[video=youtube;HHvzsWYFexc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHvzsWYFexc[/video] There isn't another player in the world I'd have rather had in the team over the last 14 years than our very own Captain Fantastic. Still pulling the strings at 31 and he'll still be pulling them for the foreseeable future. Every minute of every league game 2012/2013. Take a bow son.
He has been a brilliant player and has been fantastic. He isn't what he was but still justifies his first place spot in the team. I wish he had lifted the premier league trophy for us as he sorely deserves it... unfortunately he timed his birth to coexist with a less successful period in the club. Will always remember his exploits under the first few years of Rafas reign. He was amazing in the 2005 champions league and crucial in the 2006 Fa cup final. Definately one of the absolute best players of a generation. Can count on your fingers the few contemporaries that can be named in the same breath.
He may not be what he was, but I still think we will really struggle in a few years time when we're forced to replace him. His passion, intelligence, leadership and passing abilities will never falter even though his body eventually will. I can only hope he can emulate Giggs and Scholes in prolonging his career past what is considered as normal for a midfielder.
I appreciate what you are saying but most kids would give their right arm for one appearance for ANY professional club never mind Liverpool, England or winning a trophy so I am sure he will be happy with his haul despite having the disappointment of not having got his hands on the league Do you think either of Alan Shearer or Steven Gerrard would swap medals if they had the chance...?
Gerrez, I'm sure you're right... And despite a slow decade he still does have an enviable collection of medals and honours that the vast majority of players would drool over... most clubs dream of our bad decades. ...and he got many of them AS captain which is even more special.
Granted he hasn't won the league (and we all know he won't as a player without a miracle of biblical proportions) but getting his hands on big ears must be some consolation Some of us have always kept the faith Crumpet simply because we know once settled into a role he will always adjust and cope. I was surprised at the impatience of some earlier in the season given Gerrards history of ALWAYS adapting. For me it's actually hurt his career being TOO flexible. Shafted around by certain Liverpool managers to accomodate their own and shafted around by various England managers because of the need to keep Fat Frank happy. Every time he just gets on with it and comes good. Take a bow indeed
Despite the criticism from a lot of people at start of season him and Suarez have been far ahead of anyone else in the team this season in my book. Some muppets were calling for him to be dropped early on but joe Allen and Jordan Henderson are barely fit to clean his boots never mind replace him in the team. I think he still has 2 to 3 years left in him playing as he is now and i think he could even play as our defensive midfielder for a couple of years after that.
Sorry, just clarify I didn't mean posters on this forum specifically. I use another lfc forum where he got a lot of stick.
Not really mate, there were some saying quite categorically that he was a) lazy b) finished. There were plenty of comments that made it quite clear he shouldn't be playing and that we'd be better off with Allen playing
Agree. There was alot of criticism even on this board and when I, and others, would saying he was playing well, just differently because of his age now, we were met with comments about rose tinted glasses for our captain. Yes, he gives the ball away alot, but **** it, defense splitting passes don't always work. Early season form was fine. You could keep your 96% negative Allen for all I care, I'd have Stevie any day of the week.
(a) He is lazy! (b) Some said he should be dropped but it was a small minority, I don't recall people saying he was finished. I said he should have been dropped for the same reason I said it last season and the year before, because he wasn't performing to the level we knew he could and it would have sent a very definite message to a lot of players in our squad that thought they were undroppable. Also tells everyone who is the boss.
Not naming names because that's not fair but here's a selection "Gerrard should be dropped - his performances have detoriated over the past 3 years and doesn't deserve to be starting. Henderson seems to thrive when Gerrard doesn't play. In fact, our midfield passes a lot quicker and is more fluid without Gerrard". "Other players step up when he doesn't play also he demands/receives the ball too much when he plays. He is liable for long balls and no longer has the ability to change matches as he used too". "As such I hope Shelvey isn't the new Gerrard, hope he continues developing as he has been and he will be a far better team player than Gerrard ever was". "Gerrard is past it, no longer our best CM as allen and lucas are now passing him in influance on games". "Lucas, Allen and Sahin are all good enough and likely to be our midfield trio imo. Gerrard will start from the bench more this season or up front". "Gerrard is well past it and it's telling that no big teams ever came in for him. He's had his time with us and best to start looking to the future". All from different posters, all Reds. Edit: This took me 5 mins to compile and trust me there are plenty more. Yes Gerrard wasn't at his best and hadn't been for a while so people were right to ask the question but in reality the answer was pretty bloody obvious. Stop surrounding our best players with abject ****e and they'll perform better, stop expecting one player to practically carry the whole squad then criticise him when it becomes too much, stop chopping and changing bloody managers, stop moving your best player around from one position to another because of the failure to get decent players for that position. This isn't a gloating exercise it's merely a lesson to try and appreciate what we have had from Stevie G and what we STILL have if we can get the best out of him. For all Rodgers mistakes this year he deserves some big brownie points for getting an improvement out of our best two players Long may that continue.
Fair enough Billy, but in the interests of fairness, what were the responses to those comments? I know there were some but as I said above,it was a small minority a most had valid reason with saying he was finished. Any chance those comments were all after games where we dropped points too?
No a couple were after games such as the early UEFA games we actually won, the" Shelvey will be better than Gerrard" ones being an example. The responses to those comments were varied but were mostly from those of us who know great players don't just stop being great players without there being a reason behind it. In fairness mate reading back you were one of the more positive about him in general and none of those quotes were from you
I think I might being defensive here as I criticised Gerrard a lot for being lazy and was firmly in the 'drop him' camp at one point (reasons highlighted above) but I'm certainly glad Stevie's find some magic now, no way should he be dropped now
I thought this would be about Downing In fairness though, even at his current age Gerrard still would get in most teams and be their best midfielder which says a lot. Been every bit as important in your team as Suarez in my opinion. Has he played every minute this season? great he can still do that and perform at a high level in a lot of them at his age. Though I do think Rodgers is afraid of upsetting him by taking him off/dropping him/resting him.
Only player in our squad to have done so too. I don't entirely agree with him playing that much but... Lucas is just as important as those two as well IMO.
