IN the run-up to Euro 2012, there was some speculation that the tournament might be Steven Gerrard’s last hurrah in an England shirt.
Now past his 32nd birthday and with a medical file as thick as a whale omelette, he has begun at times to look ever-so-slightly past his best, in the field of physical stamina if not of spirit.
As several others have done before him, including Carra, it was thought that he might stand down from international duty in order to take the pressure off him, and attempt to spin out his club career as long as possible by judicious resting and careful therapy. English LFC fans have of course been in two minds about this.
But the picture seems to have changed this year. The John Terry fiasco left the national captaincy open and, though Scotty Parker did perfectly well in the role, it was always clear whose was the organising mind in midfield. As it is at Liverpool, of course – it isn’t just Stevie’s playing contribution we miss when he’s injured, it’s the combination of fighting spirit and footballing intelligence. He’s not an over-articulate or demonstrative man, but he’s definitely a leader. He was the obvious choice for captain for the Euro’s, and didn’t he play up to the role? He and Parker constituted a mighty engine in midfield; his set-pieces were devastating; his confidence in going up first at the penalty shoot-out was so natural and so inspired, it’s a pity his example wasn’t followed; and I saw a stat on Twitter claiming that no-one so far at the Euro’s has surpassed Stevie’s 18 successful tackles.
So the Lion of Liverpool continues to roar at the top level, even though it is clear that his role is being gradually adapted (Roy Hodgson, of course, has fairly up-to-date knowledge of his recent development). He still has all the moves as an attacking midfielder, but his legs are beginning to let him down. He’s looking more comfortable a bit deeper, ensuring proper cover for the back four and setting up attacks with those much-sung-about forty-yard passes. Leave others to do the hard yards up and down the pitch; Stevie will last England another year or two, hopefully until the World Cup, as a rock in mid-pitch and a set-piece specialist. In the latter role, and as captain, David Beckham still managed to make a decent contribution after his brilliance had begun to fade. (I can’t see Stevie ever becoming quite as metrosexual, though.)
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Well, that’s England. What about Liverpool? I expect that Brendan Rodgers will be having a good long talk with his skipper, if he hasn’t had it already. It will be focusing on exactly how to manage the captain’s physical weaknesses, as well as seeing how well Stevie will adapt to the new manager’s style. (Stevie isn’t really tiki-taka and never has been; but he’ll be intelligent enough to adapt.) Might Rodgers even decide to move Stevie out of the picture as soon as honourably possible, and rebuild for a future without him, as I can imagine him doing with Carra?
That would be bold, but I hope it doesn’t happen. Every time Gerrard comes back from an injury or a bad trot of form, he manages to show that the sheer game-changing skill and power are still there. So I hope it isn’t sentimental to hope sincerely that the man who has given his life and wrecked his body for Liverpool won’t be packed off to the knacker’s yard. He’s surely got to be central to Rodgers’ efforts to bring on all those young players who are yet to show their full potential. And, like Kenny Dalglish before him, he’s probably not that much of a verbal communicator; the Gerrard type of leader has to lead by example. So rotate and rest him a bit by all means; but let’s see another two seasons from Our Man, for Liverpool and England both. And God spare his hamstrings!
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whale omelette ?
gone kill yourself
Please explain what you mean Jerry. Do you mean Go on kill yourself, and if so who? Cipriano or Gerard.
gone kill yourself makes absolutely no sense.
Well he’d have alot longer left if he is left to be played behind the attackers in a more attacking role rather then having to sit and break up play and help the defence out. He hasn’t got the legs to play a full season doing the attacking and defensive work. If he is to have a good few years left in him like Scholes or Giggs then we should start to rely less on him and let him play a more of a free attack minded role.
Its good we address this issue, as Gerrard is at that age when either he starts to slowly fade or adapts…
We have seen a deeper role for Gerrard at times last season and makes sense for him to start to consider a deeper role for the remainder of his career, similar to Alonso maybe. Different players yes, but Gerrard can pass a ball and at times his passing over distance is top notch. he can break up play and his set-piece work can be excellent. All in all, used right he has another couple or 3 seasons left, maybe more, maybe not.
If the policy at LFC is younger players, then I don’t see any issues, Gerrard can be the marshal while the young guns do all the leg work … with the right players around him, we could see a different Gerrard and LFC and possibly a better team, not so reliant on the captain.
Paul.philosophy
Eternity because he’ll ever be our mythic captain who won at Istanbul ^^
If he plays a Deeper role, Henderson can supply the attacking threat from midfield. I can see that midfield partnership working next season…
He should step down from International duty and concentrate on LFC. Why torture yourself for an unworthy cause. England will achieve nothing in another 50 years
Surely its down to Steven himself to adapt to a new role,i think a better midfield combo would be him and Aqua as i think Gerrard is every bit as good as Alonso IF he is willing to change his mentallity and try to curb driving forward and let the clever Aqualani do the attacking role but i`m sure both SG and BR know what they want YNWA
Gerrard, Carra, Macca, Alonso these players all has one thing in common, wasted talent cause by years of mismanagement (wasted tranfer funds on so called “potential” e.g. Henderson, Downing anyone?, in fighting) courtesy of the likes of Parry, Moores, the 2 cowboys and of course a certain Dalglish in recent years with the only bright spot the CL victory in 2005 and finishing within 4 points of the champions in 2009, all thanks to a certain Spaniard who STILL resides in Liverpool.
The point is its a shame a local world class talent like Stevie has yet got a Prem medal while our out of favor Cole has a few. Our academies are not the conveyor belt that they used to be churning out players like Owen (in his prime), Macca, Carra and of course Stevie. Now the best they can do is to give us the hapless Spearing.
Now with BR we are on another course of “rebuilding”, we have been doing that since the days of Houllier. We could of course reappoint Rafa and stand a better chance of attracting real talent (think Alonso, Mash, Torres) and thus hit the ground running in challenging for titles instead of looking at some Icelandic who is more likely to opt for a team currently without a manager rather than us but FSG had other ideas.
So yes Stevie should retire from the National team to prolong his years with LFC as we are very unlikely to win anything in the next 2 to 3 years at least judging by how things are going.
the only team that rafa could ever be a success at is man city, they are the only ones at have the cash he would need. you talk about 3 players he signed. what about the other 97 he signed.
Kumber, you have to put things in context. You implied Rafa have a lot of money to spend during his time he was with us, he did not. Remember those 2 cowboys? Considering the resources he had or the lack of it, he did a good job. Much better than a certain Kenny Dalglish who had the owners full support and cash but blew 85 mill on 4 overated mediocre championship level players.