillas, he will at least step ahead of his deputy, Santiago Canizares.

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With Scott Carson unlikely to feature, as another 3rd-choice keeper, that just leaves the Reds' England outfield players as likely participants in the remainder of the competition. Of those, only Steven Gerrard is guaranteed a game. The Liverpool captain has been excellent in a couple of matches, and merely steady in the other one-and-a-bit, as he nears one full year spent playing continuous football.


However, I don't think we've seen anything approaching the best of Jamie Carragher in Germany. He improved so much once converted to centre-back at Liverpool it seems a retrograde step to have him at right-back, although I suspect he's just happy to be featuring. Right-back was never his best position – strangely, he even looked better at left-back – and he's not played there for two years.


He also suffered because of the circumstances. Against Trinidad and Tobago he was going to be given a lot of space to attack into, but that's not his natural game.


The Swedish match was one of those tricky situations where a draw is enough to succeed – and even defeat wouldn't be catastrophic, with progress guaranteed – and the entire team's level is not at 100% as a result, and he was exposed without adequate midfield cover. In a tighter, tougher game his ability would come to the fore, but it seems Liverpool fans' favourite Gary Neville will be back for Portugal.


At this World Cup we've seen a whole host of proven top Premiership players looking uncomfortable, and much of that is down to pressure – but not just normal big game pressure, which they are more than used to at their clubs, but big game pressure when they have less familiarity, understanding and reassurances to call upon.


Thierry Henry has virtual carte blanche at Arsenal; he knows how his teammates will support his every move, and has freedom to drift wherever he feels he can cause most danger. For France he appears far more inhibited. John Terry is an absolute rock for Chelsea, in a team with its defensive shape well-drilled and established; for England he's looked uncertain and unsure. Are these suddenly bad players? Of course not.


It shows the psychological aspects that effect even the best club players when put into different environments and playing under different guidance.


Carragher is an integral part of the Liverpool set up; he plays in a central position and dictates the defensive play. He is also a senior figure at the club, and one of the first names on the teamsheet – and, no less, is a man who excelled in a victorious Champions League final. For England, he hasn't got that security, nor that authority. He is not a key man.


In some ways Carra's England situation is reminiscent of the struggles facing someone like Jan Kromkamp arriving at Liverpool. Kromkamp, who didn't get off the bench for Holland this summer, came to Liverpool, where he was valued by the manager, but not first choice.


At times he played out of position, as any good pro will happily agree to, but was never going to find Steve Finnan handing over the right-back spot on a plate. It's a difficult challenge.


With so much stacked against him, it shows how well Peter Crouch has done since moving into two new footballing environments: Liverpool and England. He can feel hard done by in Germany to be annexed by the return of Wayne Rooney.


It's highly ironic that Crouch's all-round game was dismissed as irrelevant by some pundits when they said that his goalscoring record was nowhere near good enough to have him represent his country. And yet his scoring rate at this level has proved to be far superior to that of Rooney, the man who has replaced him. I'm not doubting Rooney's wonderful ability; but I've not seen too many saying Crouch deserves the spot because of his superior England goal ratio.


With the exception of the tie against Trinidad and Tobago, the service into Crouch was poor in the games in which he featured. Steven Gerrard was too deep to influence play and link up with his club colleague with those quick give-and-goes, while Frank Lampard was in no mood to pass the ball.


Lampard resembled a man who, having bought the lottery ticket and not won, buys another 70,000. He really is attempting to stretch the law of averages until it snaps into a million pieces. No wonder England's strikers have struggled to score goals – their only hope in the first four games came from a rebound to Lampard's ack-ack fire.


Midfielders should always have the right to shoot from distance, as it can lead to deflections and rebounds, if the original shot does not sail in of its own accord. But they also have to self-censor. Lampard was not England's man in form – Crouch was – and more effort should have been made to supply passes, rather than trying to rectify his own goal drought.


So far the best performances by a Liverpool player have belonged to Xabi Alonso. Both he and Steven Gerrard have displayed the class in the centre of the park to which we've become accustomed.


Alonso's passing is so crisp and swift. If he's given time he can pick out anyone on the park, but if the ball is played into him under pressure he can keep possession with accurate first-time passes fizzed to a teammate. His accuracy is awe-inspiring; not just accuracy to feet but the right pace for a teammate running onto a pass.


I also felt Luis Garcia outshone the illustrious Raul, with far better movement, and was constantly taking up clever positions. He's also an excellent substitute. This is not meant to sound like a slight – as in that's where he belongs. He can come on and change the course of a game.


But Benítez's 'Beach Boy' can now get the suntan lotion out. And with all the football played by Liverpool in the past eleven-and-a-half months, the sooner they all get themselves away on a restful holiday the better.


Source: Liverpoolfc.tv