Originally Posted by Orchideam:
“So, our beloved Stevie G has finally hung up his boots, and will be looking to his future for coaching within the game. He will always be an icon at Anfield no matter where he goes or what he does. Thanks for everything you gave us mate - huge respects.
nb: No way on earth can I reply to the current thread going on this, that was a planned insult in my mind.”
Yeah I decided quite quickly I was going to stay away from that thread. First it was because of who started it, and now because of the type of people who will be infesting it. A Man United fan making a thread about Steven Gerrard retiring just doesn't feel right. And that's only part of what's wrong!
He's the best Liverpool player from my lifetime, and possibly of all time. In twenty years I'd like to think people will still consider him a one-club player like they do Carragher, or John Terry.
He's provided so many memories. I think him playing with "mostly average players" is a bit of a myth, however. Or winning things with average players. He was a talisman, and could win things on his own. But he wasn't exactly a big fish in a small pond. The Houllier sides were fine, 2001 treble winning squad might not have been world class, but still had some great players. And then there's the Rafa years. Xabi, Gerrard and Mascherano was possibly the best midfield in the world at the time, and he was in front of Pepe Reina at his best, and behind Fernando Torres at his best, and helped elevate Torres (and many others) to be the best they could be.
Only idiots with severe problems with bias will remember him for a slip up, or the myth about him not going to Chelsea because of death threats. The fact that fans of other clubs still sing about him and his slip up two years down the line speaks volumes about how massive of a player he is.
Gerrard is not going to MK Dons. He was linked, but he has refused, citing that it is too soon. Of course, idiots on social media, who would be welcomed in the Gerrard thread on here, like to bring up the slip up, or say he's too proud or thinks MK Dons is too beneath him. When if they actually read what he said, they'd know he was saying HE doesn't think he's good enough yet for THEM. He thinks it'll be a bad appointment for MK Dons just now.
I hope he comes to Liverpool and works with the youth setup. Brendan Rodgers worked with Chelsea's youth setup when Mourinho was there, and I think he's benefited somewhat from that. Imagine what he can learn from a man like Klopp, if he becomes his understudy for a few years. There are managers in the game who've worked under Klopp, and have benefitted from it. Most notably is David Wagner at Huddersfield. Huddersfield might be in the Premier League soon thanks to him.
I feel more comfortable talking about Gerrard here than in that embarrassment of a thread. There will be things said that will tempt me to reply to correct people but I'll have to show restraint, and try to boycott the whole thing. Not sure how long I'll last, though!