Steven Gerrard

[Vermilion]

I think Stevie will deliver the title to us, and maybe under JH, but as manager.

Would I. Love. That!

I mean, how apt would that be!?

Heaven. On. Earth!

[BigChief]

I think Stevie will deliver the title to us, and maybe under JH, but as manager.

Would I. Love. That!

I mean, how apt would that be!?

Heaven. On. Earth!

I've been talking of karma lots over the last few days. I think its written he is meant to win it as manager.

[Phoenix07]

Or he'll go to Man City on a free next season and win it there.

[Pablo]

I think Stevie will deliver the title to us, and maybe under JH, but as manager.

Would I. Love. That!

I mean, how apt would that be!?

Heaven. On. Earth!

I've been talking of karma lots over the last few days. I think its written he is meant to win it as manager.

I don't. I think he will be a terrible manager.

[Lecter]

Yeh, he wasn't great but he was no worse than Lucas and Henderson. He was surrounded by **** but everyone expected him to get us over the line. He's a lot better when playing with better players.

This is the problem as I see it

The lad is in his twilight years of his career and is still expected to carry the team and there should be others in that team that are carrying him (like Chelsea are doing with Terry)

The thing that pisses me off is that players fail to take responsibility in possession and look for the easy option, backwards, sidewards passes but Gerrard is still one of the few who will stand up and take on the pressure of trying a ball even if it fails

Hes 34 and still showing for the ball and willing to take the responsibility even when his legs are gone and hes no longer anywhere near the force he was, whereas others are willing to hide in his shadow

[McDermotX]

This is the problem as I see it

The lad is in his twilight years of his career and is still expected to carry the team and there should be others in that team that are carrying him (like Chelsea are doing with Terry)

The thing that pisses me off is that players fail to take responsibility in possession and look for the easy option, backwards, sidewards passes but Gerrard is still one of the few who will stand up and take on the pressure of trying a ball even if it fails

Hes 34 and still showing for the ball and willing to take the responsibility even when his legs are gone and hes no longer anywhere near the force he was, whereas others are willing to hide in his shadow

I almost cried when one of the chances fell to him on the edge of the box on the volley, and all he could muster was a sliced, piddling effort wide.

[DannyMan2006]

I almost cried when one of the chances fell to him on the edge of the box on the volley, and all he could muster was a sliced, piddling effort wide.

He was closed down too quickly, even in his prime that would've been a similar outcome.

The real tearjerker? How about when he's through one on one? A bit of extra pace and he's first to the ball, penalty or goal. Secondly, The deflected almost goal, I think he gets to that in his prime, before the keeper reacts.

[BigChief]

I don't. I think he will be a terrible manager.

Yeah, I see where you're coming from (Souness, Maradona, Brian Robson, Keane, Hughes, etc). But life has a way of restoring balance and for Gerrard to never have won the league with Liverpool is probably the biggest footballing paradox out there.

The fact Gerrard is not a shouter, like the above list, and with a decent number 2 next to him (Hyppia?), who knows?

[Jas]

It is so sad seeing him struggle to cope with the games now, a faded force, yet still the one we look to for inspiration when we are up against it. He has played that superhero role for so many years, seeing him struggle like this makes me feel like I did when I was a kid watching Superman when they put Kryptonite around his neck.....

The Manager has failed him I'm afraid. He has had more than enough resources (and the time) to have built a team with enough class players in it so we would not have to rely on Stevie. He should be a luxury for us, bringing him on when we are cruising or just needing a calming influence on the pitch.

It's a sad state of affairs and I really wish we had done better for him, but alas it seems he will probably have to sever those ties with us sooner rather than later.

No matter what happens, for me he will forever remain the greatest English player of all time and our best ever by an absolute country mile.

Quality post Tee, agree 100% and the Superman analogy is bang on.

[Marina]

Or he'll go to Man City on a free next season and win it there.

Nightmare come to life. Although since we're entertaining ridiculous scenarios, it would be a million times worse if he went to Chelsea and won it there, to be fair.

[Tee]

Quality post Tee, agree 100% and the Superman analogy is bang on.

Cheers mate, the pain from the game was raw and I posted that from the heart.

[wongers]

the problem for stephen is he will always be judged on what he was, all the posts on here bare that out. what you have to realise is he's not the player of five years ago but contrary to opinion he's still a very good player and can still offer this team a lot ,his problem is he's playing with second rate players and is still expected to pull us out of the **** by everyone he can't do it on his own anymore he needs the players around him to stand up and be counted something none of them are doing at the moment

[Rich]

He'll be playing for Jose at Chelsea next season.

[Alex]

Its frustrating that the debate around him playing always needs to start with 'I know he is a club legend, but......'

We should judge players on what they bring to the side now, and for Gerrard unfortunately he cant just ping a 50 yard pass and hit a dead ball every now and then. The game is past that.

In the final 30/20 of a game, I think he can be lethal for us. He has an ability to raise spirits and drag us through. But to sustain that for a full 90 is nearly impossible for him now unfortunately. In this current set up anyway.

[dww]

I think part of the problem (one that has happened in the past as well) is that too few players take responsibility when he is on the pitch. Everyone seems to think he'll be the one to guide us out of trouble and its less true now than it has ever been. He's always been at his best when alongside players who are both good enough and mentally strong enough to take responsibility on themselves. Even the players who looked to be growing last season seem overawed this.