Steven Gerrard

[Keyser Soze]

Has to be said Ross Barkley is the most natural replacement.
He'll never come the blue nose, bitter ****.

[DannyMan2006]

I wish we could get Barkley, but tbh - I don't think we need him. He's a special player you'd find a space for. But we have plenty of attacking players and what we need is a defensive midfield rock.

[red g]

to big a risk for Barkley.....More likely the next Jack Rodwell rather than the next Steve Gerrard at the moment,

[ChrisDR1968]

According to the Daily Mirror the LA Galaxy will be paying him £20m next season.

If that's true it's completely insane (even if he was at the peak of his powers)... but there again football IS completely insane in a financial sense and has been since the evil Murdoch got his claws on the tv rights for it

[wiw]

I wish we could get Barkley, but tbh - I don't think we need him. He's a special player you'd find a space for. But we have plenty of attacking players and what we need is a defensive midfield rock.

I agree, plus he seems far too injury prone to build a team around.

If we want to create a new team that is greater than the sum of its parts then you need a top defensive mid, as you say, to hold it all together. Whether we like it or not (i'm personally made up ) Henderson is our new captain and we should build the midfield around him.

[G]

He'll keep getting picked and he's ineffectual in the middle and further forward so maybe we should swap him and Can and have him as a the ball playing right sided centre back.

[cream]

I think it will be much easier to phase him out of the team now. It'll make sense to start planning life without him and not have the media circus about him being 'dropped'.

[ukfootballfan101]

Not sure shirt sales should come in to this discussion (Barrett mentions it in his article and it's discussed elsewhere).

The question shouldn't be how many Gerrard shirts have been sold, but how many of those shirts wouldn't have been sold if Gerrard wasn't at Liverpool. I would say in almost all instances the fan buying the shirt would have a different name/number on the back, they are buying the shirt because they support Liverpool, not Gerrard.

[G]

I think it will be much easier to phase him out of the team now. It'll make sense to start planning life without him and not have the media circus about him being 'dropped'.

Johnson is off too, his replacement is already here yet he gets picked constantly when fit. Don't get your hopes up.

[vlahka]

It's clear to see last season really did a number on him. Theres less emotion on his face then usual when he plays. What I think might happen is he heads off for a season or two, gets paid big money and purges himself of everything thats been clinging to him emotionally here. Then he'll come back with a different renergized heart and maybe sign on as a player/coach and come on as a sub during home games for a farewell year before joining as full time coaching staff. Probably wont happen but it would be super.

[Norbs]

Best outcome

[SK]

what does everyone think of will hughes as a potential replacement? or better yet do you lot rate him at all? i've only seen him one or two times so can't really say..

[Shaggy]

He looked really good 18 months or so ago but seems to have stagnated. Not very impressive the last few times I've seen him. Need to set our sights higher.

[Chazza]

Ward-Prowse would be a better bet than Hughes.

[leo]

Felipe Gutiérrez