Gerrard: I would leave Anfield

[INTORRESTING]

I dont know why there is a desire to apportion blame here.

A 35 year old club legend is told by the manager he cannot be guaranteed a regular starting place and will be a bench warmer from time to time.(He is still getting plenty of playing time BTW)

Club legend isnt happy to be merely a squad player so looks around for other options after not deeming any contract offer good enough.

Club owners are not willing to extend current contract(a very high paying one) and will only offer a short term lower paying one.

Club legend gets megabucks offer to play in the USA at the end of season.

No problem with any of that for me and barely a story there.

The real story is how the 35 year old legend playing at a significantly reduced standard is still one of the best players when he plays and the club has spent £120 million on transfers recently.

I said this the other night (not all of it), our problem is that he is still our best player!

[Dr. J]

I said this the other night (not all of it), our problem is that he is still our best player!

 

I don't think so. He has played poorly more often than not the entire season, blinders against 12th place L2 sides notwithstanding. 

[Gym Beglin]

Heard some ex footy player, can't remember who, on the radio the other day talking about this and he said that Rodgers may have a problem with big characters/players. Since he joined us Reina, Carragher, Agger, Gerrard, Suarez who were all massive presences in the dressing room will have gone. Even Andy Carroll might fit into this category but not the class footballer one.

Everyone who's left now is a puppy dog and will not question Rodgers or his tactics or team selection.

Cheers BENO, seems like there's some fucking mileage in this like. Can you get us some more details? Fuck.

[Dr Nowt]

* Removes cock from trousers *

[FrenchEyeGlass]

Hahahahaha good one! I remember you and your galactic meltdowns.

You mean the ones where I correctly predicted our fortunes and progress and said the things people are saying now months ago? Yeah. good one.

 

Alternatively, if you're insinuating that me writing some swear words on a forum is indicative of my competence in business, then perhaps you should get to know what I do for a living at a pretty damn tender age.

 

Sheer incompetence is the only thing to describe it.

[s(k)aturation]

What does sheer incompetence pay a year?

[Dr. J]

What does sheer incompetence pay a year?

 

Ian Ayre's wage packets form the standard metric for that category.

[xerxes]

Although Gerrard will be 35 in May, Rodgers wants to offer him a new deal when his agreement expires in June and the Liverpool manager regards the idea of his midfield cornerstone departing next summer as unthinkable. “It’s quite straightforward,” said Rodgers, who has made his feelings plain to all parties concerned. “I had a meeting with Steven’s representative explaining the situation. I very much want him to be a part of what we are doing here.

 

1/11/14

 

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/nov/01/brendan-rodgers-steven-gerrard-liverpool

 

So the unthinkable became thinkable. Was that because Brendan did not think to offer him a contract earlier? Was it because he took Stevens' staying for granted? Or was this just a load of media spin?

[dennis tooth]

Owners made a derisory offer

[ratcatcher]

I dont think money was the issue. He's getting a reputed £76k a week at Galaxy which is supposed to be in the region of what he was offered by Liverpool.

 

OK the cost of living in the US is less so this may work out as being worth a bit more compared to the UK. He may pay little or no tax in LA plus, if he severes ties to the UK and does not return for the period of his contract, may not have to pay any UK tax on his overseas income. (Im sure there is a DTA with the US but recent tax 'wins' by HMRC have curtailed the ability to escape their clutches when overseas.)

 

The timeline shows rodgers discussed managing his Liverpool game time after the summer if he wished to continue with his england career. He decided to give up england so no managing his Liverpool game time was required.

 

Now into the last 12 months of his contract, the club made no contact about a new one. Note, the club had already made an offer to johnson by the same point in his contract.

 

In October, rodgers makes the extraordinary decision to tell gerrard he is no longer a central figure in his plans and intends to manage his game time despite the fact he intimated to gerrard if he gave up england, he would not need to do this.

 

If there were any doubts in Gerrard's mind about signing a new contract, these events would most certainly have focused his mind on it.

 

The club then made an offer in November, one month before he was able to speak to non UK clubs about being a free agent. By this time Gerrard understood his position at the club. He decided he didnt want his career to peter out in such a way and elected to move on.

 

To be fair to rodgers, I dont think he has much input into actual contract negotiations. His comments including ones on tv when asked were that he'd made it known to the owners he wanted gerrard to be given a new contract.

[etho]

Sometimes, Brendan can't win. He's told that he doesn't manage big name players, doesn't have the balls to drop Gerrard. Does, and is criticised.

 

There is no hidden agenda story here. I would love Gerrard to say, I think we could get three or four more years out of him as a squad member, and it would be brilliant. But he doesn't want that, and it's understandable that at this stage of a career he would make this decision.

 

Rodgers and Gerrard have managed this all quite respectfully and graciously, what the fuck more do people want? 

[General Dryness]

You mean the ones where I correctly predicted our fortunes and progress and said the things people are saying now months ago? Yeah. good one.

 

Alternatively, if you're insinuating that me writing some swear words on a forum is indicative of my competence in business, then perhaps you should get to know what I do for a living at a pretty damn tender age.

 

Sheer incompetence is the only thing to describe it.

That sounds like my ideal job. Where do I sign up?

[stringvest]

Sometimes, Brendan can't win. He's told that he doesn't manage big name players, doesn't have the balls to drop Gerrard. Does, and is criticised.

 

There is no hidden agenda story here. I would love Gerrard to say, I think we could get three or four more years out of him as a squad member, and it would be brilliant. But he doesn't want that, and it's understandable that at this stage of a career he would make this decision.

 

Rodgers and Gerrard have managed this all quite respectfully and graciously, what the fuck more do people want? 

 

 

Spot on. 

[Dr. J]

 

Rodgers and Gerrard have managed this all quite respectfully and graciously, what the fuck more do people want? 

 

 

How about for both of them to shut the fuck up for, say, 1 month?

[VladimirIlyich]

How about for both of them to shut the fuck up for, say, 1 month?

Can't blame them too much for this as there are 24 hour tv and media channels that need stuff to report.

[etho]

How about for both of them to shut the fuck up for, say, 1 month?

Also, I think Rodgers said yesterday that they've said all that needs to be said, and he wants a line drawn under it until the end of the season.

[Dr Nowt]

"Pundit Andy Gray claimed this week that’s the way the Northern Irishman likes it. Bizarrely, Gray argued that Rodgers doesn’t like having “big personalities” around him and prefers to nurture young talent."

 

An impeccable source, with his finger on the pulse. 

[Joe Strummer]

Respect from Mourinho.

 

Jose Mourinho says his failure to sign Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard in 2005 remains one of his greatest transfer disappointments.

Mourinho was close to taking Gerrard to Stamford Bridge during his first spell in charge but the former England captain chose to stay at Anfield.

The 34-year-old will leave Liverpool this summer, when he ends a 17-year career in red by joining Los Angeles Galaxy, and ahead of Chelsea’s trip to Anfield in Tuesday’s Capital One Cup semi-final, Mourinho spoke of how he wanted Gerrard as part of a ‘dream’ midfield at the Blues.

"He (Gerrard) is a historical player for Liverpool, a historical player for the Premier League and an opponent I have always admired and respected," Mourinho said.

"We did everything to try (to sign him) and it was almost there. I was dreaming of (Claude) Makelele, Gerrard and (Frank) Lampard in midfield.

"We were playing in a proper triangle without a number 10 and playing Maka in front of the defenders. Me, Mr Abramovich and (former Chelsea chief executive) Peter Kenyon at that time, we dreamed of that.

"His people were open to him joining a top side like Chelsea. But to me personally he never said he would come. Never.

"He (Gerrard) was always a red and I think the decision was right."

Biggest disappointment

Asked if Gerrrard's decision to stay at Liverpool was his biggest disappointment in the transfer market, Mourinho said: "Yes, but I have another one when I was trying Lampard to Inter.

"I was almost there and it didn't happen too. I had a couple of disappointments and that's normal in football."

Gerrard's slip against Chelsea at Anfield last season proved decisive in the title race as it led to Demba Ba’s goal in a 2-0 win for Mourinho's men which paved the way for Manchester City to seize the initiative in the title race.

The error has since become the subject of a song regularly belted out at Stamford Bridge but Mourinho says he wishes the Chelsea fans would not sing it as it shows a clear lack of respect to one of the finest players in Premier League history.

"The song that my fans have I don't like at all," Mourinho said.

"A couple of times it is good fun but to go and go and go, especially with a player like him who deserves respect, I don't think you don't need that.

"We have so many other songs, you don't need that one. I love this quote when he was saying in his life he would never score a goal against Liverpool. I love these words.

"I understand why he was - almost, almost, almost - coming to Chelsea. But he didn't and I respect that a lot."

[Josef Svejk]

Sometimes, Brendan can't win.

 

Six seasons and counting...

[chrisbrand]

Why did City have to lose yesterday?

 

Respect from Mourinho.

Jose Mourinho says his failure to sign Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard in 2005 remains one of his greatest transfer disappointments.
Mourinho was close to taking Gerrard to Stamford Bridge during his first spell in charge but the former England captain chose to stay at Anfield.
The 34-year-old will leave Liverpool this summer, when he ends a 17-year career in red by joining Los Angeles Galaxy, and ahead of Chelsea’s trip to Anfield in Tuesday’s Capital One Cup semi-final, Mourinho spoke of how he wanted Gerrard as part of a ‘dream’ midfield at the Blues.
"He (Gerrard) is a historical player for Liverpool, a historical player for the Premier League and an opponent I have always admired and respected," Mourinho said.
"We did everything to try (to sign him) and it was almost there. I was dreaming of (Claude) Makelele, Gerrard and (Frank) Lampard in midfield.
"We were playing in a proper triangle without a number 10 and playing Maka in front of the defenders. Me, Mr Abramovich and (former Chelsea chief executive) Peter Kenyon at that time, we dreamed of that.
"His people were open to him joining a top side like Chelsea. But to me personally he never said he would come. Never.
"He (Gerrard) was always a red and I think the decision was right."
Biggest disappointment
Asked if Gerrrard's decision to stay at Liverpool was his biggest disappointment in the transfer market, Mourinho said: "Yes, but I have another one when I was trying Lampard to Inter.
"I was almost there and it didn't happen too. I had a couple of disappointments and that's normal in football."
Gerrard's slip against Chelsea at Anfield last season proved decisive in the title race as it led to Demba Ba’s goal in a 2-0 win for Mourinho's men which paved the way for Manchester City to seize the initiative in the title race.
The error has since become the subject of a song regularly belted out at Stamford Bridge but Mourinho says he wishes the Chelsea fans would not sing it as it shows a clear lack of respect to one of the finest players in Premier League history.
"The song that my fans have I don't like at all," Mourinho said.
"A couple of times it is good fun but to go and go and go, especially with a player like him who deserves respect, I don't think you don't need that.
"We have so many other songs, you don't need that one. I love this quote when he was saying in his life he would never score a goal against Liverpool. I love these words.
"I understand why he was - almost, almost, almost - coming to Chelsea. But he didn't and I respect that a lot."

[Section_31]

Yeah, that piece reminds me of talking football with a manc, an insult wrapped up within a veneer of civility.

[xerxes]

A new era dawns. One without legends and heroes. It's a huge responsibility on Brendan and Ayre. Maybe new legends and heroes will emerge? At this stage it is difficult to tell.

 

The season still has much to offer in the domestic cups and EL.A CL spot is too much to ask, but a trophy is on, and will buy Brendan enough time to continue his work.

 

I think there is substance to the view that the Management have been happy to marginalise wise heads so there can be no dissenters, and that can work, if the new breed are good enough. We will have to wait and see.

 

The debate is less about Gerrard going, he was going to go sometime, and more about hat there is left.

[Joey8FrogsLegs]

A new era dawns. One without legends and heroes. It's a huge responsibility on Brendan and Ayre. Maybe new legends and heroes will emerge? At this stage it is difficult to tell.

 

The season still has much to offer in the domestic cups and EL.A CL spot is too much to ask, but a trophy is on, and will buy Brendan enough time to continue his work.

 

I think there is substance to the view that the Management have been happy to marginalise wise heads so there can be no dissenters, and that can work, if the new breed are good enough. We will have to wait and see.

 

The debate is less about Gerrard going, he was going to go sometime, and more about hat there is left.

This.

[ryan90]

I don't know if it's been posted but it's good for a laugh.

 

I wanted to see what Galaxy fans thought of welcoming one of the greatest players to play the game to their team.

 

It really is laughable, I especially love the fact they think the MLS is not far off the Prem.

 

http://forums.bigsoccer.com/threads/steven-gerrard-in-the-blue-and-gold.2015296/

[Jairzinho]

Haha, people are boycotting the La Galaxy forum until Gerrard leaves the club.

 

What. In. The. Fuck.