Losing Gerrard doesn’t have to be a bad thing for Liverpool FC
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has been ruled out for two to three weeks with a hamstring injury, joining Lucas on the sidelines, while Raheem Sterling has a foot problem which caused him to miss the 3-2 victory over Tottenham and is very doubtful for the trip to Crystal Palace.
The strain of having the same players taking part in game after game, a congested fixture list with Liverpool competing on three fronts, having also made the League Cup semi-finals, seems to be taking its toll. Key players are beginning to break down just as the matches really start to intensify, with the likes of Southampton and Manchester City playing the Reds in upcoming weeks, along with the resumption of the Europa League.
Losing any player in the squad is always a blow, even in the past when Josemi was ruled out, or Djimi Traore! But to lose the skipper is especially concerning, given his influence and leadership in the team.
However, it is not the fundamental knockout that it perhaps might have been four or five years ago, when Gerrard was still at his peak, driving the team on and scoring goals from all over the pitch. Now he is more reserved, timing his runs into the box more selectively, using his vision to make first time passes to cut defences open and spreading the play over long distances, which was so successful last season.
Yet players and games now increasingly, at times, seem to pass him by and his energy and legs lack the same consistency and relentlessness of old. Of course, that is perfectly understandable given his age – he is 35 in May – and he has carried Liverpool Football Club for the best part of 15 years.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has increasingly rotated Gerrard as the season has progressed in an attempt to conserve his energy, but this has alienated his ambition and long-term future at Liverpool.
Gone are the days when Gerrard would drag LFC through Champions League finals
Perhaps Gerrard himself realised that he no longer had the legs for the Premier League, despite remaining one of the best passers in world football and having retired from England in a bid to remain a key fixture in the Liverpool side for another few years?
Perhaps Father Time has just caught up with him a bit quicker than he anticipated given his success last season. Or maybe last season was his final hurrah of consistent performances over a large number of games?
Plus, this season the number of fixtures has almost equalled last season’s total, and Gerrard has still remained heavily prominent, having played as many minutes as anyone in the first few months of the season.
No wonder he looks slower – maybe now his relentless Liverpool career has finally caught up with him.
With Gerrard injured, Liverpool fans will get the chance to see what their team may look like in the post-Gerrard era for a more consistent run of games, rather than the periods this season that have witnessed Gerrard come in and out of the team.
Liverpool fans will also get the chance to see Henderson assume the captaincy for a number of games, acting more as the successor rather than a stand-in.
To become the permanent captain he needs to take more games by the scruff of the neck and increase his responsibility and value to the team, just as Gerrard has done for so many years – leading by example. It is the best way to quickly build up respect in a football team.
Admittedly Henderson is no Gerrard, and is unlikely to ever reach that kind of world-class level, but Henderson has enough qualities to make himself indispensable to Liverpool for years if he can continue to improve and harness his ability, with his passing, control of the ball and energy. Particularly, if he can improve his shooting and tackling – both ends of the midfield spectrum – then he could become a fine player and captain at Liverpool Football Club.
Henderson, or perhaps Martin Skrtel, could step in in Gerrard’s absence to assume the role as leader
He now has a run of games where he can begin to showcase this potential, otherwise the armband could go to someone else in the summer, perhaps someone at the club such as Martin Skrtel or a new arrival at the club.
I would love it if Xabi Alonso returned next season, just for a year or two, to help replace the influence of Gerrard both on and off the pitch. While he doesn’t have to assume the captaincy, Alonso can help Henderson develop and mature into a leader who can connect with the fans and improve his performances on the pitch.
Another who could profit from Gerrard’s absence is Emre Can, who gave glimpses in the victory over Tottenham about his ability to drive with the ball and help increase the energy of the team late into games by opening up space with his runs, creating chances.
The 21 year old German has already demonstrated his composure and skill on the ball at centre-back, alongside his vision and passing and now looks a steal at under £10m.
He and Henderson could form an effective midfield partnership for the next few games with Lucas and Gerrard out. If it succeeds, it may well remain for years to come.
So even though the captain will be missing from the team for a while, there is plenty of pace and quality remaining not only in the midfield, but throughout the whole side.
Gerrard remains a top-class player who can still effect games for Liverpool, but not in the persistent manner of previous years, so it is time for others to step up and show why the loss of arguably our greatest ever player may not have a hugely detrimental impact upon the club.
