Stevie G. Sort it Out

[AFII]

Mate, I completely agree that ultimately it will be Gerrard's decision, but I am not so convinced that Gerrard will refuse to play.

Everyone knows this is a massive game for England - if they don't win it their chances of qualifying for Euro 2008 take a massive hit. Gerrard is away with England right now, and given that Lampard is out, I am sure they are putting a hell of a lot of pressure on Gerrard to play, and you know that he's not the type of player to shirk from that pressure and responsibility.

I just wish all parties (ie England and even "Stevie G" as McClown calls him ) would show some sense here.

I can see McClown gambling on Stevie playing on Sat, knowing it would probably put him out of the Russia game and hoping Lampard will be fit for that midweek game.

I can see this potentially turning out badly for us, which is why we need to start taking a much more hard-line approach.

There isn't much Rafa can do. The only thing Rafa can do is to tell Stevie not to play with a pain killing injection and if he do that punish him but then who knows what could happen.

We don't need a fight between Rafa and Stevie.

It will probably end up Stevie playing on Saturday and then ruled out for a week or so with Rafa fuming at Stevies decision and maybe drop him for a game when he is fit. It will be called that he isn't fit to play.

[sonsofthedesert]

Players aren't "honoured with" a Premiership title. It has to be earned and won.

While an England call-up obviously still has to be earned, the honour is bestowed upon a player by someone else - much like an MBE or a knighthood. I think the two things (winning things and being honoured) are different.

Is it worth being called up if it means getting injured for a while and effecting your teams chances of winning something. Would like Gerrard to think about LFC before England fr a while.

[pezzzer]

i dont think he should play, cortazone injuections just to turn out the shower of sh1t that is england
no 19 is our priority, not some noone gives a monkeys cup
rant over

[marcus50bucks]

If Gerrard wants to play with a pain killing injection then fine. However he shouldn't expect to walk into the team against Portsmouth. We have a strong midfield and IMO SG should not consider himself indespensible to Liverpool. He should not be guaranteed a starting place. Let him rest just a little bit more than is necessary before he is considered again for selection. Remind him of what's important to Liverpool fans.

To be honest I really like what I saw in Mascherano and Alonso against Derby. The latter seemed to enjoy the license he had to get forward.

[Pacman]

If Gerrard wants to play with a pain killing injection then fine. However he shouldn't expect to walk into the team against Portsmouth. We have a strong midfield and IMO SG should not consider himself indespensible to Liverpool. He should not be guaranteed a starting place. Let him rest just a little bit more than is necessary before he is considered again for selection. Remind him of what's important to Liverpool fans.

Couldn't agree more

[pezzzer]

Couldn't agree more

couldnt agree more mate

[Lee]

Listening to McClaren's interviews, how much of a desperate man does he sound?

He know's that his job is hanging on by a thread, and he knows that Gerrard is a matchwinner. He'd compromise SG's health and Liverpools squad to save his skin. ****ing McClaren. ******.

[publiusscipio]

Liverpool is my only priority in this whole issue. I can understand why Gerrard was given an injection to play for us against Chelsea as it was such an important game. Medical advice as linked earlier in this thread http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_...162597,00.html worried me about the possible long term effects of playing with that toe injury against Chelsea. With hindsight it might have been better not to have taken that risk. However as there was not an aggravation of it during that game Gerrard would be on course to recover from the injury by resting it(playing against Israel will not help that recovery). As a Liverpool fan, having taken that risk once, I would not like us to take that risk with him again in the Liverpool team until our medical team pass him as fit to play.

I am English and I support the England national team when we play, and I want England to win. My identification with being English and being a supporter of the England national team however is not as strong as my identification with my city of birth and my club; Liverpool. My club is many many magnitudes more important to me than England and having risked Gerrard for Liverpool in a huge match against Chelsea I am very pleased that no long term harm was done to Gerrard. I do not want him to play for England against Israel as it is contrary to his health and Liverpool's interests respectively. As my concerns in this lie with Liverpool then my view is not made with any great difficulty.

Gerrard however has a different balance of priorities to myself. He loves Liverpool as I do, as all Liverpool fans do, but against that he also values playing for the England national team a lot more than I value my support of the England national team, and he may see this upcoming match against Israel as of great enough importance that it is worth taking the risk to play. I believe that fans of the England national team want to take the risk with Gerrard because of the importance of this match to them, and that his playing is consistent with their interests.

Benitez in this matter is open to the charge of hypocrisy from England supporters as he is saying that Gerrard should not be risked in this England match, when not long ago he was risked against Chelsea. Further they might go on to say that were this not an international break and Liverpool were about to face Manure this Saturday, that benitez might risk him again. They might be wrong in that surmise about playing against Manure, but they would have a point about the injection before the Chelsea game, which was a risk to Gerrards long term fitness.

As a Liverpool fan I support Benitez wanting to prevent Gerrards involvement for England despite the criticism our manager is receiving, as he is acting consistently with my best interests as a supporter of LFC, but Gerrard who was risked in a big game for Liverpool against Chelsea may well feel that it is also worth his being risked in a big game for England. He values club and country both very highly! I surmise that Gerrard wants to play against Israel (despite his toe injury) and that Mc Claren and Benitez both putting forward their cases will not sway his thinking. My hope now is that he comes through this game unscathed.

[The_weatherman]

An article from BBC on the matter by Phil McNulty I think. I really like the reputation Benitez has gained as someone you don't want to mess with Hopefully the players feel the same, regardless of who it is.



England's hopes of Euro 2008 qualification appear to be balanced precariously on the end of Steven Gerrard's toe.

To inject or not to inject? That is the question that is currently rivalling the previous pains various metatarsals have caused to England's managerial regime.

Gerrard is vital to England's cause. He is even more important to Liverpool - so who will win the latest battle between club and country?

Coach Steve McClaren seems willing to give Gerrard a pain-killing injection to ensure he plays against Israel, in defiance of Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez's wishes.

It is an indicator of the importance of the upcoming games against Israel and Russia that Gerrard's absence cannot be countenanced by McClaren.

It is also a sign of how far England's stock has fallen that players need to be injected to give McClaren a greater sense of security against a nation that is hardly one of football's giants.

England should be able to beat Israel with or without Steven Gerrard - but it seems they can't.

This, in itself, is worrying for England and McClaren.

The Gerrard situation is fraught with risk, both in terms of his own fitness and the delicate relationship between club and country.

And it is easy to see both sides of the argument.

McClaren's own future is on the line if he fails to get results in the next week.

And robbed of Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and David Beckham, it is easy to see why he does not want to lose Gerrard.

McClaren, rightly, has only England in his sights but will be aware of the potentially frosty reception any jab at Gerrard's toe will receive at Anfield.

At Anfield, Benitez has overseen Liverpool's best start for years and understandably does not want to see a major part of their title challenge sacrificed on the altar of England's Euro 2008 challenge.

Liverpool and their supporters - completely understandably in my view - don't give the proverbial about England and will be infuriated by any unnecessary risks McClaren may care to take.

No "Three Lions" for them. They only care about the Liver Bird and my sympathies, in this instance, lie with them.

McClaren may counter that Benitez was happy to see Gerrard receive an injection in his troublesome toe before the game against Chelsea recently.

But Liverpool's answer to that will be that, unlike the Football Association, he is their employee and is paid £100,000-plus weekly for the privilege.
And Benitez was very quick to point out that it took Gerrard four days to return to training after that game.

My own view is that if England feel they have to send a patched-up and injected Gerrard out to feel confident of beating Israel, then it is a sad reflection on the rest of the squad.

The final decision must surely, however, have to come from Gerrard himself.

If he is happy with his fitness, and happy there are no long-term risks, then he should play.

But in the back of his mind - make that front of his mind - at all times should be an image of Benitez's face if this back-fires.

It would not be pretty being Gerrard or McClaren if he plays when less than 100% fit and is subsequently side-lined for Liverpool.

Benitez is not a man to cross and is not a respecter of reputations, Gerrard's or anyone elses.

It would be an interesting, and potentially very one-sided, conversation should Gerrard report back to Liverpool's Melwood training base having aggravated his injury.

These are all factors that Gerrard must weigh up, because in the end it will be his decision.

[Mattimetal]

Reading between the lines Stevie will play on Saturday. It's Weds already and we're being told he will play. I just hope he doesn't get injured because you know how tough the Israeli's are on the pitch. It will be like the chav game where everone tried to kick his foot in the tackle.

I think it's too early for him to play he's had no physical contact for over 3 weeks now - plus I really couldn't give a **** about the english side as I'm South African. I for one will not feel the least bit sorry for him if he gets injured because he seems to be the one pushing for him to play - well according to McClown.

So brace yourselves for another Rafa Stevie clash.. and we all know who'll win...and rightly so!

[alunevans]

Have you considered that Gerrard himself really wants to play?

People need to get over the fact that just because they hate England, or choose the club over the country, that not all of our players have to feel the same.

Any LFC player who puts England over us needs their arse kicking in my view. We had enough of that with Owen. If Gerrard starts going down the same route I'll be very unimpressed.

[rushscored4]

England fans are a load of tits...

[fred_plasticine]

An article from BBC on the matter by Phil McNulty I think. I really like the reputation Benitez has gained as someone you don't want to mess with Hopefully the players feel the same, regardless of who it is.



England's hopes of Euro 2008 qualification appear to be balanced precariously on the end of Steven Gerrard's toe.

To inject or not to inject? That is the question that is currently rivalling the previous pains various metatarsals have caused to England's managerial regime.

Gerrard is vital to England's cause. He is even more important to Liverpool - so who will win the latest battle between club and country?

Coach Steve McClaren seems willing to give Gerrard a pain-killing injection to ensure he plays against Israel, in defiance of Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez's wishes.

It is an indicator of the importance of the upcoming games against Israel and Russia that Gerrard's absence cannot be countenanced by McClaren.

It is also a sign of how far England's stock has fallen that players need to be injected to give McClaren a greater sense of security against a nation that is hardly one of football's giants.

England should be able to beat Israel with or without Steven Gerrard - but it seems they can't.

This, in itself, is worrying for England and McClaren.

The Gerrard situation is fraught with risk, both in terms of his own fitness and the delicate relationship between club and country.

And it is easy to see both sides of the argument.

McClaren's own future is on the line if he fails to get results in the next week.

And robbed of Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and David Beckham, it is easy to see why he does not want to lose Gerrard.

McClaren, rightly, has only England in his sights but will be aware of the potentially frosty reception any jab at Gerrard's toe will receive at Anfield.

At Anfield, Benitez has overseen Liverpool's best start for years and understandably does not want to see a major part of their title challenge sacrificed on the altar of England's Euro 2008 challenge.

Liverpool and their supporters - completely understandably in my view - don't give the proverbial about England and will be infuriated by any unnecessary risks McClaren may care to take.

No "Three Lions" for them. They only care about the Liver Bird and my sympathies, in this instance, lie with them.

McClaren may counter that Benitez was happy to see Gerrard receive an injection in his troublesome toe before the game against Chelsea recently.

But Liverpool's answer to that will be that, unlike the Football Association, he is their employee and is paid £100,000-plus weekly for the privilege.
And Benitez was very quick to point out that it took Gerrard four days to return to training after that game.

My own view is that if England feel they have to send a patched-up and injected Gerrard out to feel confident of beating Israel, then it is a sad reflection on the rest of the squad.

The final decision must surely, however, have to come from Gerrard himself.

If he is happy with his fitness, and happy there are no long-term risks, then he should play.

But in the back of his mind - make that front of his mind - at all times should be an image of Benitez's face if this back-fires.

It would not be pretty being Gerrard or McClaren if he plays when less than 100% fit and is subsequently side-lined for Liverpool.

Benitez is not a man to cross and is not a respecter of reputations, Gerrard's or anyone elses.

It would be an interesting, and potentially very one-sided, conversation should Gerrard report back to Liverpool's Melwood training base having aggravated his injury.

These are all factors that Gerrard must weigh up, because in the end it will be his decision.

it's a great article imho. says it all really.

[Sarb]

Spot on by Mcnulty. He's absolutely right. Gerrard can just bring this situation to an end by pulling out. All this talk of injections and stuff...Gerrard will almost certainly be out of the Pompey game. If he wants to put England first then fine. But he shouldn't expect to walk back into the team either.

Mclaren is a nobjockey of the highest order. And Gerrard needs to get his priorities right!

[fred_plasticine]

Spot on by Mcnulty. He's absolutely right. Gerrard can just bring this situation to an end by pulling out. All this talk of injections and stuff...Gerrard will almost certainly be out of the Pompey game. If he wants to put England first then fine. But he shouldn't expect to walk back into the team either.

Mclaren is a nobjockey of the highest order. And Gerrard needs to get his priorities right!