Gerrard out for the season??

[Craig_H]

If that has to be the case we have to sell him for the good for the team. I personally don't think it has to be. We have to change what we mean by fit. He has to be fit enough to make a substantial and consistent contribution in the last few seasons that has not been the case all too often.

Whilst he hasn't been the donkey that Arn and Rudo might have you believe he hasn't been one of the worlds best players in the last two years. Both he and the club have to accept that and work out how to put it right. He may well have to play more goals than Scholes has in seasons when he has been rested a lot as we don't have the depth of United but he either sits out games by choice and makes a big contribution, or because of injury and fades into irrelevance.

Spot on, that.

And you're right with your point re Arn and Rudo - they are judging him against Gerrard at his best, which was basically superman. So somewhat impossible standards to perma-replicate. And Gerrard hasnt replicated them, as you wouldnt expect him to. But comments like 'hasnt played consistently well for 2 years' are annoying because he HAS played consistently well, he just hasnt consistently been Superman.

[Baracus]

mark1975 on 6CM(reliable poster):

via a friend of Stevies dad, worries that his career is more or less over..

Don't shoot the messenger!

Can't say I would be suprised tbh, I hope its not true though, obv.

Oh well, life goes on. Get him on SKY sports to kick the **** out of Rat face

[Chrono]

Gerrard is a much more me me me player than Scholes or Giggs. They are great team players. They put the team first.

As you said, I doubt Gerrard would do that. If he would put us first then he would quit the national team. The only reason that I can see why he want to continue playing for them is to improve his CV. He isn't an idiot so he know that if he play for the national team then it will hurt out chances to win.

Sometimes you must make a decision. Sure he love playing for England but we can't afford him to do that. It is time he puts us first and the national team second.

You might be the biggest idiot on the internet and that is some achievement

[Fernandinho]

Just saw that Gerrard will have recorded his lowest ever appearences for a season in all competitions since his debut season this season...

[Molby]

In my opinion, we will see less of Stevie playing an advanced role in the next few seasons, i think he'll revert back to being a defensive midfielder in front of the back 4.

But, in true Stevie style, he'll revel in that role.

Age catches up with everybody - including our esteemed captain.

For Arn to suggest Stevie is not a team player is a complete fallacy - this is the same man who ended up playing RB in the Champions League Final in Istanbul, the same man who scored in the FA Cup Final just as his wife was in hospital giving birth to one of his daughters, the same man who dedicates every minute he spends on the pitch to his cousin who was one of the 96 tragically killed in Hillsborough?

And Arn has the audacity and the cheek to compare him to that wee ginger tramp Scholes?

Steven Gerrard has rightly cemented himself in the folklore of our great institution. If you asked any person who has any affection or link to Liverpool FC, who their Top 5 players of all time are, Steven George Gerrard would be in 95% of the answers.

Arn should be ashamed to call himelf a Liverpool supporter. ( If indeed, he is one at all)

[Bender]

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard says he is confident about being back in time for pre-season - but admits not playing is a painful experience.

Gerrard, 30, had surgery on a troublesome groin injury in March.

"For the first time in a while, I'm feeling confident about my groin," he said. "But being injured is killing me.

"The manager and everyone else do their best to make you feel part of it. But, unless you are out there starting every week, it doesn't quite feel the same."

Gerrard, who has 89 England caps, had initially hoped to return to action before the end of this season, but earlier this month he was ruled out for the rest of the campaign by manager Kenny Dalglish after suffering a setback.

Liverpool are desperate to help him resolve a problem which hampered him for several months before his operation, and has also been a problem in previous years, and hope that the extra rest will enable him to be fully fit for next season.

"Fingers crossed, I'll be there on the first day of pre-season [in late June/early July]," Gerrard wrote in the programme notes for Liverpool's Premier League match against Newcastle at Anfield on Sunday.

The central midfielder last played for Liverpool on 6 March during the 3-1 victory over Manchester United. LINK

[Fernandinho]

I hope he doesn't spend the rest of his career in and out of the medical ward...

[Konstro]

I look at what scummers did with Giggs and believe that is the way to go with Stevie. Hopefully he will say good bye to England after Euro2012 and will be an inspiration for next 6 or 7 years at least. Giggs still plays around 30-40 games a season.

At the same time I think there is a litlle bit of stigma when players pass 30 years. But experience can be much more usefull that the physical attributes that are lost with age. Again Giggs is the best example. Other players like Raul or Maldini come to mind as well.

Except for rare altercations with DJs Stevie seems to know how to take care of himself. The fact that this time he took a lot of time to properly heel his injuries makes me hopeful that next year we will see him at his very best.

[Arn]

In my opinion, we will see less of Stevie playing an advanced role in the next few seasons, i think he'll revert back to being a defensive midfielder in front of the back 4.

But, in true Stevie style, he'll revel in that role.

Age catches up with everybody - including our esteemed captain.

For Arn to suggest Stevie is not a team player is a complete fallacy - this is the same man who ended up playing RB in the Champions League Final in Istanbul, the same man who scored in the FA Cup Final just as his wife was in hospital giving birth to one of his daughters, the same man who dedicates every minute he spends on the pitch to his cousin who was one of the 96 tragically killed in Hillsborough?

And Arn has the audacity and the cheek to compare him to that wee ginger tramp Scholes?

Steven Gerrard has rightly cemented himself in the folklore of our great institution. If you asked any person who has any affection or link to Liverpool FC, who their Top 5 players of all time are, Steven George Gerrard would be in 95% of the answers.

Arn should be ashamed to call himelf a Liverpool supporter. ( If indeed, he is one at all)

So a few very big games proves that he is a team player? and please stop with the personal attacks. I have had enough of them.

Only because he is one of best ever players doesn't prove that he is a team player. He sulked last season in many games. That is the same as piss on the club and his team mates. Would Kuyt or Lucas do that? Not a chance.

He was to chicken and afraid to stand up and fight together with Rafa, Torres, Kuyt, Lucas and Mascherano last season in the fight against Gillett and Hicks. His words not mine. He regrets that now, again his words not mine.

He put himself before the club and didn't want to risk being sold or whatever that could have happened to him. Rafa and many of the other players took that risk.

Then we have what he allegedly was a part of together with Carra. The part they played in getting Rafa sacked.

Would KK, Rush, Fowler, Barnes etc...even think about doing a thing like that? Would any of them even dream of sulking in a single game?

Gerrard is an excellent player and of our best ever but he also have his dark moments.

I may also say that I yet again have been proved correct. Gerrard isn't a key player any more. If we continue to play 4-4-2 and sign up a playmaker then Gerrard wouldn't get a place in the starting XI. It would be Lucas and the playmaker playing in central midfield.

[dww]

So a few very big games proves that he is a team player? and please stop with the personal attacks. I have had enough of them.

Only because he is one of best ever players doesn't prove that he is a team player. He sulked last season in many games. That is the same as piss on the club and his team mates. Would Kuyt or Lucas do that? Not a chance.

The problem here is that I would divide these claims in two. I tend to agree with you that Gerrard is too often appears unwilling to be a cog in a machine, especially if he believes other players are well below his level.

On the other hand I don't think he sulks in quite the way you suggest. It's impossible to know what is in a players mind but I don't think he is not trying, just that he hasn't worked out how to have the same impact on games without his old mobility. As Craig has said people continue to judge him against his almost superhuman efforts he has put in before and conclude a lack of such manic effort is a sign of not caring. I'm not sure that is the case at all.

It is however a sign of a problem he has always had as a leader - he leads by a conspicuous all action example and if that fails it tends to take confidence both from himself and the team.

He was to chicken and afraid to stand up and fight together with Rafa, Torres, Kuyt, Lucas and Mascherano last season in the fight against Gillett and Hicks. His words not mine. He regrets that now, again his words not mine.

He put himself before the club and didn't want to risk being sold or whatever that could have happened to him. Rafa and many of the other players took that risk.

They aren't exactly his words though are they? Certainly what he said could be taken that way but I also think, as with many fans, a lot of factors played into him feeling that fighting against G&H wasn't the right thing to do. Obviously that was proven wrong but it isn't the same as proving he was 'chicken' or put himself ahead of the club.

Then we have what he allegedly was a part of together with Carra. The part they played in getting Rafa sacked.

Would KK, Rush, Fowler, Barnes etc...even think about doing a thing like that? Would any of them even dream of sulking in a single game?

Gerrard is an excellent player and of our best ever but he also have his dark moments.

I may also say that I yet again have been proved correct. Gerrard isn't a key player any more. If we continue to play 4-4-2 and sign up a playmaker then Gerrard wouldn't get a place in the starting XI. It would be Lucas and the playmaker playing in central midfield.

The problem is here the first criticism is all about speculation. Too many people involved have agendas of their own for ay information we have to be really reliable.

I'm inclined to think there is some truth in the latter statement, especially if Gerrard refuses to consider games on the wing. On the other hand we may well look to use 4-3-3 based formations in part at least to maximise his presence.

[red g]

So a few very big games proves that he is a team player? and please stop with the personal attacks. I have had enough of them.

Only because he is one of best ever players doesn't prove that he is a team player. He sulked last season in many games. That is the same as piss on the club and his team mates. Would Kuyt or Lucas do that? Not a chance.

He was to chicken and afraid to stand up and fight together with Rafa, Torres, Kuyt, Lucas and Mascherano last season in the fight against Gillett and Hicks. His words not mine. He regrets that now, again his words not mine.

He put himself before the club and didn't want to risk being sold or whatever that could have happened to him. Rafa and many of the other players took that risk.

Then we have what he allegedly was a part of together with Carra. The part they played in getting Rafa sacked.

Would KK, Rush, Fowler, Barnes etc...even think about doing a thing like that? Would any of them even dream of sulking in a single game?

Gerrard is an excellent player and of our best ever but he also have his dark moments.

I may also say that I yet again have been proved correct. Gerrard isn't a key player any more. If we continue to play 4-4-2 and sign up a playmaker then Gerrard wouldn't get a place in the starting XI. It would be Lucas and the playmaker playing in central midfield.

could you please explain how any of those players fought gillett and hicks?
Also maybe he loved this club so much he was scared to be bombed out? if he came out all kicking and screaming?

[Muddled]

So a few very big games proves that he is a team player? and please stop with the personal attacks. I have had enough of them.

Only because he is one of best ever players doesn't prove that he is a team player. He sulked last season in many games. That is the same as piss on the club and his team mates. Would Kuyt or Lucas do that? Not a chance.

He was to chicken and afraid to stand up and fight together with Rafa, Torres, Kuyt, Lucas and Mascherano last season in the fight against Gillett and Hicks. His words not mine. He regrets that now, again his words not mine.

He put himself before the club and didn't want to risk being sold or whatever that could have happened to him. Rafa and many of the other players took that risk.

Then we have what he allegedly was a part of together with Carra. The part they played in getting Rafa sacked.

Would KK, Rush, Fowler, Barnes etc...even think about doing a thing like that? Would any of them even dream of sulking in a single game?

Gerrard is an excellent player and of our best ever but he also have his dark moments.

I may also say that I yet again have been proved correct. Gerrard isn't a key player any more. If we continue to play 4-4-2 and sign up a playmaker then Gerrard wouldn't get a place in the starting XI. It would be Lucas and the playmaker playing in central midfield.

Errm, Arn ... yes. Yes they would.

In fact both Souness and Evans struggled with the player-power of Rush & Barnes as their careers came to an end, more so Barnes.

[Muddled]

So a few very big games proves that he is a team player? and please stop with the personal attacks. I have had enough of them.

Only because he is one of best ever players doesn't prove that he is a team player. He sulked last season in many games. That is the same as piss on the club and his team mates. Would Kuyt or Lucas do that? Not a chance.

He was to chicken and afraid to stand up and fight together with Rafa, Torres, Kuyt, Lucas and Mascherano last season in the fight against Gillett and Hicks. His words not mine. He regrets that now, again his words not mine.

He put himself before the club and didn't want to risk being sold or whatever that could have happened to him. Rafa and many of the other players took that risk.

Then we have what he allegedly was a part of together with Carra. The part they played in getting Rafa sacked.

Would KK, Rush, Fowler, Barnes etc...even think about doing a thing like that? Would any of them even dream of sulking in a single game?

Gerrard is an excellent player and of our best ever but he also have his dark moments.

I may also say that I yet again have been proved correct. Gerrard isn't a key player any more. If we continue to play 4-4-2 and sign up a playmaker then Gerrard wouldn't get a place in the starting XI. It would be Lucas and the playmaker playing in central midfield.

Not quite his words Arn, more so your interpretation.

In fact, I'm quite sure he said he wanted to say something, but wrestled with the thought that he might appear bigger than the club and it was only really Rafa that challenged Gillett & Hicks, bar a Torres request-for-transfers press release. Mascherano did most of his moaning when he left and Kuyt hardly says a word wrong.

[red g]

Not quite his words Arn, more so your interpretation.

In fact, I'm quite sure he said he wanted to say something, but wrestled with the thought that he might appear bigger than the club and it was only really Rafa that challenged Gillett & Hicks, bar a Torres request-for-transfers press release. Mascherano did most of his moaning when he left and Kuyt hardly says a word wrong.

I also think with Gerrard he would have been genuinely worried about being bombed out if he said something.....those 2 would have loved to cash in 20m+ on gerrard at the first opportunity.

[Bender]

So a few very big games proves that he is a team player? and please stop with the personal attacks. I have had enough of them.

Only because he is one of best ever players doesn't prove that he is a team player. He sulked last season in many games. That is the same as piss on the club and his team mates. Would Kuyt or Lucas do that? Not a chance.

He was to chicken and afraid to stand up and fight together with Rafa, Torres, Kuyt, Lucas and Mascherano last season in the fight against Gillett and Hicks. His words not mine. He regrets that now, again his words not mine.

He put himself before the club and didn't want to risk being sold or whatever that could have happened to him. Rafa and many of the other players took that risk.

Then we have what he allegedly was a part of together with Carra. The part they played in getting Rafa sacked.

Would KK, Rush, Fowler, Barnes etc...even think about doing a thing like that? Would any of them even dream of sulking in a single game?

Gerrard is an excellent player and of our best ever but he also have his dark moments.

I may also say that I yet again have been proved correct. Gerrard isn't a key player any more. If we continue to play 4-4-2 and sign up a playmaker then Gerrard wouldn't get a place in the starting XI. It would be Lucas and the playmaker playing in central midfield.

how do you know he isn't a key player anymore...have you seen what happens next season? no you haven't, you have a clear agenda against Gerrard and that is you don't like him.....and you would rather the club sold him.......which would make you a very happy person