Steven Gerrard

[S-RED]

still tuned in to barca game & they have just bought on iniesta from the bench.........................

[BootRoom]

within reason i agree, but i think every single player could have been pulled today, bar Cb's & Sterling; imaginebeing the talisman for your club for over 10 years & the burden that has on you when you see from the inside how ****ed up the club is...

i feel for SG & as i said earlier he shouldn't be expected to play 270mins in 7 days with 180 of those against top 4 teams.............. he needs some slack

He's been ambling around in those other games too, so it's not like he's put in 270 minutes of hard graft.

[S-RED]

thats really unfair, christ cut him some slack

[BootRoom]

If he ambled around the pitch whilst playing for England I'd have an easier time with the view that it's a deliberate energy-saving tactic from a player that's on the physical decline.

The 'performance' against West Brom in the opening game was one of the worst I can remember in terms of his not-giving-a-**** attitude, and the only excuse I would entertain would be that he was injured but the Manager thought we'd be better off with him on the pitch. As he's clearly not injured, and the ambling-about is still here in varying degrees, there really is no real reason to excuse it. He's been on the wane for a while now and the sooner it's addressed the better. If he's tired, the international break would be the perfect opportunity for him to have a rest.

[baitman]

Rest.

Showed enough in the euro's that he still has it in the tank. We should prevent him from going to England.

this.

[little dave hedgehog]

if i were in charge i'd be straight onto stevie telling him i need him to lead this club and try his best in every match. and if he wanted to tell me that this is the best he can do, then i'd tell him that my captain has to do better, and put him on the bench.

[baitman]

if i were in charge i'd be straight onto stevie telling him i need him to lead this club and try his best in every match. and if he wanted to tell me that this is the best he can do, then i'd tell him that my captain has to do better, and put him on the bench.

is it too soon to consider allen as captain maybe agger

[Nicey]

if i were in charge i'd be straight onto stevie telling him i need him to lead this club and try his best in every match. and if he wanted to tell me that this is the best he can do, then i'd tell him that my captain has to do better, and put him on the bench.

Amen

I am amazed he was not pulled off at the weekend but I think Rodgers probally thought I do not want to make an already bad situation worse ... the press would have had a field day ..

Demento leaves Rooney on the Bench .. hes a tactical Genius Our manager leaves one of our Big players on the Bench its Full Defcon 5 Nuclear melt down

Jesus He'll probally get injured playing for England now ...

Just our horrible horrible run of luck

[tsb]

He needs to retire from England duty so we can maximise the benefit from him.

I think he'll be firing by October tbh.

[Pablo]

He just needs to alter his game slightly but is he willing/able to do it? I remember reading his interview about a month ago where he said he's not willing to alter his playing style yet. Unless he does I think we're going to have problems. He can't keep playing Hollywood balls like that and then jogging back once he's given it away. It's unforgivable.

In the mean time I'd try to play him as part of the front three and not the midfield three. If he keeps giving the ball away then it's not normally quite as damaging. I'd play it something like this until Lucas is back:

------Allen---Lucas----

--------Shelvey-------

Gerrard--Borini--Suarez

And if he's still to lazy to track back in that position I'd drop him to the bench.

[BootRoom]

This is from last week and is spot on:

Fading icon symbolises Rodgers' restoration challenge

These are changing times at Liverpool. One of the club's greatest icons was removed during the summer, a difficult decision given all he had contributed in the past. It may already be time to devise an exit strategy for another.

Kenny Dalglish remained in charge until the end of last season because of his past achievements and reputation. Where others would have been sacked long before, his relationship with the club and its fans kept him there long after it was clear he was falling well short of what was required. Fiercely loyal, many supporters refused to consider his shortcomings despite the mounting evidence.

His successor must now avoid doing the same with the other Liverpool great whose standing within the club far exceeds what he can add to the team. Alex Ferguson did it with Roy Keane, and Arsene Wenger did it with Thierry Henry, and now Brendan Rodgers must decide how to deal with the status and influence of a fading Steven Gerrard.

Beginning its fourth season in succession with a different manager, the club is in an unprecedented state of transition. Rodgers has his own philosophy on how to play football and how to run a club. He impressed throughout pre-season, talking down their chances and talking up his players. He didn't criticise his predecessors, but stressed the need for change. He sounded both ambitious and realistic, all the while stressing the need for patience. Refusing to work under or alongside a director of football, his intention is to do things his way. However, his handling of this most sensitive of issues could have a significant bearing on the season ahead. In fact, it could define his time in charge.

Nobody emerged with great credit from Liverpool's heaviest opening-day defeat in 75 years at West Brom, but all the attention predictably turned to Rodgers. That was inevitable given it was his first Premier League game in the job, but the abject display from his captain was alarming. Gerrard has the crowd on his side and the dressing room under his command, but no longer has the legs or the ability to do what he once could. His positional discipline was always suspect, but his energy levels can no longer compensate for wayward passes or defensive lapses. There comes a time when every player's future in a team comes under question, and that time has now arrived for Gerrard.

This is no over-reaction to an opening-day debacle. Gerrard's presence in the team is often ineffective, and at times detrimental. It is normal for players and fans to look to him for leadership and inspiration given the heights he has reached at Anfield throughout his career, but those days are well behind him.

Relying solely on Gerrard has worked in the past, but that was a long time ago. He is still looked upon by many to dictate a game from midfield or drive the team singlehandedly to victory, but last week he was anonymous. His form over the last 18 months, while interrupted by injury, demands a big call from Rodgers.

But as AVB learned at Chelsea last season, taking on the big names in any dressing room must be handled delicately and carried out over time. Challenging him so soon after taking the job could be politically unwise, but avoiding the issue won't work either.

It is unfair to compare Rodgers' tenure with that of AVB's at Chelsea, but he won't succeed either if the club doesn't support him fully in whatever he aims to do. If that means phasing out their talisman, then he must be supported in his aims. And while it may seem treacherous on their part if they do, that support must come from the fans too.

After Manchester City this afternoon, Liverpool play Manchester United and Arsenal in two of their next three league games. Because of the changes that Rodgers has already brought to the club, pressure will mount if things continue to go wrong. Fans will voice their concerns and players will be asked for their views, an unavoidable consequence of so much managerial change. However, players are there to impress their new boss, not to reveal whether they are in support of him. When was the last time a Manchester United player was asked what he thought of Alex Ferguson or if he agreed with his methods?

Gerrard said last weekend that the players must take their share of the responsibility for the performance. This is what he said very often last season too. If Rodgers wants to avoid going the way of his predecessor, he must look at Gerrard's actions and ignore the sound bites. He will need time, of course he will, but also the support of his players. Not in words, but performances. And if they consistently produce what they did last weekend, the club must support his every move to replace them. And that includes their iconic captain.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...e-3210149.html

[yamiedo]

I think Gerrard looks much better on paper than he actually is anymore. At his peak you would look at him on paper and your expectations would be heightened. Though, the difference was he always delivered. You look at him now and your expectations are the same, you think brilliant its Steven Gerrard. However, now the top performances are few and far between. If these poor performances continue, even the name on paper will not hold any weight anymore. I hope this is not the end of Gerrard.

[Shanks]

Rafa was the only manager who knew what to do with him.

Rafa had him during the best years of his career....Gerrard is 32 now..

Houllier didn't do to bad with him either, early on..

[yamiedo]

He just needs to alter his game slightly but is he willing/able to do it? I remember reading his interview about a month ago where he said he's not willing to alter his playing style yet. Unless he does I think we're going to have problems. He can't keep playing Hollywood balls like that and then jogging back once he's given it away. It's unforgivable.

In the mean time I'd try to play him as part of the front three and not the midfield three. If he keeps giving the ball away then it's not normally quite as damaging. I'd play it something like this until Lucas is back:

------Allen---Lucas----

--------Shelvey-------

Gerrard--Borini--Suarez

And if he's still to lazy to track back in that position I'd drop him to the bench.

I'd agree with you. I'm also assuming you'd put Sahin in there in the Lucas position.

[paulg]

We could really do with Gerrard not playing for England anymore. Typical that he's now captain, so that will never happen.