BRENDAN Rodgers is right to call on his players to ease the burden on Steven Gerrard, except for the fact that the talisman hasn’t performed to his top level himself, for about a year and a half at least.
He’s a great player still, of course that goes without saying, but he isn’t the same as he was under Rafael Benitez. It’s not that the Spaniard made him who he is, but his peak coincided with Benitez’s reign.
Then his partnership with Fernando Torres blossomed into one of the deadliest seen in the Premiership. Torres wilted away and gradually so did Stevie G.
It’s blatantly obvious to see nowadays that he doesn’t have half as much impact on a game as he used to. Think back to the 2004-05 season when there was a battle going on with Everton for a 4th place finish, with the Toffees coming to Anfield seven points ahead.
His performance on that day, as well as later performances against the likes of Manchester United in 2008-09 (during that famous 4-1 win at Old Trafford), were immense. Yet they’re all a shadow of yesteryears.
During the latter half of the 2010-11 season when he got injured and was ruled out for the entire second half of the season, there were a lot of nails being bitten in and around Melwood.
Roy Hodgson had just been fired, Liverpool were still mid-table and Kenny Dalglish had just come in.
Yet with players like Meireles and Lucas operating the midfield, Liverpool suddenly saw they didn’t need Gerrard to play like a one-man football team. Of course he makes any side that tiny bit better, but it doesn’t mean there are no possibilities without him.
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He’s a good player, not a superhuman. Neither is Luis Suarez.
The players need to start understanding this as well. For some reason Liverpool players refuse to understand – and if they do then they refuse to show it – that this is a team game where everyone on the pitch is expected to perform and contribute as an important wheel in the machine.
Hardly seems like Rodgers calling on his players will wake them up but it’s time something did, to make them play like they know what to do with a football on a pitch.
Accurate passes to feet, finding space around defenders, and shooting on target.
These are basics which other teams seem to be doing a lot more against Liverpool, so why can’t we?
Today against Southampton, it’s time we see those things being done effectively.
Of course it doesn’t mean just saying it here will make it happen, but you can only hope. It’s something Liverpool fans have unfortunately had to depend on a lot over the last few years. How times change.
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Bring us Guardiola to put lfc back in the top
If that clown of a manager actually played Gerrard where he is best , then Gerrard might be great again
By talking about Gerrards lack of form ,he is trying to shift attention away from his poor management of the club
Nowadays, S. Gerrard can’t shot on target, even on short distance.
Rogers fault for misuse