Steven Gerrard

[RedReet]

Pirlo isn't at the same level of 2008 either but he still put in 'that performance'.

[Chazza]

No worries.

You think he is the at the same level as he was in 2008 and I don't.

I don't think that at all

He was phenomenal a few years ago but has lost a bit from his game with injuries and age

I still think he can offer alot from a deeper role and to get rid of him would be madness IMO

[souliv]

He struggled later in the game , but can't blame him seeing as he has carried the entire England team for the whole tournament, when I saw Henderson was coming on I assumed it was for Gerrard.

[CAD]

He came on against Newcastle and did more in 30 minutes than the other 20 odd players put together. He was on for player of the tournament before last nights debacle.

He's certainly not done and as poor as he was for most of last season it's not too surprising considering how long he was out injured for.

With all respect possible I can't see any British player getting that honor considering what else is out there. Not a windup - just saying. You play with the deep 4-4-2. Old school football with no ball pressure until the final 1/3. I think England and Greece were the only two teams with that approach in the tournament. Hodgson again of course. Stevie might have been a decent enough player in this tournament but the trouble is you need more than that from the center midfielder and the Captain. Dont you? He had some decent crosses and ran the extra mile but other than that I cant see the magic. At all. I dont think Gerrard is anywhere near what he was before that injury in 2008 or 9. He is not a gamebreaker anymore. Sure, he will have the odd match where he lights up but is that really useful at this level? You want to build around that?

I'm not trying to take a dump on an Icon to annoy any of you. I just think there is more hype left than anything else when it comes to Gerrard. The skill, pace, grit and pure will to succeed has left and I can't see it coming back.

[CAD]

I don't think that at all

He was phenomenal a few years ago but has lost a bit from his game with injuries and age

I still think he can offer alot from a deeper role and to get rid of him would be madness IMO

So that's where we differ. I think he lost A LOT and you think he lost a bit.

Fair enough

I don't know if the football Rogers represents will fit in Gerrard in a "deep" role. But we will find that out soon enough.

[RedReet]

With all respect possible I can't see any British player getting that honor considering what else is out there. Not a windup - just saying. You play with the deep 4-4-2. Old school football with no ball pressure until the final 1/3. I think England and Greece were the only two teams with that approach in the tournament. Hodgson again of course. Stevie might have been a decent enough player in this tournament but the trouble is you need more than that from the center midfielder and the Captain. Dont you? He had some decent crosses and ran the extra mile but other than that I cant see the magic. At all. I dont think Gerrard is anywhere near what he was before that injury in 2008 or 9. He is not a gamebreaker anymore. Sure, he will have the odd match where he lights up but is that really useful at this level? You want to build around that?

I'm not trying to take a dump on an Icon to annoy any of you. I just think there is more hype left than anything else when it comes to Gerrard. The skill, pace, grit and pure will to succeed has left and I can't see it coming back.

But he was voted the best player by a lot of professionals and fans alike after the group stages and statistically I think I read he was the most effective according to some foreign site. It's not just rose tinted specs from the Liverpool fans.

Look, you have your opinion and I'm not gonna change that. Lets just see how you feel come May if he can remain injury free for most of the season.

[Lee]

I'm still staggered at this comment:

When was the last time we saw Stevie? 2008? Since then his level has been an overall embarrassment give or take a few matches

An "embarrassment"

[peekay]

Yes, he does not have the energy of five years ago but I think most people are over estimating the level to which his stamina or the ability to influence a game has reduced by his Euro displays. It is difficult to influence a game when you see the ball once every 10 minutes.

Most english players were gasping for breath by the end. He spent so much of the time backtracking and chasing shadows with no respite. The fact that Pirlo was able to play so much with hardly breaking a sweat is due to the poor tactics adopted.

[Frenchie]

this

[CAD]

But he was voted the best player by a lot of professionals and fans alike after the group stages and statistically I think I read he was the most effective according to some foreign site. It's not just rose tinted specs from the Liverpool fans.

Look, you have your opinion and I'm not gonna change that. Lets just see how you feel come May if he can remain injury free for most of the season.

http://www.eplindex.com/15792/england-player-stats-accumulated-euro-2012-opta-stats.html

I hear you and I hope you are right as much as my logic tells me you can't be

[CAD]

Yes, he does not have the energy of five years ago but I think most people are over estimating the level to which his stamina or the ability to influence a game has reduced by his Euro displays. It is difficult to influence a game when you see the ball once every 10 minutes.

Most english players were gasping for breath by the end. He spent so much of the time backtracking and chasing shadows with no respite. The fact that Pirlo was able to play so much with hardly breaking a sweat is due to the poor tactics adopted.

Of course. Huge factor - no doubt.

What about the last 3 or 4 years then?

[CAD]

I'm still staggered at this comment:



An "embarrassment"

Ohh, come on FFS mate. I corrected that. Why not comment on some of the more interesting stuff?

[Lee]

Ohh, come on FFS mate. I corrected that. Why not comment on some of the more interesting stuff?

Because I can't be arsed, mate.

[Tee]

I can understand the concern about Gerrard because of his age, but FFS last night was his first 'poor' game of the tournament and L'Equipe had him as their best player in teh group stages.

To say he past his best is fair comment, but a Stevie G a few years beyond his best is still our best player by a long shot IMO. And that is testament to how good he was in his pomp.

Whilst I do not expect too many Stevie G miracles on the pitch he will prove to be a vital cog in the new Liverpool. He is far too good a footballer to be overlooked so quickly and we have far greater concerns in the squad than our Captain to be discussing.

[kris90210]

Pirlo has always played in the same fashion - Alonso-esq metronomic midfielder. Those guys simply aren't as affected by age as box to box midfielders like Gerrard. Right now, he's starting lose a little bit of pace, power and stamina that used to be the foundations of his game. So he needs to adapt his game now to rely on his other strengths as he learns to play in a new role:

Passing ability - there's probably only a handful of players in the world who are better at passing a football than Gerrard. One of his downsides is that because he's so good, sometimes he attemts a difficult pass when a simple one would suffice. This is a habit that could be worked on.

Control - his touch and control aren't Pirlo level, but they certainly aren't bad. And his composure on the ball is first class - watch him when he's 1 on 1 with a keeper - he puts most strikers to shame.

There is absolutely no reason at all to think that Gerrard can't adapt his game as he gets older - he has the most important qualities, and the ones he's lacking in can be developed.

It will be very interesting to see how he develops under Rodgers. If Rodgers can get Leon Britton playing with a 93% passing accuracy, I can't wait to see what he does with Gerrard.

Ultimately, Steven Gerrard is a club legend and an icon. He's our talisman and as far as I'm concerned, we should do everything in our power to make sure he stays with us as long as possible.