What Mattered Most About Euro 2012 For Liverpool?

IF you take most of England’s performances out of the equation, Euro 2012 has been a really enjoyable ride; a lot of entertaining games and some technically superb football on display.

There’s always that feeling though, with the new season and a new manager to look forward to – what does it all mean for Liverpool?

What can Reds everywhere take away from the whole show?

The clearest talking point is how well our captain has played. A couple of fellow writers on this site have already written about the impact that Gerrard had on the England team and what it might mean for Liverpool next season, and it’s fair to say that the momentum, confidence and belief that he will take from the last few weeks could have a big impact as we look to hit the ground running next season. There are some massive fixtures even in the first five weeks, and a good start is critical for a whole host of reasons.

Gerrard deserves a huge amount of credit for the way he has led the team, but also for the excellence of his own performances in very difficult circumstances. Let’s not forget, he has spent every single game stuck in a flat 4-4-2 system, whereas the likes of Pirlo, Iniesta and Ozil have thrived with the freedom to play in more flexible, dynamic formations.

In that rigid 4-4-2 system he has played mostly with Parker, Milner and Young – probably England’s weakest three players over the course of the tournament, and has had to deal with their collective inability to pass the ball to another bloke in a white shirt. It’s hard enough trying to influence and dominate a game at international level, without having to do the work of your fellow midfielders at the same time.

If anything, Gerrard’s performances in a poor England midfield should make us think about how much better Gerrard might have been in a different side or in a tactical system that isn’t 30 years out of date. Remember the positions Gerrard could take up with Alonso and Mascherano in midfield behind him? Fernando Torres certainly does. It’s credit to Gerrard that he’s played so well in the tournament, given that he hasn’t had the cover or the time to really get into the areas where he can hurt teams the most.

In those circumstances Gerrard has been excellent, and so I would argue that the biggest lesson for Liverpool, and our new manager, from the whole tournament has to be not only the importance of getting Gerrard fit and confident, but also playing in the right role next season. Having Lucas fit and ready to go will help, but a key challenge for Rodgers will be finding away to get Gerrard firing in the most dangerous areas of the pitch.

Other Reds have had good tournaments too, don’t forget – Daniel Agger was excellent in Denmark keeping a clean sheet against the Dutch, and Glen Johnson proved a few people wrong with some effective moments at right-back – and all of that confidence should be carried over into the first few matches of next season. It’s also been interesting to see how well Jamie Carragher has come across as a pundit, speaking intelligently and knowledgeably about the game with the understanding and passion that will make him a superb coach and manager after his career comes to a conclusion. It was also Carragher himself who gave us another lesson from Euro 2012 when he said that watching Spain had reminded him – and the rest of us – how much Liverpool miss Xabi Alonso in the midfield.

All things said and done though, I guess the key point for us all from Euro 2012 is a very simple one – even in testing circumstances, our captain and our best player can still be an outstanding influence on the world stage, and the value to our team of getting the best out of him is as important as it has ever been. Over to you, Brendan….

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