Repeating myself ad nauseum: Gerrard's Happiness

[Maestro]

I've been worrying about this for ages, and it's getting worse by the day. Now "after discussion with Benitez" McClaren has decided that Gerrard could be the man to replace Derek on the right of midfield.

And I can bet that, regardless of any platitudes coming out of the Gerrard camp, that he's well fcuked off about it.

First the captaincy goes to that slitty-eyed cockney halfwit Terry ("hurr hurr, we might get some of the new lads up to do a song for us, hurr hurr". YOU CNUT!) and now the two most important managers in his career seem to have decided for him that his most treasured position - where he LOVES to play more than any other - isn't actually where he should play.

So, like with Liverpool, Gerrard sees that his all-round brilliance as a footballer has decreed that he must watch on while lesser players get his treasured CM role.

How many times has he said he prefers playing in the middle as opposed to the right?
How often does he need to repeat himself that he isn't a "support striker"?

And what happens? Both of the above. For club and country.

And I'll bet that McClaren wouldn't have dared put him out there if he hadn't played so many games there for Liverpool.

Let's take a long, objective look at this:

Our best player, and captain, is not playing in his favourite position for club OR country, and the latter is ENTIRELY due to the former.

He is now entering his peak years as a footballer. Do you really think he'll let it carry on before he starts to make more grumbling noises?

I don't.

I'm worried.

It's an interesting thesis, and I can see where you're coming from but I am not worried.
The question that needs to be addressed is this:
Why did Stevie think about leaving us before? Because he wanted to win things.
He also wanted to see Liverpool FC seriously challenging for the major honours on a regular basis.
I think he's confident we can do this with our present squad.
These were the major factors.

I also remember his comment in the Sky Stevie G documentary where he said
something along the lines of "yeah I could win medals at another club, but I would I show them to at the end of my career"
Took a while for the penny to drop with the lad, but I think it has now.
He seems to have realised that playing for any other club will be less than fulfilling.

I think he has seen our progression and is confident that we can lift the premiership this year or next.

I think he is impressed enough with Rafa to sacrifice his own wishes in order to capture the Holy Grail of the Premiership.
He also seemed very happy last season in the right midfield role.

[archimede]

Hahahaha

A post about Steven Gerrard that has John O'Shea in it.

I would bet my hat that you are Irish.

I am Irish - however what I say applies whetehr he was scots english or welsh. Thing about O'Shea is that he had the potential to be a bloody good player. Fergie through his random deployment has negated it to the extent that he is a poor mans phil neville.

My point is that players with natural ability can play in many positons but may never make great players unless the can learn ther trade whether it is midfield, rb, central defence.

Gerrrad has exceptional ability, can play in a number of postions but has he truly made cente midfield his own?

[red g]

his interview with the NOW was very interesting,not sure howmuch of it was spin on his behalf. But one thing was apparent he never wanted to leave in the first place and he only tried to force LFC's hand by handing a transfer request in and it backfired spectacularly. I think only a sustained bout of winning nothing will make Stevie G think about leaving

As long as we are succesful Stevie will always be with us IMO

[Maestro]

his interview with the NOW was very interesting,not sure howmuch of it was spin on his behalf. But one thing was apparent he never wanted to leave in the first place and he only tried to force LFC's hand by handing a transfer request in and it backfired spectacularly. I think only a sustained bout of winning nothing will make Stevie G think about leaving

As long as we are succesful Stevie will always be with us IMO

True...I reckon his happiness at playing for a strong and successful Liverpool side, where he is scoring goals with regularity and captaining the side will heavily outweigh any gripes he might have at playing on the right side of midfield....

[Bob]

It's an interesting thesis, and I can see where you're coming from but I am not worried.
The question that needs to be addressed is this:
Why did Stevie think about leaving us before? Because he wanted to win things.
He also wanted to see Liverpool FC seriously challenging for the major honours on a regular basis.
I think he's confident we can do this with our present squad.
These were the major factors.

I also remember his comment in the Sky Stevie G documentary where he said
something along the lines of "yeah I could win medals at another club, but I would I show them to at the end of my career"
Took a while for the penny to drop with the lad, but I think it has now.
He seems to have realised that playing for any other club will be less than fulfilling.

I think he has seen our progression and is confident that we can lift the premiership this year or next.

I think he is impressed enough with Rafa to sacrifice his own wishes in order to capture the Holy Grail of the Premiership.
He also seemed very happy last season in the right midfield role.

He said that if he won, just one, premiership trophy at LFC it would mean more to him that at any other club.

He's here for keeps.

[Harv]

He can tell England to get stuffed for all i care. But for Liverpool he plays where Rafa wants him to play, whether it be right middle or in the hole.

When he is on the right we had great balance, and he had his most productive season for us. He seemed a bit miffed at first, but once we got on a roll, and started winning his attitude soon changed IMO. It can't be all about him, yes he is captain, and the heart of the team, but he is so good at many positions, we lacked a wide threat, he filled it.

That being said i think he will be playing central this season, and filling in for Jerm when needs be.

[Rich]

Hopefully we wont be as reliant on Gerrard this season and the early indications are that we will be able to rest him for some games. I can see him playing centrally and on the right, as and when Benitez decides.

If Gerrard plays 50 games this season I'd expect him to play approx half in the centre and half on the right - I don't think he'll be used often as second striker especially if Kuyt joins.

I don't think anybody can predict who Benitez is going to play in any given game, and I'm sure that Gerrard will get playing time on the right and in the centre.

[red g]

Hopefully we wont be as reliant on Gerrard this season and the early indications are that we will be able to rest him for some games. I can see him playing centrally and on the right, as and when Benitez decides.

If Gerrard plays 50 games this season I'd expect him to play approx half in the centre and half on the right - I don't think he'll be used often as second striker especially if Kuyt joins.

I don't think anybody can predict who Benitez is going to play in any given game, and I'm sure that Gerrard will get playing time on the right and in the centre.

As benitez said ....possiblities!!

Think so much depends on the opposition and can see many games where Stevie will start on the right, then after an hr Pennant will get brought on and see Sissoko/alonso will get taken off depending on the score and pennant will get brought on to offer more width.

I can see why RM is so important to benitez as with Stevie in the squad we can change and adapt where necessary

[blacky]

Brendan, is what is best for club and country not the main issue here? SG had by far his best season as a liverpool player last year and the club had it's best run in the premirrship in years. Both these coincided with Gerrard playing in a RM role. The same might happen now with England. It is obvious to all that SG and Fat Frank cannot play together in the CM for England so moving Gerrard out right is a logical decision on McLarens behalf.

[dww]

The thing is that certainly for us he hardly constrained to a position on the right, he is given an almost free role to get the ball and impact the game. By not being in the middle and thus not having to try and do everything his overall contribution improved last year. I'm not sure that just because Stevie says he prefers playing in the middle makes it the best option - Beckham said the same for years and his brief period in the middle for England went badly, and he was less effective for Real in the middle than wide.

[Don Quixote]

I've been worrying about this for ages, and it's getting worse by the day. Now "after discussion with Benitez" McClaren has decided that Gerrard could be the man to replace Derek on the right of midfield.

And I can bet that, regardless of any platitudes coming out of the Gerrard camp, that he's well fcuked off about it.

First the captaincy goes to that slitty-eyed cockney halfwit Terry ("hurr hurr, we might get some of the new lads up to do a song for us, hurr hurr". YOU CNUT!) and now the two most important managers in his career seem to have decided for him that his most treasured position - where he LOVES to play more than any other - isn't actually where he should play.

So, like with Liverpool, Gerrard sees that his all-round brilliance as a footballer has decreed that he must watch on while lesser players get his treasured CM role.

How many times has he said he prefers playing in the middle as opposed to the right?
How often does he need to repeat himself that he isn't a "support striker"?

And what happens? Both of the above. For club and country.

And I'll bet that McClaren wouldn't have dared put him out there if he hadn't played so many games there for Liverpool.

Let's take a long, objective look at this:

Our best player, and captain, is not playing in his favourite position for club OR country, and the latter is ENTIRELY due to the former.

He is now entering his peak years as a footballer. Do you really think he'll let it carry on before he starts to make more grumbling noises?

I don't.

I'm worried.

The bottom line, for me, is that he's better than Lampard. And that, above anything else, will be pissing him off: that he's pushed out wide because of a teapot.

As for him *hating* playing on the right, I think you're making a bigger deal out if it that he is. I believe he hates playing second striker because it makes him look riubbish and he can't get into the game. On the right he doesn't have too much defensive responsibilty and can pretty much roam and destroy. He looks like he's having a great time played out there.

I don't deny that his childhood fantasy of being the central mid, bossing the game doesn't feature heavily - of course he'd rather be there doing that, I'm sure - but as long as he can get in the game and have a big impact I think he's happy. Especially for England because he knows the set-up and he's probably used to being undersold so as to make these cockneys look better.

[Jack D Rips]

Brendan, is what is best for club and country not the main issue here? SG had by far his best season as a liverpool player last year and the club had it's best run in the premirrship in years. Both these coincided with Gerrard playing in a RM role. The same might happen now with England. It is obvious to all that SG and Fat Frank cannot play together in the CM for England so moving Gerrard out right is a logical decision on McLarens behalf.

Not that I care about England but would dropping Lampard not be the logical decision

[red g]

Not that I care about England but would dropping Lampard not be the logical decision

thats far to logical

[LTID]

3-5-2 may be an option for England !! Is McClaren brave enough.

[Peter Delvechio]