Steven Gerrard

[Maxiedge]

An invisible captain at present. His head was the first to go yesterday. He's a captain who inspires through his performances on the pitch. Now that element of his game is fading, so is his captain's influence.

Sadly I think we are bereft of natural leaders in the squad. Henderson is not a natural captain for me either, but there's no-one else obvious out there to take his place.

Considering Rodgers has often told us he was signing winners and leaders we have an awful lot of weak minded individuals in the team.

This is the problem. Before yesterdays game I was thinking 'ok clean slate, international break, sense of perspective. We are Liverpool FC, a top team in Europe, top International players. We're playing Crystal Palace. No offence to them but I wouldn't swap any of our players for theirs.'

Go one nil up. Thought we would cruise. What happens? The rot sets in. We have too many fragile/weak players. Mignolet, Skrtel and Johnson are the biggest culprits for me. The rest are just playing ****.

[CAD]

He's finished as a 90 minute player or even a guaranteed starter. I don't think Rodgers has the balls to do anything about it though

I agree, sadly. It will cost them both dearly. He could be fantastic as an impact sub. He would change the game completely + he could be introduced where he belongs: Further up field.

Nothing has changed compared to last season when it comes to defending on the final 1/3. We are just as awful as last season.

There is zero communication, understanding or cooperation between the DM/HM and the defense. It's just SG running around covering ground where ever he see's fit.

I can't believe that BR can't get his head around that fact. If you want to build something solid defensively you start with the engine room.

[Rigadon]

An invisible captain at present. His head was the first to go yesterday. He's a captain who inspires through his performances on the pitch. Now that element of his game is fading, so is his captain's influence.

Sadly I think we are bereft of natural leaders in the squad. Henderson is not a natural captain for me either, but there's no-one else obvious out there to take his place.

Considering Rodgers has often told us he was signing winners and leaders we have an awful lot of weak minded individuals in the team.

Spot on

[baitman]

Fair enough, but the technical error was worse than the actual slip. Just funny that everybody keeps referring to the slip when it was the "ball under the foot" that was the worse part of that incident. Poor guy... It will haunt him forever.

it will haunt us all forever, not just gerrard

with that slip went our chance to win a premiership title.
there were plenty of other near misses through the year that we could also blame but the timing of the gerrard brain fart and subsequent slip derailed our run in just as we were virtually unbeatable. after that we just rolled over.

[marcus50bucks]

Boss: SG contribution is still so valuable

25th Nov 2014 - Latest News

Author: Chris Shaw
@shawct

Brendan Rodgers has explained how he is working in close tandem with Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard to manage a plan and fine-tune a role for the talismanic midfielder to ensure he maintains a high level of performance.

The No.8 led his teammates in training at Melwood on Tuesday morning before they flew to Sofia in Bulgaria, where the Reds tackle Ludogorets Razgrad in a crucial Champions League encounter tomorrow evening.

Three points are the target for Rodgers' side as they attempt to overhaul FC Basel in the battle to claim second place in Group B and secure a sought-after spot in the knockout stages of the European competition.

Soon after touching down, the manager met reporters and journalists gathered for a press conference, with those in attendance keen to hear the Northern Irishman's thoughts on his skipper's current form.

"For me it is simple - I judge Steven on merit," Rodgers commented. "I think the spotlight he has been under has been incredible when everything for us is based around being a team.

"He is a wonderful, wonderful player. I can quite safely say he is the best player I have ever worked with in terms of footballing mentality.

"The commitment he has and the loyalty he has shown this football club is without question - it has been incredible. I think I've shown in my time as a manager, and in particular here, I don't deal so much in sentiment.

"There is nothing sentimental about me picking Steven Gerrard - I see Steven every day of my life. He is like clockwork, he is in every day between 8.30am and 8.45am preparing for his training session and how he works and operates.

"What he does on the training field, I judge him on that. I see the influence he has on other players. Of course, he is coming towards the latter part of his career, but he still has a really valuable contribution for me.

"If people are expecting Steven Gerrard to be the type of player he was 10 or 12 years ago, then sadly that is not the case. Steven has been slowly adapted into a position that I really felt would benefit the team - in a playmaking role from behind.

"The player that is maybe going to score 15 goals a season and make 13 or 14 assists, he is not that type of player anymore. It's hugely unfair he gets judged upon that level.

"Steven will be the first one to say that he can play three games a week but he won't be able to play it to the level he would like and that I would like. That's something that is my job to manage, along with him.

"We speak a lot in terms of the games and it's fairly easy to manage because he is such a top-class professional player and always accepts what is best for the team and what is best for Liverpool.

"In the modern world, it's not so much like that when it's about the player and the individual. Steven Gerrard is a unique case and every decision he knows is in the best interests of Liverpool Football Club.

"He has been a wonderful ambassador for the football club and he accepts the decisions. He is still a player that can contribute at a high level and it is my job to manage that and where and when that is."

http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/175000-boss-sg-contribution-is-still-so-valuable

[Kenneth]

A polite way of saying 'I'd drop him if I could'.

[Redspin]

A polite way of saying 'I'd drop him if I could'.

I think it's more a case of his admitting in a roundabout way that he hasn't got the balls to drop him

[Vermilion]

I think it's a case of him saying Stevie can play better, and me and him need to find a way to make it happen, because when he's good, he's brilliant.

[fidget]

Lose your deposit
You're gonna lose your deposit
Lose your depoooooosit
You're gonna lose your deposit

[Slinky Skills]

I do think he'd drop him if needs be but he clearly still sees him as a massive influence to those around him. The problem is he's not showing that influence on the pitch where it matters most.

I also don't agree that he's a playmaker in that role. Pirlo was and still is, Gerrard isn't and won't ever be and Rodgers seems totally oblivious to that.

[ChrisDR1968]

Not bothered if he leaves to be honest.

Paisley canned plenty of legends if he thought they were past it.

The team should always come first.

[Tee]

Not bothered if he leaves to be honest.

Paisley canned plenty of legends if he thought they were past it.

The team should always come first.

Agreed, but not like this. He is our best ever and deserves better from a lot of fans.

[red g]

Not bothered if he leaves to be honest.

Paisley canned plenty of legends if he thought they were past it.

The team should always come first.

Paisley canned plenty of legends when we had plenty of legends, We have had 1 in recent times and Tee is right.

[The_weatherman]

Agreed, but not like this. He is our best ever and deserves better from a lot of fans.

What eaxactly is that? He can be criticised like any other, however Rodgers playing him in that position invites more criticsm towards Gerrard, he is not a holding midfielder and shouldnt play there.

[danperkins]

What eaxactly is that? He can be criticised like any other, however Rodgers playing him in that position invites more criticsm towards Gerrard, he is not a holding midfielder and shouldnt play there.