One of the things I feel about this is a sense of relief cos in recent times BR has had big issues in deciding how to deploy him - CM his natural old position where really he no longer had the pace to do it well or DM which was not really his natural position or maybe somewhere else??? - cos you could not just leave SG out long term. Also at times from what he said it was clear he felt he wanted to still play and I feared this tension going on into next season and beyond with his form becoming less and less worthy of a shirt and BR wondering what to do. He is so loved by the fans that to side line him would be risky for Brendan. Probably wrong as teams should always be picked on merit but also true.
However being the great he is he has saved these worries by voluntarily going which will be best for all involved - BR, SG himself, his family, the club - meaning the owners, officials and other players. My worry a bit is that he may not come back as sometimes legends have left and we have expected them back some time and it never happened as I would definitely like him one day to be LFC manager. Hopefully once his playing career is fully over in the USA (2 or 3 seasons?) he will return to LFC as a coach and we go from there.
Over the years though what a player
1) The only player to have scored in the finals of the FA Cup, League Cup, Europa League and Champions League - and he isn't even a striker - and none were penalties.
2) Scorer of literally dozens of goals of the season candidates.
3) Brilliant free kick taker - both scoring ones and ones where the ball was played into danger areas and others scored (also very reliable from the spot - seen even yesterday), also corners too
4) Has an awesome passing range with many assists for goals for the likes of Torres, Suarez and others.
5) Brilliant tackler - slide tackles taking the ball cleanly so often
6) Leadership qualities on the field inspiring those around him to up their levels.
7) Work rate - the number of times the opponents get a quick break and he is the one getting back to thwart them
I could go on but you get the picture.
I do take Thomas point above though that it is debateable if he is LFCs best ever. I have followed the team since 1962 and have seen most of the greats over the years and I am not sure but it is such a subjective matter anyway - in his favour is that most of the others did not last as long as Stevie has - 15 years from 1999 till now. I do think the lack of a league winners medal is such a shame and counts against him a bit but sadly the teams he played in whilst good were not at the level of the previous teams, At the end of the day though it does not really matter, he is certainly one of the best ever LFC players.
Yup I think as an all round player he's right up there. Similar to Ryan Giggs really in terms of the all round impact they had on their clubs year in year out.
It's sad news, but perhaps no surprise, this won't hurt the team as much as it would have if he'd signed for Chelsea or offend the fans.
I agree with most on here that he's probably not the best player in the clubs history, but I think most would agree he's our best player this century. He'll be regarded as a legend who will be remembered for decades to come.
It's all subjective. For me and I know lots disagree with me however their is many in the game who agree with me. My dad has followed Liverpool longer than me and believes that Gerrard has been Liverpool's best player even though he has not won as many medals as other players, Alan Kennedy thinks he was Liverpool's best player - Thompson and Souness would disagree which is understandable and it is their opinion - mine differs. So it's not just fans of the modern era who thinks Gerrard has been Liverpool's best player.
In my opinion and I have watched lots of games and grew up with the Barnes, Rush era. No other player has had to carry the team for 10 years or had the pressure and still played well - in his peak he was one of the best players in Europe. If he was in a better team he would have achieved a lot more.
Here is a few quotes
Sir Alex Ferguson: "He has become the most influential player in England, bar none. Not that Vieira lacks anything, but Gerrard does more."
"In midfield, you have to defend, attack, score goals, protect the defence and tackle. So many things. And Gerrard can do them all." Vieira
"Gerrard has been my idol for 10 years & is one of the best players in the world." - Daniele De Rossi.
It's all subjective. For me and I know lots disagree with me however their is many in the game who agree with me. My dad has followed Liverpool longer than me and believes that Gerrard has been Liverpool's best player even though he has not won as many medals as other players, Alan Kennedy thinks he was Liverpool's best player - Thompson and Souness would disagree which is understandable and it is their opinion - mine differs. So it's not just fans of the modern era who thinks Gerrard has been Liverpool's best player.
In my opinion and I have watched lots of games and grew up with the Barnes, Rush era. No other player has had to carry the team for 10 years or had the pressure and still played well - in his peak he was one of the best players in Europe. If he was in a better team he would have achieved a lot more.
Here is a few quotes
Sir Alex Ferguson: "He has become the most influential player in England, bar none. Not that Vieira lacks anything, but Gerrard does more."
"In midfield, you have to defend, attack, score goals, protect the defence and tackle. So many things. And Gerrard can do them all." Vieira
"Gerrard has been my idol for 10 years & is one of the best players in the world." - Daniele De Rossi.
I think Zidane also described him as the best player in the world at one point.
I think Zidane also described him as the best player in the world at one point.
I have not heard of the Zidane quote.
Terry McDermott has just tweeted he was Liverpool greatest player and he was in a very good team. It's going to be an argument which will rage for sometime with everyone having different opinions,
It's all subjective. For me and I know lots disagree with me however their is many in the game who agree with me. My dad has followed Liverpool longer than me and believes that Gerrard has been Liverpool's best player even though he has not won as many medals as other players, Alan Kennedy thinks he was Liverpool's best player - Thompson and Souness would disagree which is understandable and it is their opinion - mine differs. So it's not just fans of the modern era who thinks Gerrard has been Liverpool's best player.
In my opinion and I have watched lots of games and grew up with the Barnes, Rush era. No other player has had to carry the team for 10 years or had the pressure and still played well - in his peak he was one of the best players in Europe. If he was in a better team he would have achieved a lot more.
Here is a few quotes
Sir Alex Ferguson: "He has become the most influential player in England, bar none. Not that Vieira lacks anything, but Gerrard does more."
"In midfield, you have to defend, attack, score goals, protect the defence and tackle. So many things. And Gerrard can do them all." Vieira
"Gerrard has been my idol for 10 years & is one of the best players in the world." - Daniele De Rossi.
That Ferguson quote doesn't tie in with the other one from him though which is strange.
No one will agree but I do think he's been a millstone around the club's neck for over a decade. Football is stiffled when one player so dominates - and in this case not just the team but the managers and the entire club, as well as a chunk of the city.
Liverpool had to play with a quarter-back, regardless. It doesn't suit football. Every single line of attack passed through Gerrard, at the cost of pace and opportunity; doesn't matter that the wing man has beat his man and got to the by-line - where's Steveie G now? All over the pitch the next pass was to Stevie G - if he's not in space, find time to wait. He demanded it be that way.
A really excellent footballer, a really lously player to have in your team - unless you're say Barca or Madrid (where he wouldn't be allowed to dominate). With Gerrard, the rest of the players, the managers, the club all under achieved.
This is the best thing that's happened to the club since the one-off of Istanbul.
I wish Gerrard all the best, a very fine player and a truly great servant to Liverpool FC.
Although I wasn't greatly concerned about who won the title last year I felt really sorry for Gerrard on a human level. He had been as enthused and hyper as I'd ever seen him after the Man City win and then for his slip to directly lead to Chelsea's winning goal so soon after I could see devastated him. As much as of course it could have happened to anyone I think, in spite of comments from him and others to the contrary, that slip and Liverpool not winning the title was not something he got over fairly quickly. Such an unexpected title, and the manner it would have been achieved in, would have been a wonderful and deserved climax to his career with Liverpool.
I can't believe some of these people saying he was only a good player on various sites and phone in's. I mean that is just nuts. A great player on his day Near the very very top.
Just gutted.
Some fans have very short memories. They're the sort who think that slip was the sole reason for us not winning the league, or that the header against Uruguay got England knocked out of the World Cup. Rooney gets it too, in fairness. If either of them make a mistake, it's 100 times worse than anyone else making a mistake for some reason.
Having only been following Liverpool since the late 90s (which is when I first got into football), he's certainly the best player I've seen at the club. The way he rolled his sleeves up and carried inferior players around him for years without getting the rewards he deserved is nothing short of admirable.
He was one of, if not the, best midfielders in the world in the 2004-2009 period (and without a doubt the most complete). He played in several positions under Benitez, and did rather well in all of them. He won the Champions League from the centre of the pitch, the FA Cup from the wing, and in 2009 he lead us to 2nd in the league playing as a second striker. I think it was around 2010 that a couple of nasty injuries that had accrued began to take their toll on him, and he featured intermittently in the team for a couple of years, looking less and less like the player we'd all grown to worship. He was paying for all those years of rampaging all over the pitch with boundless energy.
Last season we saw him take up the deeper role in front of the back four, which I immediately raised concerns about because, while he was always a good tackler, I didn't feel he possessed the awareness and discipline to play that role. It was made worse by the fact he no longer had the energy levels to press like we would need him to. Despite all that, he still put in some masterful performances and finished as the league's top assister. Quite remarkable, really.
I see Squibbles posted a few quotes about the great man, but I don't think it'd hurt to post a few more:
"If you were looking for the player you would replace Keane with, it would be Gerrard, without question. He has become the most influential player in England, bar none. More than Vieira. Not that Vieira lacks anything, but I think that Gerrard does more for his team than Vieira does, and has way more to his game. I've watched him quite a lot. To me, Gerrard is Keane. Everywhere the ball is, he seems to be there. He's got that unbelievable engine, desire, determination. Anyone would love to have Gerrard in their team. - Sir Alex Ferguson (2004)
"He is undoubtedly one of the best midfield players in the world" - Carlo Ancelotti (2005)
"To me he is one of the best midfielders in the world. He is an excellent player." - Pelé (just before the 2006 World Cup)
"Is he the best in the world? He might not get the attention of (Lionel) Messi and Ronaldo but yes, I think he just might be.If you don't have a player like Steven Gerrard, who is the engine room, it can affect the whole team.When we were winning league titles and European Cups at Real, I always said Claude Makelele was our most important player. There is no way myself, (Luis) Figo or Raul would have been able to do what we did without Claude and the same goes for Liverpool and Gerrard. He has great passing ability, can tackle and scores goals, but most importantly he gives the players around him confidence and belief. You can't learn that -- players like him are just born with that presence." - Zidane (2009)
“For me, and I have always said this, he will be regarded as one of the greatest midfielders ever when he finishes his career. No doubt." - Kaka (2009)
“I find it a disgrace that he didn’t win European Footballer of the Year in 2005 after Istanbul. For me, he is one of the best ever. “Whenever you play Liverpool you know you have to get him out of the game. If not, it’s all over for you. “He’s a midfielder and if you look at all the important goals he’s scored - well I can’t even think of a striker in the world who has scored as many important goals, never mind a midfielder. How many times has he done it in the dying seconds of a game? I am trying to think of a striker now who does it - there aren’t any. Think about it." - Thierry Henry (2009)
In my own position, I was crazy about [Steven] Gerrard. I remember in the Champions League final comeback by Liverpool against AC Milan, you saw him up front, on the wings, and a moment later he was back, marking the playmaker, I have never seen such a complete midfielder." - Claudio Marchisio (2011)
Will miss Gerrard he was a big personality and the English Premier League lacks them now, the new players coming into the league especially the foreigners what do we really know about them? they are boring as hell with zero personality, charisma and character. Gerrard, Lampard, Henry etc was big characters and personality's, an end of an era.. in 20-30 years time we will look back at that with fondness of a golden era.
Rooney is getting into his 30s soon too, and then who do we focus on? Jordan Henderson?
We don't know how lucky we had it until it's taken away. Gerrard and The Premier League was box office.
Gerrard is without a doubt one of the greats of the Premier League era and I don't want to diminish his achievements in any way but I do want to slightly challenge the idea that he was carrying a poor Liverpool team. For much of his run he came up with massive, energetic performances and grabbed vital goals that spurred the team on and at times it seemed like he was winning matches by himself. However, to do that sort of work in midfield it was important to have good partners who would give protection to the team when he bursted forward. So I think Xabi Alonso (and to a lesser extent Mascherano) were hugely important in allowing Gerrard to play the way that he did so successfully. I also feel that he was never quite as good once those players had left, although that could be somewhat coincidental.
When you think about it, Liverpool at one point would have had one of the strongest midfields in Europe with Mascherano, Alonso and Gerrard in the middle of the park. Perhaps they should have won more.
Over-rated, Overpaid and now over the hill. Bugger off
Digital Spy- the place for 'red hot soccer chat' as David Mellor used to say.
Gerrard - a player I've always wanted to hate but could never find any reason to. Great, great player in his pomp, driving forward from midfield with seemingly non stop energy and blasting in more than his fair share of stunning goals.
Naturally dropped off a lot from his peak now, noticed in the game against us recently how limited he was these days so I'm sure he has made a wise decision.
Bit over the top today though on SSN I thought. Nobody died.
Some genuine reactions and comments from RAWK (red and white kop)
Admittedly was p**** but that day we beat City 3-2 at home and that speech I sat in my lounge and cried my eyes out. Cried because it was so close we (and he) could almost touch it. The tears were for myself as a red for over 30yrs feeling like at long, long last we were finally gonna win the league again but they were also for Stevie. For how deserving he was (and is) after everything he has done for the club and for everything else he's achieved.
I find it hard to express how Im feeling. Even though Im much older than him, I wish he was my dad
"I would have followed you, my brother... my captain... my king "
Where am I?” quizzed Stevie,
“You,” Shanks replied, “are at the home of football, you should recognise it, it’s the greatest ground in the world, and those boys wearing that shirt recognise that it’s a privilege not a chore” the crowd suddenly erupts as Iain St John plants a simple finish into the kop goal past the Inter keeper as Shanks joins in the crowd singing “Oh, Inter, one-two-three Go back to Italy”
“We should’ve beaten this lot, cheats they are” Shankly explained to Gerrard who didn’t seem impressed,
“Why am I here” he retorted, “I’ve made up my mind I’m going”
“Oh aye son” quipped Shankly, “You’re here because I say so, and you aint seen nothing yet” Shankly clicked his fingers again and the Kop disappeared and the pair reappeared in Shankly’s office alongside a man who Stevie recognised from somewhere but couldn’t quite pin his finger on it.
“You recognise him sonny?” Asked Shanks, Stevie pauses for a minute before realising, “Its Keegs” he remembers,
“Yes it is,” replies Shankly, “and he’s just decided to move onto bigger and better things, and you wanna know what, people said Liverpool FC couldn’t survive without him, just as they said they couldn’t survive without me, just as they’re saying they couldn’t survive without you, but you know what sonny, he couldn’t survive without Liverpool, neither could I, and neither I don’t think, can you. Liverpool was made for us and we were made for Liverpool”
Stevie suddenly awoke in his room, a dream, it must’ve been a dream, he reassured himself, he stood up and headed downstairs to the kitchen to get himself a drink to calm himself down, when all of a sudden, another, colder, harsher breeze emerged from the still open window, Stevie turned around, and was shocked to be faced by his manager Rafael Benitez
Re: Gerrard to leave at the end of the season
MichaelA on Yesterday at 11:21:47 PM
Someone, anyone, hold me.
A Captain, a Captain; my Kingdom for a Captain!
There will never be another like him again. Ever. The day Steven George Gerrard puts up his boots, I will forever watch football with an underlying sense of sorrow. I am sure older men who had their own conquering heroes will sympathise. And yet I still think there will never be another like him again. Ever. My kids will grow up worshipping the leather kickers of their day; but I will have to sit them down with disappointment and let them know that those heroes are false idols and that they didn’t have the fortune to be alive when a man turned the odds on its head, again and again, playing with destiny like the Gods.
This sounds silly, it’s exaggerated surely, but it was incredible to watch Gerrard battle and take everyone on the ride with him. Liverpool fans have given Fowler the nickname of ‘God’ but they got that one wrong in my opinion. Only one player in Liverpool’s history deserves to be compared to a deity. And if you were to compare Gerrard to a deity; you’d compare him with Atlas. For he held the sky up, the world on his back; so that Liverpool could see more of the glory days. For 15 years, other stars shone in our constellation; but they faded or were pulled away by the stronger gravity of other celestial bodies. All but one star, for 15 years, he fought the forces; he didn’t succumb; and if need be he would light the sky himself. He became the Alpha and the Omega, whenever we seemed to need it.
But cruelly, he couldn’t control the fates all the time. He is then, just a man. A special kind of man, a leader of men. A Captain. A symbol for others. He followed the path that’s hard to tread. It’s more than football; it’s about life. Find a person that is willing to forgo the easy, the immediate, the instantly gratifying and do it tough. It’s not common, it’s special. This is a long-winded piece to simply say, Steven George Gerrard was special; he was a beacon. If you hadn’t witnessed some of his feats and somebody was telling you his stories; you’d think they were talking about a movie. He made us dream beyond what was reasonably possible. This is what real leaders do and the inspiration they sow into our hearts is why we follow them.
Stevie will soon have to put down his sword and the load he has been carrying. He kept the darkness at bay, but the war rages on…A Captain, a Captain; my Kingdom for a Captain!
I am not saying he should retire, just take as break, and be ready for his next club's pre-season, would that not be better, than joining in halfway through?
If he were to be doing next a club that plays in line with the English calendar, then I would have no issue with what he is doing, but if he does go and play in America next, as the rumours and links state, then surely he should be looking to do what is best for his next stage in his career?
The fact is, that America don't play to the same calendar that we do, and so if he is to do well, or as well as he possibly could do, he should join them for pre-season, get to know his new team-mates, coach etc etc, just the same as if there was a new signing here, but to do that would mean leaving now, having a break, and being refreshed for his new club.
He clearly still loves Liverpool, I understand all of that, but his future does not reside there beyond this season, so why not try to do what is best for him and his future club?
What? He is a Liverpool player until the end of this season, we pay him. Why should we/he worry about being ready for his future clubs pre-season?
Why is him "taking a break" now best for his future career? Do you think he will put playing well in the MLS above his attempting to go out on a high with a trophy win for Liverpool in his final season?
Sorry Bats but you are wrong with your points on this.
It is interesting though that Gerrard is getting all of this adulation on SSN, like someone had died as some people have said. I don't recall Frank Lampard getting any of this 6 months ago?
And if England did have all these worlds greatest players, why the national team so shit between 2005-2010?
Comments
However being the great he is he has saved these worries by voluntarily going which will be best for all involved - BR, SG himself, his family, the club - meaning the owners, officials and other players. My worry a bit is that he may not come back as sometimes legends have left and we have expected them back some time and it never happened as I would definitely like him one day to be LFC manager. Hopefully once his playing career is fully over in the USA (2 or 3 seasons?) he will return to LFC as a coach and we go from there.
Over the years though what a player
1) The only player to have scored in the finals of the FA Cup, League Cup, Europa League and Champions League - and he isn't even a striker - and none were penalties.
2) Scorer of literally dozens of goals of the season candidates.
3) Brilliant free kick taker - both scoring ones and ones where the ball was played into danger areas and others scored (also very reliable from the spot - seen even yesterday), also corners too
4) Has an awesome passing range with many assists for goals for the likes of Torres, Suarez and others.
5) Brilliant tackler - slide tackles taking the ball cleanly so often
6) Leadership qualities on the field inspiring those around him to up their levels.
7) Work rate - the number of times the opponents get a quick break and he is the one getting back to thwart them
I could go on but you get the picture.
I do take Thomas point above though that it is debateable if he is LFCs best ever. I have followed the team since 1962 and have seen most of the greats over the years and I am not sure but it is such a subjective matter anyway - in his favour is that most of the others did not last as long as Stevie has - 15 years from 1999 till now. I do think the lack of a league winners medal is such a shame and counts against him a bit but sadly the teams he played in whilst good were not at the level of the previous teams, At the end of the day though it does not really matter, he is certainly one of the best ever LFC players.
Lets leave it at that hey.
I agree with most on here that he's probably not the best player in the clubs history, but I think most would agree he's our best player this century. He'll be regarded as a legend who will be remembered for decades to come.
In my opinion and I have watched lots of games and grew up with the Barnes, Rush era. No other player has had to carry the team for 10 years or had the pressure and still played well - in his peak he was one of the best players in Europe. If he was in a better team he would have achieved a lot more.
Here is a few quotes
Sir Alex Ferguson: "He has become the most influential player in England, bar none. Not that Vieira lacks anything, but Gerrard does more."
"In midfield, you have to defend, attack, score goals, protect the defence and tackle. So many things. And Gerrard can do them all." Vieira
"Gerrard has been my idol for 10 years & is one of the best players in the world." - Daniele De Rossi.
I think Zidane also described him as the best player in the world at one point.
I have not heard of the Zidane quote.
Terry McDermott has just tweeted he was Liverpool greatest player and he was in a very good team. It's going to be an argument which will rage for sometime with everyone having different opinions,
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2009/mar/13/zinedine-zidane-steven-gerrard-liverpool
He's not good enough to play for City in fact he's too much of a passenger even for Liverpool these days.
That Ferguson quote doesn't tie in with the other one from him though which is strange.
Liverpool had to play with a quarter-back, regardless. It doesn't suit football. Every single line of attack passed through Gerrard, at the cost of pace and opportunity; doesn't matter that the wing man has beat his man and got to the by-line - where's Steveie G now? All over the pitch the next pass was to Stevie G - if he's not in space, find time to wait. He demanded it be that way.
A really excellent footballer, a really lously player to have in your team - unless you're say Barca or Madrid (where he wouldn't be allowed to dominate). With Gerrard, the rest of the players, the managers, the club all under achieved.
This is the best thing that's happened to the club since the one-off of Istanbul.
Although I wasn't greatly concerned about who won the title last year I felt really sorry for Gerrard on a human level. He had been as enthused and hyper as I'd ever seen him after the Man City win and then for his slip to directly lead to Chelsea's winning goal so soon after I could see devastated him. As much as of course it could have happened to anyone I think, in spite of comments from him and others to the contrary, that slip and Liverpool not winning the title was not something he got over fairly quickly. Such an unexpected title, and the manner it would have been achieved in, would have been a wonderful and deserved climax to his career with Liverpool.
Some fans have very short memories. They're the sort who think that slip was the sole reason for us not winning the league, or that the header against Uruguay got England knocked out of the World Cup. Rooney gets it too, in fairness. If either of them make a mistake, it's 100 times worse than anyone else making a mistake for some reason.
Having only been following Liverpool since the late 90s (which is when I first got into football), he's certainly the best player I've seen at the club. The way he rolled his sleeves up and carried inferior players around him for years without getting the rewards he deserved is nothing short of admirable.
He was one of, if not the, best midfielders in the world in the 2004-2009 period (and without a doubt the most complete). He played in several positions under Benitez, and did rather well in all of them. He won the Champions League from the centre of the pitch, the FA Cup from the wing, and in 2009 he lead us to 2nd in the league playing as a second striker. I think it was around 2010 that a couple of nasty injuries that had accrued began to take their toll on him, and he featured intermittently in the team for a couple of years, looking less and less like the player we'd all grown to worship. He was paying for all those years of rampaging all over the pitch with boundless energy.
Last season we saw him take up the deeper role in front of the back four, which I immediately raised concerns about because, while he was always a good tackler, I didn't feel he possessed the awareness and discipline to play that role. It was made worse by the fact he no longer had the energy levels to press like we would need him to. Despite all that, he still put in some masterful performances and finished as the league's top assister. Quite remarkable, really.
I see Squibbles posted a few quotes about the great man, but I don't think it'd hurt to post a few more:
Captain Fantastic indeed.
Oh, and his dominant displays for England.
Rooney is getting into his 30s soon too, and then who do we focus on? Jordan Henderson?
We don't know how lucky we had it until it's taken away. Gerrard and The Premier League was box office.
When you think about it, Liverpool at one point would have had one of the strongest midfields in Europe with Mascherano, Alonso and Gerrard in the middle of the park. Perhaps they should have won more.
Goalkeeper aside he is the worst player in the XI every time he plays nowadays.
Sentiment and overt player power keeps getting him selected.
Gerrard - a player I've always wanted to hate but could never find any reason to. Great, great player in his pomp, driving forward from midfield with seemingly non stop energy and blasting in more than his fair share of stunning goals.
Naturally dropped off a lot from his peak now, noticed in the game against us recently how limited he was these days so I'm sure he has made a wise decision.
Bit over the top today though on SSN I thought. Nobody died.
Every one of those is real.
Some very odd folks up there in Scouse Land !!
What? He is a Liverpool player until the end of this season, we pay him. Why should we/he worry about being ready for his future clubs pre-season?
Why is him "taking a break" now best for his future career? Do you think he will put playing well in the MLS above his attempting to go out on a high with a trophy win for Liverpool in his final season?
Sorry Bats but you are wrong with your points on this.
And if England did have all these worlds greatest players, why the national team so shit between 2005-2010?