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Cup finalist James living with Calamity tag
DAVID JAMES has launched another attack on Liverpool by insisting he was "going nowhere" at Anfield.
James' top-flight career has been reborn since joining Aston Villa last summer and his impresive form for the FA Cup finalists has earned him a call-up to the latest England squad.
But he has never shaken off the "Calamity James" tag given him following a string of high-profile howlers during his Reds' career.
"At Liverpool it reached a stage where I didn't know what I was doing," he said.
"I couldn't go into a game with the clear mind needed to perform to the best of my standards.
"There were new goalkeepers and new staff and the dual managerial thing between Gerard Houllier and Roy Evans, which I thought would be the breeding ground for something nice at the club, didn't work out.
"As an individual you were looking to see who you were going to get the advice and the authority off and that caused problems for me and a lot of players.
"There was a bad vibe around the place - and I had to get out of that situation if I wanted my career to progress.
"I was coming home from training not feeling happy. We were not dealing with the day-to-day stuff properly goalkeeping-wise. It was sort of overlooked.
"I include myself in the blame because I should have said something about that situation but we let it go. It's silly really but that's what happened.
"It was not a good time for me - and I wasn't going to perform against that sort of background."
The life-line was offered last summer by Villa manager John Gregory - and James quickly struck up a rapport with former Arsenal, Crystal Palace, West Brom and QPR keeper Paul Barron, who is now Villa's goalkeeping coach.
He said: "When I signed for Villa we sat down and had a good chat and his main concern was what I needed which I felt quite chuffed about.
"I am coming in here at Villa, working with Paul and going home happy. At Liverpool if I had a bad session of training I'd go home in a bit of a sulk."
What James does accept is that he will probably never be able to shake off his 'Calamity' tag however well he performs, although he takes it in his stride with a philosophical approach.
James admitted: "That's life. Tags are going to stay until the media decide not to put them there. It's easy to do that. Perhaps it's unfair but it doesn't annoy me.
"I said to my wife as soon as I was given the 'Calamity' tag that I was going to have it for the rest of my career. Hopefully I can change it but it's not something that bothers me."
© Liverpool Daily Post & Echo
James' top-flight career has been reborn since joining Aston Villa last summer and his impresive form for the FA Cup finalists has earned him a call-up to the latest England squad.
But he has never shaken off the "Calamity James" tag given him following a string of high-profile howlers during his Reds' career.
"At Liverpool it reached a stage where I didn't know what I was doing," he said.
"I couldn't go into a game with the clear mind needed to perform to the best of my standards.
"There were new goalkeepers and new staff and the dual managerial thing between Gerard Houllier and Roy Evans, which I thought would be the breeding ground for something nice at the club, didn't work out.
"As an individual you were looking to see who you were going to get the advice and the authority off and that caused problems for me and a lot of players.
"There was a bad vibe around the place - and I had to get out of that situation if I wanted my career to progress.
"I was coming home from training not feeling happy. We were not dealing with the day-to-day stuff properly goalkeeping-wise. It was sort of overlooked.
"I include myself in the blame because I should have said something about that situation but we let it go. It's silly really but that's what happened.
"It was not a good time for me - and I wasn't going to perform against that sort of background."
The life-line was offered last summer by Villa manager John Gregory - and James quickly struck up a rapport with former Arsenal, Crystal Palace, West Brom and QPR keeper Paul Barron, who is now Villa's goalkeeping coach.
He said: "When I signed for Villa we sat down and had a good chat and his main concern was what I needed which I felt quite chuffed about.
"I am coming in here at Villa, working with Paul and going home happy. At Liverpool if I had a bad session of training I'd go home in a bit of a sulk."
What James does accept is that he will probably never be able to shake off his 'Calamity' tag however well he performs, although he takes it in his stride with a philosophical approach.
James admitted: "That's life. Tags are going to stay until the media decide not to put them there. It's easy to do that. Perhaps it's unfair but it doesn't annoy me.
"I said to my wife as soon as I was given the 'Calamity' tag that I was going to have it for the rest of my career. Hopefully I can change it but it's not something that bothers me."
© Liverpool Daily Post & Echo
