Liverpool FC Forum

[stmichael]

I appreciate Steven Gerrard's importance to Liverpool as much as the next person - he is an integral part of LFC's (hopefully) glorious future. However, I'm glad he made such a monumental blunder against the french. Why? He has arguably become too big for his boots and appears to believe the constant exaggerated hyperbole routinely spouted about him.

As great as he is I personally feel he is being massively overhyped by some fans. Tags such as "greatest midfielder in Europe" and "World class" have been bandied about far too easily recently and whilst I believe Gerrard will at some stage justify such labels, at present I don't feel he does. Furthermore, it appears to me that he believes himself to be bigger than the club at times.

I'm truly sick to the stomach that Gerrard currently appears to be dictating certain things at LFC. Veiled warnings of leaving if x amount of players aren't signed, subtle threats about leaving if Champions league football is not attained, indirect pressure on the board to comply with his bidding to the extent that he actually has the gall to suggest that if the board want to contact him then "his mobile phone is always on". This sort of behaviour is unnacceptable IMO and is evidence that Gerrard appears to believe he has attained such a lofty status that he has the right to dictate certain aspects of club policy.

This is an increasingly disturbing trend in modern football. Players are becoming too powerful. True loyalty is a thing of the past. Money talks. Gone are the days when people actually played football for the LOVE of the game and the team they played for. LFC never used to be like this. The club never used to pander and grovel to players. It used to be be the ultimate honour to play for LFC. The selfish "me, myself and I" attitude of players like Owen and Gerrard is subverting the proud status of our beloved club IMO. All they can think about their own status, their own success, their own haul of medals and their own personal place in footballing history.

It's not just Gerrard. Michael Owen has for months been doing the same thing. Do this or I'll leave. Sign X or I may have to leave. Bitching about Champions League football or he'll leave. It is down to Gerrard and Owen to esure we get into the Champions League in the first place. Instead of moaning about it, they should focus on getting us there and PRODUCE on the way to enable this: Like scoring vital penalties perhaps and once there, creating and converting numerous chances.

It is illuminating to me that it was Owen, Heskey and Gerrard who were arguably most responsible for England's loss against France: Gerrards horror pass (and lack of attacking penetration) Heskey's foul and Owen's complete anonymity and failure to be any goalscoring threat at all. It comes full circle from the 5-1 defeat of Germany where Gerrard, Owen and Heskey combined to give England a famous victory.

The same three players have now contributed to what could be a fatal loss for England. At the time of the Germany game, all three players were hungry and full of desire. They wanted to win and there was not one hint of "I'm bigger than LFC so listen to my demands or I'll leave" How things have changed since then. For the worse.

What I'm basically getting at is Steven Gerrard is not the greatest Midfielder in Europe, nor is he better than the likes of Vieira or Zidane. As a premiership player Gerrard is in an elite class of players who perform consistently well. As a European player Gerrard is not even on the first rung. His mistake against France will hopefully have a positive effect on him and make him realise he cannot rest on his laurels. He still needs to improve. He still needs to believe he must improve and not just believe he has "arrived" is all powerful and has nothing left to do.

People always rave about Gerrard's loyalty to LFC. Well, loyalty in my eyes means he gets on with the job without moaning or making subtle threats like "do this or I'll do this". Being proud to have the privilege of playing for our glorious club should be enough for Steven Gerrard. True loyalty to LFC is displayed in players like John Barnes, Ian Rush, Phil Neal, Kenny Dalglish, Jan Molby, Jamie Carragher, etc. The mere thought of such players moaning in the same way as Owen and Gerrard is unheard of. These players (bar Carragher) achieved far more than Gerrard or Owen have for LFC yet never once tried to dictate things to the board or believed they were bigger than the club. Compared to these players, Owen and Gerrard are traitors IMO.

Maybe I'll be called a traitor for suggesting such things as I have above. I just want to see players like Steven Gearrad getting on with his job: Playing football. Hopefully his mistake against France will embarrass him enough to make him realise he still has a long way to go and should concentrate on that instead of believing he can dictate the way LFC is run.

[anfieldadorer]

well points you got there stmike, couldn't agree more with it.

Hopefully his mistake against France will embarrass him enough to make him realise he still has a long way to go and should concentrate on that instead of believing he can dictate the way LFC is run.

hopefully...

[hd7ac]

I must say i agree with you on the points you make! i am a huge Gerrard fan but if he does what Owen has done for the last year and hold our club to ransom then i say no player is bigger than the club and MUST be got rid of. Obviously im not saying i want to see Gerrard and Owen leave, what i want to see is them both stop whingin and do there jobs. If they want to manage then great but wait to become a manager first instead of dictating to the real manager what should be done. It strikes me that if Owen had scored some of the blatent chances for Liverpool this season that he missed 4th would have been a much easier task anyway, so how he can complain about the league position is beyond me.

[XSD]

Nothing wrong with him being smart enough to realize he is by far the best we have. He puts so much hard work in on the field with a lot of rewards to the club from it so why shouldn't he have some influence..or an ego?

[Boocity]

The problem I see is that if players get to involved with the running of the club it can have an adverse effect on them. Look at Owen, with all the uncertainty about him signing a new contract his form has definately suffered. This could happen to SG

[greenred]

Gerrard should remember that no player is bigger than Liverpool football club.Ten years from now he`ll just be another ex player sitting in the press seats commentating for fivelive.I really hope there is no truth in the rumour that he wants out,because my gut reaction would be to kick him out the door today.

[maximus]

While you make some valid points Mike, the fact remains that Gerrard as club captain is well within his rights to voice his concern over the future of Liverpool Football club.

Stevie G is an intergral part of this club, and it is a very long time since we had a figurehead player at LFC to whom the fans can look up to and associate with LFC. 
The issue with player power is paramount in the modern game today, this has arisen due to the billions of pounds floating around in the game today, most of which goes to the players.

Whilst I am sure in my mind that if Liverpool became a superpower once again, consistent Champions League challengers/winners, Premier league challengers/winners e.t.c. Gerrard would much rather achieve his goals with LFC then any other club. Because once you have achieved millionare status, (which inveriably a vast amount of Premier league players are) the difference between having  lot of money and a feckin load of money is not that great. hence move to Chelsea, which is why Gerrards loyalty I think should not be questioned.

That said if Chelsea come in with a 50 million pound bid, then LFC would be mad not to sell!! Whilst as fans we would not like to hear this, the economic realities are that the Thai's are willing to put that into Liverpool for a massive 30% stake in the whole damn club!!

And I think in terms of Stevie G being world class. IMO he is world class, and we as LFC fans should be proud that the uture is bright at LFC. When a player of the class of Patrick Viera says "Gerarrd is better than me", we should all stand up and listen.

[Sean]

I agree with St. Mike.  Once players start dictating to the management the team falls apart, just look at the Dutch at every championship as an example.  And whatever about Gerrard getting lippy, Michael Owen has no reason to feel above his team mates given the clubs patience with his injuries and poor form.
Most successful teams have dictators as managers.  Footballers aren't the brightest and especially now that you've got players having earned fortunes by the time their 21 you need strong management that will take no ****** and instill some fear in the players.  Otherwise, young cocky rich brats will walk all over weak managers.

[taff]

Great post I agree and disagree at the same time.
How much press shenanigans is behind a lot of this as Gerrard is now the main hope for England in the championsip. Even with the backpass he was still Englands best midfielder but if there is elements of truth then it is a worry as no single person is bigger than the club.

My hope is that a manger is announced asap and hopefully Benitez (looks likely) then there will be someone in charge to take control over this press nonsense going on at the moment.

We desperately need direction from an experienced manager who can get the best out of the current squad abd hopefully get some class additions as well and if any player doesnt buy in or fit in then could be goodbye whoever he is, but if Benitez took us to compete until the end of the season or even win the league would it matter who the eleven were.

[Boocity]

We desperately need direction from an experienced manager who can get the best out of the current squad abd hopefully get some class additions as well and if any player doesnt buy in or fit in then could be goodbye whoever he is, but if Benitez took us to compete until the end of the season or even win the league would it matter who the eleven were.

Good point, but I just could not hack it if SG went to Chelski. If he was to leave I would rather he went abroad.

[greenred]

Good point, but I just could not hack it if SG went to Chelski. If he was to leave I would rather he went abroad.

No one else could afford him.

[Boocity]

Good point, but I just could not hack it if SG went to Chelski. If he was to leave I would rather he went abroad.

No one else could afford him.

True, but you do'nt work with half a dozen Chelski supporters who have crawled out of the woodwork over the past couple of years

[maximus]

Boo, chelski are the only club in the world that could afford Stevie G, accept it!!!!!

[Boocity]

Boo, chelski are the only club in the world that could afford Stevie G, accept it!!!!!

Yes, but I would have to find another job, just could stand it

[Boocity]

Boo, chelski are the only club in the world that could afford Stevie G, accept it!!!!!

Yes, but I would have to find another job, just could stand it

Should say 'could NOT stand it'