Time to drop Gerrard?

[Soleilrouge]

I would not drop him but would sell him for the first offer of 25mill - lira

[piscinin]

I'd drop Kuyt and Lucas, and play the side we played at Portsmouth for 3 or 4 games on the bounce. I think we'd see a big improvement in Gerrard's performance, no matter where he plays. Moving him around the team while retaining the a large proportion of the cause of the disillusionment isn't going to lighten his mood. It may be better to drop him than do that.

 

You seem to see only 1 cause I see at least 3 or 4 and Gerrard is central to one of them. You may be right maybe waiting for him to come good is the way to go, but we've been waiting all season, damage limitation is the order of the day for me.

 

Do you really think he is still so immature that if asked to put the team first he'll end up stropping and undermining us?

[zigackly]

Dont give a fuck what they think of what I wrote, its fuckin knobheads like that who need droppin from the KOP, for a lack of passion and loyalty, I fuckin hate fans like that. Fuck off to Man U,Everton, Tranmere or wherever you are from !

 

You seem quite angry.

[Ace]

I wouldn't drop him. A shite Gerrard is still better than Lucas. Maybe drop Gerrard back into midfield and drop Lucas. Forever would be nice.

[stringvest]

You seem to see only 1 cause I see at least 3 or 4 and Gerrard is central to one of them. You may be right maybe waiting for him to come good is the way to go, but we've been waiting all season, damage limitation is the order of the day for me.

 

Do you really think he is still so immature that if asked to put the team first he'll end up stropping and undermining us?

 

Of course there are several reasons why Gerrard is performing like he is, but I bet the one I've suggested is the main one. I don't think Gerrard is immature, I just think he's very aware of is own playing mortality and near breaking point. It didn't start against Utd. He has put the team first for years, and certainly has done this year.

 

Maybe he doesn't think Benitez has shown the same commitment to the cause?

 

If Benitez believes Gerrard is undermining the team, he should drop him. I would have no issue with that. I would want to know why he hasn't dropped players when their lack of ability has undermined the team game after game though.

[B3n]

I agree with the drop him for Aquilani opinion to be honest. Annoys me watching him look uninterested on the pitch week in week out. If somebody like Lucas strolled about the pitch like Gerrard does there would be a completly different reaction. And to be fair Lucas has played the better football this season.

 

He won't be dropped though sadly.

 

I still stand by selling him in the summer if a good offer comes in. Think a change of captain might do us some good as well.

[Markmywords]

We drop Gerrard, and we can pretty much say goodbye to our captain for good.

 

This is what I'm most concerned about.

 

I can't work out whether he'd respond to being dropped by upping his game and coming back stronger (like he did under houllier) or whether he'd use it as an excuse to leave.

 

If body language is anything to go by the man looks beaten.

[zigackly]

If he would use it as an excuse to leave, best find out sooner rather than later and start planning how to live without him. You can't have an undroppable player in your squad. Particularly one who can't be arsed.

 

I don't think dropping him would help us much at this stage though, as I said above.

 

There isn't time left.

[escapepods]

I agree with the drop him for Aquilani opinion to be honest. Annoys me watching him look uninterested on the pitch week in week out. If somebody like Lucas strolled about the pitch like Gerrard does there would be a completly different reaction. And to be fair Lucas has played the better football this season.

 

He won't be dropped though sadly.

 

I still stand by selling him in the summer if a good offer comes in. Think a change of captain might do us some good as well.

 

Good post actually. I whole heartedly agree with a captain change. And for people who say 'he'd deffo wanna leave then!' so what, fuck him! Nobody is bigger than Liverpool FC

[Skidfingers McGonical]

3637, Number of Blert.

[The Party Boy]

I think he gets too isolated and doesn't receive the ball enough when he's up front and were not playing well. I think his poorer form is a result of the team not playing well not the other way around.

[zigackly]

I think he gets too isolated and doesn't receive the ball enough when he's up front and were not playing well. I think his poorer form is a result of the team not playing well not the other way around.

 

Think that's certainly part of it, and we should have been playing him further back in midfield as soon as this became clear early on in the season. Fact is we didn't and his attitude now is stinking the whole team out. I'm not sure making better use of him would sort that.

[PaulMcC]

I wish he had as much passion as Torres and Mascherano. At least they looked liked they really cared. Even if they nearly did overstep the mark.

[Royal Family]

For me the worst feature of yesterday was the United penalty. Gerrard was on the edge of the box when Rooney took it, and he didn't even move. So when the rebound comes out, gerrard is standing in the same position. Now, I doubt he could have got the ball, but you simply have to bust a gut and at the very leats be prepared and pressurise the opponent. His attitude stinks and I have absolutely no idea if this is because of frustration with the team or frustration because he knows he's not the player he once was and maybe feels his best years are behind him?

[BolshieBastard]

Of course there are several reasons why Gerrard is performing like he is, but I bet the one I've suggested is the main one. I don't think Gerrard is immature, I just think he's very aware of is own playing mortality and near breaking point. It didn't start against Utd. He has put the team first for years, and certainly has done this year.

 

Maybe he doesn't think Benitez has shown the same commitment to the cause?

 

If Benitez believes Gerrard is undermining the team, he should drop him. I would have no issue with that. I would want to know why he hasn't dropped players when their lack of ability has undermined the team game after game though.

 

This.

 

Im a massive Gerrard fan and dont hold with lots of stuff I've read about him 'sulking' and not putting a shift in etc, etc.

 

The lad is probably the last of his kind to have carried the club, virtually singlehandedly over the years like McMoneyman, Fowler and Owen. You could probably have added Torres to that list but I've a growing suspicion the lad wont be here at the start of next season.

 

I think Gerrard like most of us, was heartbroken at missing out on the title last season. That's bound to be hard to get over even for a seasoned pro playing for 'your' club.

 

But, its clear Gerrard has been having groin trouble for sometime now. For whatever reason, he hasnt gone under the knife to get it properly sorted and instead, resorted to the needle for temporary fixes.

 

I still cant get my head around even considering dropping Gerrard. Would people do the same with Torres because he's allowing his tantrums albeit through frustration to take a lot away from his threat?

 

No, you simply dont drop your best players on a whim. There's also the effect it will have on the other players. Are they going to up their game because they see one of our best players being dropped? Dont think so. In fact I suspect it would have the opposite efect.

 

Who would step in to replace Gerrard, Spearing, someone else? Nah, aint going to happen.

[escapepods]

I wish he had as much passion as Torres and Mascherano. At least they looked liked they really cared. Even if they nearly did overstep the mark.

 

Same here! Torres and Mascherano showed they hate United. More players (and especially a born and bred Liverpool captain) should be doing the same.

[BolshieBastard]

Same here! Torres and Mascherano showed they hate United. More players (and especially a born and bred Liverpool captain) should be doing the same.

 

And how exactly did they show this? Mash just seemed his old self wanting to argue every decision with the ref. Same with Torres. Doesnt show either player wanted it more than Gerrard to me.

[Red Mist]

He's been terrible this season, by far his worst he's ever had. I would drop him and play Aquilani in his place until the end of the season.

[liverpoolsno9]

Notice a few posts saying they`d sell him. Who the fuck would we replace him with? Given that we wouldnt be able to find a top quality replacement for him as they wouldnt want to come for a team not in the Champs League. If we had 4th sewn up, i might agree to selling him but in our current predicament we need to keep hold of our best players. He`s not had the best season, is that not because of the total shite he`s playing with? Shite tactics? I think we owe him, at the very least ,a bad season for what he`s done for us.

[Monster Masch]

I agree he has not being quite the Steven Gerrard we are used to but no, it is not the time to drop Gerrard. No chance.

 

 

Ste Gerrard Gerrard

He'll pass the ball 40 yards

He's big and he's fucking hard

Ste Gerrard Gerrard

[piscinin]

Of course there are several reasons why Gerrard is performing like he is, but I bet the one I've suggested is the main one. I don't think Gerrard is immature, I just think he's very aware of is own playing mortality and near breaking point. It didn't start against Utd. He has put the team first for years, and certainly has done this year.

 

Maybe he doesn't think Benitez has shown the same commitment to the cause?

 

If Benitez believes Gerrard is undermining the team, he should drop him. I would have no issue with that. I would want to know why he hasn't dropped players when their lack of ability has undermined the team game after game though.

 

Torres appears to be able to give his all for the team and perform despite all these short comings. Why not Gerrard? Surely he is at least smart enough to work out that the chances of winning something are not helped by under-performing to the point where we are a one man team again. I mean putting stuff out of your mind and focusing on what's important should be pretty basic for a world class athlete.

 

BTW I don't think Benitez suggested that he was undermining the team. The way I read it you believe he might if he had to play in a different position.

[zico]

We drop Gerrard, and we can pretty much say goodbye to our captain for good.

 

Bufuckinghu.... Then he needs to look himself in the mirror, because based on his form this season he would not have made it into any other of the top 8 teams...

 

We are Liverpool FC, not Gerrard "I deserve to play in a team that wins the league" FC!!

 

I love him for what he has done for our club in the past, but this season he has been shite...

 

Perhaps he has played through a pain barrier, been hampered by injuries, but from what I have understood he is now injury free, and not giving it 100% is simply inexcusable.... (If he is still injured and the manager and the physios are still playing him, then it should be a sackable offense on their part)

 

If he has gotten to big for the club in his own mind, then it would be time for him to go, because right now he is having a negative impact on his teamates through his sulking and body language.....

 

Although I have a hard time picturing LFC without him, the £30 mill pluss we would receive, would be able to by a better between the lines player as well as a winger with pace... (Now I don't know if the money would be available or if Rafa knows about any attacking players, but.... (I guess another defender and defensive midfielder would be on the cards))

[George Costanza]

Forget dropping him, I'd sell him if a good offer came in the summer. His legs are going imo, not helped this season by the niggly injuries and playing with injections (which stopped months ago by the way) Next seasons not going to be any better either, he hardly get any rest due to the world cup. I can easily see him missing a 3rd of games again next year (same with Torres too actually)

 

The problem we have is that we are so reliant on two players that are crocks and are likely to miss 10-20 games a season. We can't afford to take that chance next season. Difficult decisions ahead.

[zico]

Notice a few posts saying they`d sell him. Who the fuck would we replace him with? Given that we wouldnt be able to find a top quality replacement for him as they wouldnt want to come for a team not in the Champs League. If we had 4th sewn up, i might agree to selling him but in our current predicament we need to keep hold of our best players. He`s not had the best season, is that not because of the total shite he`s playing with? Shite tactics? I think we owe him, at the very least ,a bad season for what he`s done for us.

 

I don't want him to go, I love him for the player he has been for us, but he needs his head sorted for it to make any sense for either party.....

[stringvest]

Nah, I don't think Gerrard would ever undermine the team. And Torres has had plenty of moody games, being petulant and not seeming too interested. Don't forget, he hasn't been here long. Gerrard's been required to carry the team for years.

 

I just think it's all now a massive head-fuck for Gerrard, and I wouldn't begrudge him if he felt unable to go through another season of the same, should Benitez be staying.