It helps if you have though. Otherwise you just look a bit of a never was criticising someone was somebody.
People aren't suggesting he was any less of player because he didn't win all he could have. However, people rightly point out that his unrelenting loyalty to Liverpool cost him the opportunity to win the trophies he was capable of.
Something, especially in this day and age, he should be praised for. Mind you, it was rumoured that certain criminal elements threatened dire consequences for his family if his proposed move to Chelsea went through some years back.
I wouldn't criticise any players who won a European trophy or the domestic cups with us, saying their success statistics were zero.
Doesn't matter if it's a European Cup winner or Hull City's third choice striker, it's the same principle, you're criticising people that have acheieved something you haven't.
Sorry. Obviously I am the only non-professional footballer on here because the rest of you aren't short of opinions. Gerrard is a massive ****. If the FA had any balls he would have had 20 caps or so, as he would only ever have played when Lampard was unavailable. Liverpool were only any good when he played alongside Alonso or Mascherano. Rest of the time he was distinctly average. Most overrated English player of the past 20 years IMO.
I was actually defending your right to criticise, however, now you've come out with all that bollocks I take it back, you should keep your ill informed opinions to yourself.
Ex professionals describe Gerrard as one of the best and complete midfielders of his generation! You'd like to think one or two of them know what it is they're talking about!!
They also talk about Paul Scholes in the same context..... I don't think these people ever saw Gary Brabin play......
"If you think Gerrard was any good you must be a closet Liverpool fan." Classic attempt at not accepting other people have opinions like a ignorant arrogant tosser. Gerrard wasn't the best of his generation, but he was definitely a fantastic player.
Given how fantastic he obviously was you might wonder why England have been so **** during the interminable length of time he played for team. As for the argument that 'plenty of reports have Gerrard in the top 10'... when a top player comes to the Premiership and is asked 'who are the best players' of course they answer Gerrard, Scholes, Rooney, et al. I think you will find they give different answers when playing in the Bundesliga or Ligue One, for example. If he had played for City at the height of his ability, Gerrard would have looked like Superman (when he wasn't sulking), but when playing against top class opposition he rarely distinguished himself. He was always a flat-track bully.
That is somewhat overstating his role in the comeback. He played his part, for sure - but 'single handed'? Only in his autobiography.
He scored the first goal and won a penalty for the second. Rafa's there tonight, ask him how a big a role Gerrard played in that game.
I actually watched that final (something I'm not normally interested in doing, must have been a slow night on the other channels) and he was absolutely brilliant. Just saying.