Gerrard: I would leave Anfield

[stringvest]

It's incredible how wound up people are getting about Gerrard and incredible how they allow themselves to get wound up about newspaper reports.  If he stays, he stays.  If he goes, he goes.  What's the big deal?  

[ritchie]

It's incredible how wound up people are getting about Gerrard and incredible how they allow themselves to get wound up about newspaper reports.  If he stays, he stays.  If he goes, he goes.  What's the big deal?  

 

It's made into a big deal when it's the back page of every newspaper. 

[Paco]

remember there was talk of shearer joining us around 2003?

 

his best years were behind him and he d given up the opportunity to win everything at united to join his boyhood team. if he d left after that to join us it d have been like admitting he made a big mistake. likewise with stevie. if they re offering him at least half of what hes on plus the customary add ons he should take it and hope he can be part of a title winning team before he packs it in. hes an extremely rich man I d guess and he ll have tonnes of tv work etc when he finishes so it shouldnt be about the money.

[VladimirIlyich]

As much as I am not Rodgers biggest fan I have to say,based on the rumours,which could be bullshit of course that I am on Rodgers/the club's side here.

Gerrard has been a fantastic servant to the club but I remember the 2005 possible Chelsea move and believe that he or his agent are pretty typical of modern day footballers,pretty selfish.

If he wants to leave us,then great and thanks for being an all time great,I wish you well. But if he expects anything like his current deal then he is kidding himself and the club is correct to reduce his salary significantly.

I would simply leave it up to Gerrard and his agent and if he doesnt like it then he either leaves or sits on the bench.

[G Richards]

Stevie should be used sparingly from this point on. Something new must emerge, and in a strange way his continued presence is starting to hinder it. If Stevie accepts a lesser role then the minutes he does get will be at the highest level he can bring, and that in itself will be inspirational. There's a real contribution for him to still make at Anfield, but it is not as an every minute of every game man, and it should be on sensible wages in keeping with this. 

 

Now, if Stevie wants to try his luck elsewhere, he's more than entitled, and he will leave with nothing but good wishes from every red. 

 

If he goes to another Prem team it gets trickier, but so long as it's not to a hated rival, we could just about swallow that (maybe some couldn't). For example, I could see him doing what Frank Lampard is doing at Man City (he's still better than Lampard). But I don't see any point to him going to another Prem team if it's not for a realistic tilt at the title. 

 

If he goes abroad then Italy is the best league for him. It is slower, and I'm sure he could still play for two years at a high level in Italy. 

 

If he goes to America then I'm not so sure about that, from a footballing perspective. The quality is not really there in the MLS, so Stevie would be one of the best players instantly. However, what they do have is some athleticism, so I could see Stevie getting overrun a bit by much lesser players. I honestly don't think the MLS is the league for him, but if he fancies living in New York, or wherever, good luck to him. 

[ratcatcher]

Putting all the contract talk aside, Im not sure this 'use him sparingly' works in practice. Sounds great in theory but what does use sparingly really mean in professional football

 

Does it mean bringing him on with 20 minutes to go when we've just gone 2-0 down? Or when we are 3-0 up and coasting? Or when we are drawing and need to find the next goal with 30 to go?

 

Its hardly a challenge a professional footballer would relish.

 

And how do you determine the wage he gets for these intended cameo appearances? So he's only going to play 30 minutes of most games and start far fewer, is that a worth half his current wage, 75%, a third, what?

 

It all doesnt sound practical to me. It actually sounds more like chucking your old toothless dog a couple of scraps of best steak every now and again.

 

Gerrard would leave if he's expected to become that bit part player, one only being given the chance to play more often than not when we're in danger of losing or when the game is effectively won.

 

And I wouldnt blame him.

[clangers]

Putting all the contract talk aside, Im not sure this 'use him sparingly' works in practice. Sounds great in theory but what does use sparingly really mean in professional football

 

Does it mean bringing him on with 20 minutes to go when we've just gone 2-0 down? Or when we are 3-0 up and coasting? Or when we are drawing and need to find the next goal with 30 to go?

 

Its hardly a challenge a professional footballer would relish.

 

And how do you determine the wage he gets for these intended cameo appearances? So he's only going to play 30 minutes of most games and start far fewer, is that a worth half his current wage, 75%, a third, what?

 

It all doesnt sound practical to me. It actually sounds more like chucking your old toothless dog a couple of scraps of best steak every now and again.

 

Gerrard would leave if he's expected to become that bit part player, one only being given the chance to play more often than not when we're in danger of losing or when the game is effectively won.

 

And I wouldnt blame him.

 

I'm not so sure about that, Lampard during his last couple of seasons at Chelsea and now at City is a good example. It's as much about a player recognising where they are. At the moment I'd suggest he's someone who should be playing one game a week, we're not talking about necessarily limiting him to substitute appearances. Lampard is still starting games for City.

[an tha]

What Lampard us doing ar City is the perfect example. Gerrard could easily do what he is doing, coming on and saving games, winning games and like Lampard did today making games safe.

 

He is still one of the best finishers we have and could exploit space and tiredness nicely playing behind the strikers as a sub...he could also as Lampard has been doing start his share of games too.

[bossy]

I think Lampard has handled his footballing autumn years pretty well. Our problem is we have nobody of Gerrard's talent (or close to it) to bring in. Chelsea have a shit load of top notch players knocking around.

I'd take the chance though, if I was the manager, and use him as a sub because over the last few years whenever he's out one or two of the players do seem to relish the chance to become top dog. Up to stevie whether he'd accept things or like the formerly fat Frank, do one elsewhere. Great player great servant to our club but now is the time to move forward without him as our team security blanket.

[ratcatcher]

I'm not so sure about that, Lampard during his last couple of seasons at Chelsea and now at City is a good example. It's as much about a player recognising where they are. At the moment I'd suggest he's someone who should be playing one game a week, we're not talking about necessarily limiting him to substitute appearances. Lampard is still starting games for City.

 

Lampard is getting a reputed £170k a week courtesy from New York City \ Man City. He wouldnt be doing this bit part role for city though at 60k a week, would he?

 

And city have a better team than us. I dont think we'd have that luxury with gerrard.

[SlugTrail]

It's incredible how wound up people are getting about Gerrard and incredible how they allow themselves to get wound up about newspaper reports.  If he stays, he stays.  If he goes, he goes.  What's the big deal?

 

I miss your avatar of the girl with the big wobbly tits.

[Bjornebye]

I miss your avatar of the girl with the big wobbly tits.

 

Thats stringy 

[xerxes]

Gerrards' agent  is ratcheting up the ante with the MOS back page splash today.

 

Our problem is less whether he goes  or stays, it is the lack of an in- house replacement and the lack of confidence that we have that Brendan could buy one in the transfer market.

 

Furthermore the club is desperately short of  top flight experience at the moment at management and player level. His departure would weaken us further even if his playing influence inevitably  is reducing.

[SlugTrail]

Thats stringy

 

Mans got great boobs.

[el nino laff]

Really? I can see Man U, City, Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea all lining up to grab him, in this league alone, if he goes.

Just heard that he has some offers from there

[Bellflower]

Could be worse.

 

They shot Old Shep...........

[BCM]

A totally different tone of article in the Mirror tomorrow. Looks like Gerrards agent is in one journo's ear and the club are in a different journo's ear

[Hades]

Funny how those who don't want Rafa back use the argument that his best achievements were 10 years ago and yet fail to apply the same logic to Gerrard. 

[ritchie]

A totally different tone of article in the Mirror tomorrow. Looks like Gerrards agent is in one journo's ear and the club are in a different journo's ear

 

It's being played out in the media which is ridiculous. The media is a tool Gerrard's agent has always looked to exploit to get what he wants for his clients. He's using the the media as a negotiation tool and I can't see the owners being impressed. 

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

I don't want him to go. That's what I know. I do, however, want him used in a way that gets the best out of him. I think he'd make a good striker from the bench. He's a nightmare in and around the box and can finish. I'd at least try it.

[Dr. J]

Can't see him as a striker. In his pomp, his game was always powerful, lung busting runs in a straight line. How would he adapt to making runs inside and around the penalty area when he's never really shown the nous for that?

 

Some people imagine him a cb, others a number 10, others a striker. Dreaming.

[Furmedge]

Going against the grain but a move could be good for him, reinvigorate him. He must look at Lampard at City and fancy a bit of a change. You could see City offering him a contract or one of the Spanish sides.

[Jairzinho]

Going against the grain but a move could be good for him, reinvigorate him. He must look at Lampard at City and fancy a bit of a change. You could see City offering him a contract or one of the Spanish sides.

 

I couldn't see any of the top six or seven being interested, and the rest would struggle to pay his wages. I'd imagine he's on more than the entire squads of about three or four of the sides in La Liga.

 

An MLS side and possibly loaned back to someone in the Premier League for a few months of season (Like Lampard) seems most likely if he leaves.

[VladimirIlyich]

Yep,his wages would be cut significantly even if he joined City or Chelsea I'd imagine and he'd get less playing time than here.

For wages the MLS looks the most likely option.

If he stays at us for another 12-24 months I'm not sure if even he will have the legs for the MLS.

[J-V]

We either use him in the correct way and in the right position or there's no point keeping him.  The manager has already shown himself to dense to do this.  If I was him I'd bugger off and try something new.