Winning the LMA, most players considered Hodgson as a good manager, so did half the Liverpool fan base at the time, again showing your ~AGENDA~ was it Gerrard who hired Hodgson? Or the Owners? Yes he made comments Like "Hodgson is a good Manager" but so didi half of the team. What would you expect if a report asked that question? Answer - he's shit!!! SHOWING AGENDA AGAIN. BORING. Again you make out Gerrard is the manager to suit your agenda? I find it no surprise Gerrard as become your target this season, as was carra last season, as Gerrard hit the age bracket? You so are transparent at times, you really need to stop reading shit on RAWK. Sorry my error in season 04/05.... meant 05/06. May god, you believe RedKnapp? so you care what rubbish he spout out, he's never ever been right on anything. (you do know Alonso spread that ball against United) You continue to indicate Gerrard wants a 4-4-2 formation? Is part of your AGENDA? please provide "solid" proof that Gerrard prefers a 4-4-2 formation ahead of any other formation? again 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 or 4-5-1 or any other you wish play with? You keep spouting out Gerrard prefers CM instead of Attracting Midfield? Is part of your AGENDA? whichever, his play... shows Gerrard players better as an attracting player, which he's shows he thoroughly enjoys!! (scoring goals) While you keep spouting crap about he wanting to play CM? Your AGENDA in falling Part.... While your at it.... prove Gerrard chooses the formation! you keep indicating as if Gerrard as ever manager in his back pocket, even tried to indicate Rodgers being the same if he plays Gerrard in the middle? you're looking silly now, drop the AGENDA & ENJOY Gerrard for what he is, one of best attracting midfielders players in the world, even at 32yrs old.
LMA award It's Alex Ferguson's wine club. George Burley, Steve Coppell and Alan Curbishley have won LMA manager of the year awards. Doesn't mean they're good enough for Liverpool. He's Steven Gerrard's mate. Have you never heard him start sentences with "I spoke to Steven Gerrard and Steven Gerrard . . ."? He often has on Sky. He much prefers playing in central midfield, that's beyond doubt. He wanted Roy Hodgson at Liverpool knowing he'd play 4-4-2. I really hope I can enjoy Gerrard as the great attacking midfield player that is, rather than the player who's rarely broke out of his own half in recent seasons.
They are all good managers, even if they aren't good enough for Liverpool. Still you avoid the question, what would expect Gerrard to reply to report if asked about any of the above manager? Sky bollox's, it well known Gerrard prefers midfield, that is his playing role!!! what twists that monkey spout over mike, is take with pitch of salt. Again, agenda drive rubbish, every part of body shows he likes being an attacking midfielder, scoring goals... provide proof or shut up. Where he plays is down to the manager, not Gerrard! we all want to see him playing more forward, but I'm sure you'll continue to believe Rodgers is Gerrard puppet if he plays him as a CM, "you do know Gerrard choose his OWN position" . THE fact remains its the manager responsibility to choose the role of each player in the squad, Gerrard is being a good servant by playing the role the MANAGER wants him to play, whether that be CM or an attacking role. So if Gerrard disappoints you this season in the CM role, in a formation 4-4-2, blame the manager not the player.
I hope he will be, and will be playing well, it's pretty much impossible to replace someone like Gerrard. My worry with Gerrard is that his game is high intensity and he has had these recurrent injury niggles for over 2 years. He also had problems earlier on in his career with his back and growing pains. He's one I worry whose game will be more affected with time and his legs slowing than others would be. He's good enough to adapt, but there's also the issue of whether his body will hold out too. You must be joking with that one? You must have been watching tapes of old seasons or something. Gerrard was our equally most disappointing player last season, along with Reina and probably Downing. Carragher was worse but he wasn't as disappointing, we expect it. Genuinely can't get my head round that one, there's no way you're seriously claiming someone who had 3 good games all year was one of our 4 best players.
I guarantee that the people who want Gerrard out will be the people first in here waxing lyrical all over him when he has a good performance next season. Or single handedly wins us a game. Just like the derby last season. He got shit from sections of our fans then but it was the same fans straight up his arse the second that game finished. Makes me sick.
I'll agree his age as more chance of picking up Injuries, yes... he had a nasty injury to his groin last year just before the end of the season, which didn't get treated correctly (dr sacked), which kept him out for the beginning of the new season, other than that he been relativity fit, i don't get this injury prone attitude? playing CM in the team is down to the manager with his formation choice, to get the very best out Gerrard we need to return to an attacking role, his best attributes are pushing forward, he's never going to bomb though the middle like he did 7/8 years ago, but still has strong place in the squad. Gerrard has the skill and creativity to do a great job even as a second striker, we've seen that in his partnerships with Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez, by playing Gerrard further up the field reduces his workload, and allows him to concentrate on hurting the opposition. Gerrard is arguably less likely to get injured playing as a second striker. Playing Gerrard further up the pitch also allow him to get crosses in for Carroll, which he did to great effect in the last part of last season. Gerrard's influence will be reduced in CM role, especially if he's having to do lots of defensive work, although that will reduced on the return of Lucas, in CM role he will still probably pull back.... although to less degree. In my IMHO, Gerrard needs to have free role, and not be tied down to a disciplined CM role which will only have an impact on his game and the team.
Who wants him out? No one here does? I pretty much agree with all your points here. I just think that it'd be very shortsighted of us to expect Gerrard to continue at the level he's performed for the majority of his career for another few years, especially with that type of player he is, the way his body has been his whole career. I agree with the way you've outlined he should play. I don't think Rodgers will play him liek that but he will be ina midfield three which will take a lot of the workload off him, and with Spearing out of the team and a much, much, much superior player in Lucas back that'll help too. I can't see Stevie being able to do a Giggs really, but I think we should make the most of his quality whilst we still have it, whichever way that is.
Playing a middle three wouldn't be that bad if Rodgers adopts 4-3-3 formation, with Gerrard pushing forward Suarez - Carroll - ????? Henderson - Lucas - Gerrard Jose - Agger - Skrtel - Johnson -------- Reina ---------- ?????? <- i would like that to be Ramirez, but can't see it happening unless he's still free after the Olympics (last minute bargain)
Want him out/phased out/use sparingly' - it's all pretty much the same thing to me. I don't wanna name drop so if you wanna know who i am talking about then just read through the thread like i did earlier fella.
they are the only players that I can genuinely say had a better season than Gerrard , not according to potential or world star status but what they actually did on the pitch ,for the most part Gerrard did a solid job in midfield, Henderson , Downing, Adam, Reina, Carroll the list goes on and on had terrible seasons so who are all these players that were better than Gerrard ? , Ritchie mentioned Maxi but really how many minutes was he on the pitch last season?.... Bellamy really only shone in a couple of games , some of you need to look at other areas within the team where our problems lie instead of just loading all the blame on Gerrard
Going by all the rumours doing the rounds in the last couple of weeks I would love to see this next year...probably not realistic though. Gk- Pepe Reina Dr- Glen Johnson Dc- Martin Skrtel Dc- Daniel Agger Dl- Jose Enrique Dmc- Lucas Mc- Steven Gerrard Mc- Xabi Alonso Amr- Adam Johnson Aml- Gaston Ramirez Stc- Luis Suarez I know Xabi may be far fetched but he's got 1 year left on his deal and Madrid have confirmed they won't be renewing it.
Do you think he can play 40-50 games a season any more? Not for 90 minutes from the start IMO. We've got to be sensible with him, and play to his strengths which we haven't done in recent seasons. The lad's been totally wasted for a few seasons now.
Can any player do 40-50 games from start for 90mins? that's how you burn players out? Gerrard will do around 25+ games a season, as many as most players did in last season. When look as last season figures Agger, Kuyt, Carroll & Johnson all played less than 24 games. I know where in the UEFA this season, but i don't expect him to play most of the first or second round games, that should be for blooding of young players. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team/squad?id=364&cc=5739
Well it depends on injuries, but you need to be sensible with players. Even if we only get to the group stages of the UEFA that's 10 games, which makes a minimum 50-game season. We could easily play 60 games next season, so that means if Gerrard starts 25 games then he'll start less than half our matches. You could say that's fazing him out/using him sparingly like Dutch says. But now he's 32 he needs to be used sensibly. These are the starts players made last season over 51 games: Reina 46 Skrtel 42 Enrique 40 Suarez 37 Downing 36 Agger 31 Carroll 29 Johnson 28 Carragher 27 Kuyt 25 Spearing 24 Gerrard 21 So Gerrard making 25 starts is only a few games more than last season which he was injured for half of. And one more than Jay Spearing who barely played before Lucas got injured.
All comps? i was talking only PL, if you're on about all comps then a fully expect Gerrard will play anywhere around 35 games, if we do as well in comps as we did last season. When you think he's been out half of the season, 21 games isn't that bad at all, which go to show he's still a major player. PS: Where's Adam games?
I agree that we need to play to Gerrard's strengths but it's difficult when he's surrounded by a midfield of over priced mediocrity. Who have the ball retention of toddlers and give it away far too often etc. They just don't compliment his game whatsoever and a couple of them are and never will be Liverpool meterial, regardless of age or potential blah blah blah. Now that Lucas is back he'll be a massive help because he'll be the legs and break up the play, he's really good on the ball as well. We just need to bring someone in to play alongside him and Gerrard with quality and who can keep hold of the ball. Alonso would be a fantastic shout if we could bring him back to Anfield. If we were to get him then we could play Gerrard further forward of a middle three or just behind Suarez. If we could add Ramirez into the mix then we'd already have a starting eleven that's more than capable of challenging for a champions league spot. Agreed. Gerrard doesn't need to feature in the Europa League, League Cup and early rounds of The FA Cup. He played four games for England including extra time in ten days as well so there's no reason why he can't play a major part in our league campaign this season. I really hope he does and we get back into the Champions League.
That's in all comps. The thing last season was apart from when he was first coming back from injury, if he was fit then he generally played every game for 90 minutes. We had a spell of 3 games in 6 days (Stoke, QPR and Wigan) and Gerrard played 90 minutes in all 3 games which was ridiculous. By the third game he was on his arse. that's what I mean about being sensible and rotating him properly. Start him one game, use him off the bench in the next is more how I think he should be used. Sometimes he could have more impact as a 20-30 minute sub (i.e. Newcastle lasts season) than playing 90 minutes grafting in the middle when he could make a major impact off the bench with fresh legs against tiring defences. 31 starts in all comps. Gerrard is part of that. He's not an Alonso/Scholes who can keep the ball all day and play that deep-lying playmaker role. It's not what he's good at. This is the thing that annoys me over Gerrard. Let him do what he's good at and stop asking him to be what he's not. He's not a Pirlo, he's an attacking midfielder. People are talking about how they wish England had a Pirlo last week. Well they had one sat at home in Paul Scholes, but Gerrard was sat deep in that midfield and he can't play that role.
Surely that was my point? Now that Lucas is back and if we could bring in someone like Alonso to play alongside Lucas then that would free up Gerrard to play in an attacking role. Either the furthest forward of a middle three or behind Suarez. Did i not just say that? As for what he did for England there's a reason why he was so deep all the time. (Especially against Italy). And that's because Rooney, Parker, Milner and Young could not retain the ball or trap a bag of cement during that tournament. Not to mention all the injuries we had in midfield so it was forced on him. But to clarify, i AGREE with you and know what Gerrard is best at - hence why i want him in that role for Liverpool Ritchie.
Yeah I know, I agree with you, i'm just talking about where he's been playing for club and country in the last year or two. We're not getting Alonso back, but that's the type of player we need to play alongside Lucas - not Gerrard. I've made the point before that simply bringing Lucas back and sticking him alongside Gerrard is not the answer. Gerrard needs to be freed up like he was when Mascherano and Alonso were sitting behind him.
that team looks good, i dont know about this ramirez, but adam johnson and xabi alonso would be great....
