Our captain...

[Chris]

Although I use that term very, very losely, needs to take a long, hard look in the nearest mirror.

 

No, not to adjust his "tufty" little fringe, but to ask himself why he has become a spineless, shadow of the player he was last season. His performance at Arsenal today was, for the largest part, embarrassing. When you consider that he's the captain and talisman of this football club, taking home £100,000 a week of our money, the way he hid out there today is not acceptable.

 

He spent much of the game berating his teammates instead of encouraging them. Exactly what a team short of confidence away from home needs from their skipper eh? So with him having so much to say about his teammates, you'd assume that he'd be taking the bull by the horns and leading by example, showing his teammates exactly how things are done, right?

 

WRONG. It seemed that he barely made an effort to impose himself on the fixture; his tackling was half hearted, his running equally so. His crossing woeful.

 

Basically, if anybody should take the fall, for a promising afternoon, turned embarrassing capitulation, it shouldn't be Zenden, who did ok, it should be the Captain. I'm sick of the way he's still walking around like Mr Big Bollocks while his teammates take all the stick.

[Christianlfc]

did you see him put out his hands and look around him like it was everyone elses fault his man got a free header and scored

[Guest Raddy]

he aint no captain...

[L.Garcia]

Carra is the true captain i feel

[coop]

Gerrard almost single handed got us into the Champs Lge a couple of seasons ago. He is one of the best central midfielders in Europe stuck out on the right where he cant influence the game nowhere near as much.

 

When asked about how he would play against Steven Gerrard, Graeme Souness replied he would have been thrilled to see him out there nowhere near the goal and unable to influence the game.

 

At the moment its the fashion on here to bash Gerrard but im sorry he is one of the few 'world class' players we have who is out of form purely because he is not in his proper position. Our lack of fight etc in away games is because the one player of ours who can drag us into games is stuck out on the right of the pitch.

[Guest Raddy]

world class may arse. he has a great right foot. take away the hollywood specials from the last couple of season and when have you ever seen him really influence a game?

[Chief Wiggum]

world class may arse. he has a great right foot. take away the hollywood specials from the last couple of season and when have you ever seen him really influence a game?

 

Champions League final in Istanbul and FA Cup Final in Cardiff to name 2.

[Red Nick]

Such a fucking predictable thread by the agenda setters

 

Gerrard shouldnt be captain of our club but the abuse he gets on here is just not warranted, he's our best player by a distance

[chrisbonnie]

theres no doubting his abilities,

 

but he sluked today, and i honestly think he`s secretly chuffed we lost today which makes his case for playing centre a whole log bigger

 

i agree he should have played centre today, but if you`re the captain of one of the most respected and supported teams on the fucking plant, you give 100% no matter what position you are in ,no one can honestly say he`s been doing that this season,

 

who honestly belives whole heartidly, Gerrard is giving 100%?

 

just think back to Houlliers last season, that Gerrard was 100%, this Gerrard is a shell of that man

[robbief]

here we go again, all this lad needs right now is criticism and false facts.

 

he's clearly going through a tough time, wether its at home or on the pitch, he's got all this going on with alex, he's being played out of position and obv. doesn't like it, and all the other roumors that could be true as far as we know, and you still give the lad stick.

 

fact of the matter is he's our captain, he's the best midfielder in the country/europe and he's doing his best for our club.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

Such a fucking predictable thread by the agenda setters

 

Gerrard shouldnt be captain of our club but the abuse he gets on here is just not warranted, he's our best player by a distance

 

When he is going to start playing like it then. Some of the criticism is justified, some of it not. i feel he should be dropped, not rested but dropped. Then maybe he will realise that hemost of all needs to buck his ideas up. He is the captain and as stated a million times before, should lead by example.

[Guest Raddy]

he's a fucking headcase. he can only perform if he's in the right "mood"

 

if he's not happy lets fucking sell the twat and give rafa some proper funds in the transfer market.

[coop]

theres no doubting his abilities,

 

but he sluked today, and i honestly think he`s secretly chuffed we lost today which makes his case for playing centre a whole log bigger

 

i agree he should have played centre today, but if you`re the captain of one of the most respected and supported teams on the fucking plant, you give 100% no matter what position you are in ,no one can honestly say he`s been doing that this season,

 

who honestly belives whole heartidly, Gerrard is giving 100%?

 

just think back to Houlliers last season, that Gerrard was 100%, this Gerrard is a shell of that man

 

That is the biggest load of bollocks i will read for a long time.

[Guest Raddy]

here we go again, all this lad needs right now is criticism and false facts.

 

he's clearly going through a tough time, wether its at home or on the pitch, he's got all this going on with alex, he's being played out of position and obv. doesn't like it, and all the other roumors that could be true as far as we know, and you still give the lad stick.

 

fact of the matter is he's our captain, he's the best midfielder in the country/europe and he's doing his best for our club.

 

you think he did his best today?

 

i want to know why he looks so tired and unfit on a full week of rest.

[Red Nick]

When he is going to start playing like it then. Some of the criticism is justified, some of it not. i feel he should be dropped, not rested but dropped. Then maybe he will realise that hemost of all needs to buck his ideas up. He is the captain and as stated a million times before, should lead by example.

 

so youd drop him to teach him a lesson because even on reduced form he is still a more effective player for the club than either Xabi or Bolo.

 

When fit Momo and Stevie should be our pairing for away matches

[Carradona]

he's a fucking headcase. he can only perform if he's in the right "mood"

 

if he's not happy lets fucking sell the twat and give rafa some proper funds in the transfer market.

takes one to know one.

[Chris]

Re: The whole Alex thing. You lay down with a dog, you wake up with fleas.

[joey54]

he can`t influence much from the right wing and if Rafa perversely keep picking Zenden as a centre midfielder he will continue to sulk all the way thru the transfer window.....Zenden central midfielder....MY.....ARSE

[Dirk]

he's a fucking headcase. he can only perform if he's in the right "mood"

 

 

That's fucking hilarious coming from you. :D

[robbief]

you think he did his best today?

 

i want to know why he looks so tired and unfit on a full week of rest.

 

steven gerrard always has, and always will do his best for this club.

[Dirk]

steven gerrard always has, and always will do his best for this club.

 

 

Has he fuck. Chelsea X 2. Spending most of the CL winning season in a strop, walking around the pitch in the Carling Cup Final. Fuck has he. I'm not sure about all his criticism at the moment but take your blinkers off kid.

[rEddie]

Gerrard is our best player. World class? Haven't seen it for England. I'm not sure his performances against the top Premiership teams support this either. That said, the competition in the Champions League is probably a higher standard on a consistent basis and he has shone on occasion. So, jury out for me...

 

Captain standard? I assume he is picked as Captain for his ability to inspire based on his ability to influence by performance. Not on his ability to manage the best out of his colleagues on the field verbally by providing that word of support and encouragement.

 

This is fine if he is performing to peak ability, but if not and the only example he can offer is to look abject and imply criticism of team mates, then I do not think he is Captain material. Technically gifted and / or artistic people do not necessarily make the best leaders. I think this is the case for Gerrard. I don't know what he does in training and off the field, but without insight, this is my opinion. Also. I think the press have spoiled him attitude-wise quite frankly.

 

Carra for me.

[Rashid]

The best player at this club since John Barnes. And an easy target for the boo boys. Why can't other players step up when thinsg go wrong? Where was Zenden, Kuyt, Crouch, Gonzalez - all seasoned pros?

 

It is up to the manager to motivate the team - it wasn't just Gerrard that was shit today, so was Carragher - but most on here would kill for him to be captain.

 

Play him in his correct position and/or get players alongside him that can take the plate when he plays poorly and maybe we would less of these threads.

[robbief]

a lot of the fame may have gone to his head, but this club means as much to stevie as it does to me or anybody else on this site.

if you got one chance to play for the club, you would do your best, thats all he does and he gets abused to fuck on here, i think a few people need to take a long hard look in the mirror themselves!

[Rashid]

Has he fuck. Chelsea X 2. Spending most of the CL winning season in a strop, walking around the pitch in the Carling Cup Final. Fuck has he. I'm not sure about all his criticism at the moment but take your blinkers off kid.

 

That's because he is scrutinised. If you go player by player for the whole team I think you will find other players have more off games than he does. E.g. Carra has largely escaped criticism for a dreadful season.