Gerrards decision bittersweet, in the eyes of that elusive medal

The dust is still settling on the news that Steven Gerrard, Liverpool captain and club legend, will leave the local club that he has been a part of for 26 years. The news broke hours after Liverpool surrendered a 2 goal lead to draw with Leicester at home. Gerrard himself score twice, both from the spot but contributed very little elsewhere as the Reds squandered a great opportunity to gain ground on their rivals in the chase for Champions League football next season.


Right at the death of this encounter, I chose to vent my own frustration at Gerrard himself. I tweeted the following below.



It was an uncharacteristic petulant piece of criticism stemming from his attempt to volley a dropping ball on the edge of the box in search of yet another fairy-tale injury time winner. However, it sailed well over the bar. It was the wrong decision, especially as support was available nearby to his left that a simple short pass would have opened up a better opportunity for the winner. It was an attempt typical of a declining power trying to repeat past feats. And it has been all too apparent for some time now that Steven Gerrard has been in decline.

Still, as the news broke, it was met with almost universal heartbreak amongst Liverpool fans. My Facebook news feed was full of sombre tributes to the Liverpool captain. These were from mostly Liverpool fans in despair, and some burgeoning respect could be found from those who despised him for years. All disappointment at two dropped points was nowhere to be seen. This day was always coming, but few seemed ready to accept it.

Myself? I was surprised. I didn’t think the aforementioned tweet would be only 7 hours old when Gerrard would announce his eventual departure from the club. However, was I sad? Not really. In recent years I have learned by and large not to let the football I follow define my emotions beyond the game itself. There can be exceptions of course (when I follow the fortunes of the Irish national team across Europe) but I can’t see that changing when Gerrard plays his final game for Liverpool a few months from now.


Instead, I found myself shaking my head more at some of the OTT reactions of fans. For a start, Gerrard is not dead, nor is he dying. And secondly, the truth is a lot of Liverpool fans have been calling for their captain’s departure for a while now, in a manner that sharply contrasts the heartbreak of the past few days. Only moments after the final whistle against Leicester, one Liverpool fan page I follow on Facebook was host to a number of hostile opinions on their captain’s performance. 

“gerrard was awful, his legs are gone”.
“Gerrard has nerves of steal from the penalty spot, but can only amble around now for 90 mins.” “Bringing Gerrard back was what cost us today”
“We need to man up grow a pair and drop Gerrard period!”
“when gerrard plays we lack energy and intensity in our pressing game and its no coincidence”
“Gerrard brings nothing to the team beyond set pieces”

Enough was enough it seemed. A consensus had formed amongst these Liverpool fans that mirrored general opinion. Gerrard’s lack of pace was stifling the teams tempo. He struggled to adapt to a high pressing game and as such the team was suffering. Only day’s previous, Liverpool produced one of their best performances of the season against Swansea in a 4-1 win. It was performance full of high pressing, swift counter attacks and a performance without one Steven Gerrard. The majority were realising now that if Rodgers wanted to pursue a game plan of high pressing and relentless counter attacks, then there would be no place for Gerrard in his team. In amongst the negativity, his set-piece prowess was widely praised (as evidenced from my own contribution at the end of that list)


I don’t want to come across as someone who dislikes Gerrard. On the contrary. In my days as an obsessed fanatical dysfunctional Liverpool fan, Gerrard was an idol and an inspiration. Time and time again, he was the one player who renewed hope within the Liverpool masses, stood up to the big occasion and dragged victory from the jaws of defeat with superb displays of selfish brilliance. His greatest moments have been ranked frequently in the last few days alone. Istanbul, 2006 FA Cup final performance, his displays at Old Trafford and many more. And a few less heralded ones of my own personal choosing would be an absolutely glorious goal against Middlesbrough in 2005, his reaction after the Champions League semi-finals against Chelsea, and a crucial penalty against Fulham last season.


And it seemed like last season he would finally grasp the one honour that has eluded him at club level, the Premier League. Often the focal point of inferior Liverpool teams in seasons gone by, Gerrard was now the one enjoying the rollercoaster ride led by one Luis Suarez and co. And he was doing so in an unfamiliar position, a holding midfielder role in a midfield diamond. From February to the end of April, Liverpool won 11 straight League games. And Gerrard made a no. of crucial contributions that begun with that last minute penalty against Fulham. Moments such as two further penalties at Old Trafford and that end of game speech to his team-mates after a 3-2 win against Manchester City, the game that gave Liverpool control of the title race. It was a relentless run of form by Brendan Rodgers side. When Chelsea arrived at Anfield at the end of April, 3 games from the end of the season, there was a euphoria sweeping Liverpool fans that nothing was going to throw Liverpool off track.


Except for a slip. An infamous moment in Premier League history, one that gave Chelsea a lead they never surrendered and Man City a grip on the title they never lost. It was a passage of play that may never have occurred had Daniel Agger been on the field instead of Mamadou Sakho. The Frenchman’s decision to play the ball across to Gerrard opposed to the Danish defenders tendency to strive forward in possession was highlighted by Jamie Carragher on Monday Night Football the following day. Such intricate analysis is lost on the average football fan. What people will remember is not “what if” but the precise moment a Liverpool legend lost his footing on the last and ultimately best chance of winning the elusive league medal he craved.


It was the start of a horrendous few months for Gerrard. The Chelsea defeat coupled with a spectacular collapse against Crystal Palace saw Liverpool drop 5 points in the final 3 games. They finished 2 points behind Man City in 2nd. Gerrard then travelled to the World Cup in Brazil, as England captain, and promptly exited at the group stage with one point in 3 games. The captain was once again in the spotlight for the wrong reasons as his club mate Suarez latched onto his headed back pass from a Uruguay kickout and scored the decisive goal in a 2-1 win for Uruguay.


The nightmare then continued onto the new club season. With the Uruguayan star now a FC Barcelona player (and serving another biting ban), Liverpool had money to spend and sought to rebuild. However, a host of new signings and injury absentees have seen the club struggle to abject displays at home and in Europe. They exited the group stages in of the Champions League in 3rd place at home to their conquerors Basel. This was despite Gerrard’s best efforts late in the game with Liverpool down to 10 men. And they now find themselves in 8^th place in the league, 8 points behind 4^th placed Southampton.


For me, Gerrard’s decision is bittersweet. Like everyone else, I’m surprised, like most people, I think it’s for the best. Yet, part of me questioned a few things that left me wondering. One such conundrum was that I just couldn’t fathom why Gerrard, an exceptionally talented athlete who has achieved so much in his career, cannot reinvent his playing style and adapt to a new role. The perception held by Liverpool fans is that Gerrard is in decline and can’t adapt to Liverpool’s style of play. However, from February until the slip, were praising Rodgers and Gerrard for his reinvention as a holding midfielder. The praise was premature in many regards. Gerrard was hardly the quintessential example for a holding midfielder. Liverpool were liable to concede as many goals as they would score. I shared the opinion that questioned whether he had the discipline to hold back and protect his defenders. The discipline to stay on his feet instead of diving into a challenge. The discipline to play a simple short pass beside him when needed instead of his trademark cross field ball.


That being said, with a player of his ability and his experience, I found it hard to believe that he couldn’t change his style to suit a new role in this Liverpool team. That unless, Gerrard himself decided he didn’t want to make that change. What’s also been questioned in recent months is whether Steven Gerrard would accept a reduced role within the team. Few doubted if the ever present leader would relinquish his desire and maybe his ego, despite his love for the club, and accept a bit part role. And only now is it being revealed that starting fewer games for Liverpool is the main reason why he will leave the club. If I am to be cynical for a moment (I like to be cynical now and then) I find that embarrassing.


Andrea Pirlo, Paul Scholes, Xavi, Frank Lampard. These are all examples of players playing or who played football to a very high standard in their mid-thirty’s. The Italian is the greatest comparison of these four you could make with Gerrard’s situation. Pirlo started his career playing higher up the field as an attacking playmaker but found his physical limitations exposed against superior defensive midfielders and centre backs who would deny him space to flourish. After his move to a deep lying playmaker position, he found the space and freedom to control the tempo of his team’s attacks. Since Pirlo joined Juventus in 2011, both the player and club have experienced a significant rebirth at the top table of Italian football, in contrast to Pirlo’s previous club, AC Milan.


Indeed, Pirlo himself praised Gerrard’s initial transition to a deeper role back in February 2014, and we both envisaged a similar path of success for Gerrard to thrive upon (great minds think alike and all that). It made perfect sense, alleviating the limitations Gerrard found in his current game and allowing him to still maintain a control on the game with his passing ability, which was still as strong as ever. There was a lot to work on, he made mistakes over the course of that run that could easily be put down to his unfamiliarity with the role. However, these were issues I thought could have been ironed out over the course of a pre-season and as time went on.


I wonder if the fallout of that end of season collapse changed both Gerrard’s & Rodgers opinion of the switch. Injuries and new additions during the summer have also played its part it must be added. Yet, the decision, whoever made it, not to continue this experiment, is a key reason why his future as a Liverpool player won’t go beyond the end of this season. That, and his refusal to accept a lesser role leaves me very disappointed. I still believe he could play a role, however reduced it may be, in contributing to a successful Liverpool side. Maybe the ultimate disappointment is to be found in that such a glittering career will be left with one regret. One space in his vast trophy cabinet that will forever be gathering dust.