Liverpool FC Forum

[Ciggy]

OMG every paper has it  in that he's leaving, I cannot believe it, I cannot believe it   If we are not told today at this press conference what the going on with gerrard, then I dont know anymore    

[laza]

Stress relief tip........Dont read the papers for a while

[Ciggy]

     

Gerrard set to leave Liverpool

Dominic Fifield
Monday July 4, 2005
The Guardian

Steven Gerrard appears to have played his last game for Liverpool after their club captain called off talks about a new contract, leaving the way open for Chelsea to mount a £30m bid for his services.
Some 40 days since Gerrard hoisted the European Cup in Istanbul, relations between club and captain appear to have fractured beyond repair with the 25-year-old infuriated by the Champions League winners' apparent indifference towards offering him a new deal.


While Liverpool claim that they still want to retain their captain, the lack of progress in discussions with the chief executive Rick Parry has now prompted the midfielder - albeit reluctantly - to instruct his agent to break off talks for good. That leaves Liverpool with little option but to listen to offers for their prize asset.
That will alert Chelsea, who have watched with interest as Gerrard and Liverpool appeared to struggle first to arrange face-to-face talks, then failed to reach a swift resolution over securing the midfielder's long-term future. Real Madrid are also monitoring the situation, though they have recently signed the Uruguayan midfielder Pablo García, who plays in a similar role, from Osasuna.

Gerrard has two years remaining on his £80,000-a-week contract and was looking for improved terms equating to between £90,000 and £100,000 a week, to put him alongside the likes of Arsenal's Sol Campbell. He would still have been appreciably behind his England team-mates Michael Owen and Frank Lampard in terms of salary.

Yet Liverpool, who will today introduce the Holland winger Boudewijn Zenden as a free-transfer signing from Middlesbrough, have displayed no great urgency to resolve the issue since his agent Struan Marshall first met Parry last Wednesday.

Though Liverpool would rather retain the player, they remain aware that the manager Rafael Benítez's attempts to reshape his squad would benefit if they raise around £30m from Gerrard's sale. That would allow the Spaniard to recruit his principal targets, though the midfielder's departure will leave a void in the team.

[LiverpoolMadman]

[Leonmc0708]

If it is in the papers then it MUST be true.

[Ciggy]

The broadsheets dont make up lies.

The Telegraph
Gerrard set to walk out as Liverpool rift widens football
By Henry Winter  (Filed: 04/07/2005)

Steven Gerrard's patience with Liverpool finally snapped last night over their sluggishness in offering him a contract improvement, and the inspirational captain who cradled the European Cup in his arms 40 days ago now appears destined for Chelsea or Real Madrid. Training-ground spats, negotiating-room stand-offs and civil war now engulf Anfield.

The Kop will be in uproar today at the suggestion that the dithering of chief executive Rick Parry and perceived ambivalence of manager Rafa Benitez has sent their mightiest warrior hurtling out of Anfield into the eager embrace of Champions League rivals. Big clubs cannot lose such big players.

Gerrard, who had a serious dis-agreement with Benitez at training on Saturday afternoon, is a proud individual who does not like being messed around and he is known to be angry over the stance of Parry and Benitez. Having struggled to get Parry to agree a date for contract discussions, Gerrard decided yesterday he had had enough, that even if Liverpool came to him today saying they would meet immediately to sort out a new deal he would tell them: "No chance".

It will take a huge concerted effort on Liverpool's part, assuming the desire exists, to make Gerrard stay. He has withdrawn from all dialogue with Parry. Gerrard's camp insist these are not scare tactics, that their intentions are real: the England international has one foot outside Anfield.

Jose Mourinho, the Chelsea coach who nearly signed Gerrard last summer, will be delighted by the weekend's developments. A central midfield featuring the England pairing of Gerrard and Frank Lampard, anchored by Claude Makelele, could help to bring the champions joy in Europe.

Liverpool, who harbour dreams of reclaiming the English title, would be loathe to sell to Premiership opponents and Gerrard initially indicated he would find it difficult to play against his home-town club in the league. Yet the Merseysider is now so aggrieved at Anfield's handling of his contract situation that he is minded to decide where he is heading, and staying within England would appeal more to someone of Gerrard's character. Chelsea have the money, the ambition and the known interest.

So do Real Madrid. The kings of the Castellana are invariably linked with the hottest footballing properties and Gerrard's falling-out with Liverpool will be closely monitored by the Bernabeu hierarchy. More trophy-winning gladiator than shirt-selling galactico, Gerrard is just the type of leader and motivator that Real's midfield craves. Upstaged in style and substance by Barcelona, Madrid are desperate to reimpose themselves on Spain and Europe and they know that Gerrard could be the catalyst.

Real have signed Osasuna's tackle-happy midfielder, Pablo Garcia, yet anyone who knows Gerrard appreciates that he is best raiding forward from a midfield station patrolled by a more defensive counterpart. Whether he would really consider moving abroad is a serious issue for someone like Gerrard. A possible stumbling block might be if Madrid were to sell his friend, Michael Owen, when Robinho arrives from Santos.

The fact that Real and Chelsea have been given such encouragement over Gerrard will be seen as Liverpool's fault. Gerrard and his trusted adviser, Struan Marshall, of agents SFX, could have sat down with Parry and wrapped up a deal in a couple of hours. Gerrard, though mindful of his value to employers, is neither greedy nor complicated to deal with.

Two schools of thought are being applied to Liverpool's perplexing tardiness. One suggestion is that they are impoverished and are stalling to make Gerrard accept a lesser financial package. Yet sources close to the club insist that money is not an issue. If that is true, the blame shifts from Parry to Benitez, who may not see Gerrard as an irreplaceable cog in his midfield.

Xabi Alonso, a wonderful signing by Benitez, can also set the team's tempo, yet those tens of thousands who made Istanbul such a special place to be almost six weeks ago will remember it was Gerrard who galvanised the side against AC Milan.

For all the passing guile of Spaniards like Alonso, home-grown players like Gerrard and Jamie Carragher are the heartbeat of Liverpool. Gerrard attended Carragher's wedding on Friday and was given permission to skip training on Saturday, yet still went in to work out. He encountered Benitez and was disappointed by the manager's attitude. Today's press conference to unveil new signing Bolo Zenden should be lively.

[Leonmc0708]

The broadsheets dont make up lies.

The Times is printed by the same company as the Sun.

[laza]

Sorry Ciggy i dont care how much journalistic integrity (nows thats an oxymoron for sure) the Guardian supposely has, that article reeks of tabloid garbage fit only for the budgie litter

[112-1077774096]

im past caring to be honest with you, even if he signs a new deal we will only go through this again in january, then next summer. im getting a bit p1ssed off with the whole thing

[Ciggy]

Sorry Ciggy i dont care how much journalistic integrity (nows thats an oxymoron for sure) the Guardian supposely has, that article reeks of tabloid garbage fit only for the budgie litter

I know what your saying Laza but if Liverpool dont deny these rumours at this press conference today, I will asume that he has gone. It has to be put an end to today either way, he's either staying or he's going.
Surely they can be sued for printing lies cant they?

[laza]

Well he stays and thats great  or he goes and we get a packet for him to rebuild the squad and dont shafted like with the Owen transfer
Maybe my thinking is tainted by having  gutful of this tabloid circus which arcs up everytime transfer window is open but i think its a no lose situation with one small disclaimer that if he does go , he goes abroad

[LFC #1]

John Bull's thread cast a lot of doubt over whether he is staying in my mind, seems like a pretty credible source to me. I am still hoping that he stays, but if he does leave it better not be to Chelsea! Real Madrid I can take, but Chelsea   

[LFC #1]

Just reading those articles gives John Bull's thread more credence where he said:

"The current situation over "will he won't he ?" has been cleverly engineered by the agent and his spin doctors to give the impression that LFC are at fault for failing to produce a satisfactory offer. This is rubbish and SG at this time sees his future away from Anfield , as he did last year, but this time he plans to walk away claiming that it was not his fault.
It was openly talked about at Carras wedding that offers have been made but turned down and he is going because he wants to go but with an air of innocence in the matter. This would save his friends and family from the fallout.(can't see Mr Gerrard doing a Mr Rooney and wearing a Chelsea shirt)"

Seems like another Owen situation to me. 

[Scottbot]

All this leaves a shitty taste in the mouth. Everything was perfect a few weeks ago. We were the newly crowned (returned) European Champions, allowed back into the tournament, we had some money to spend and the rumours about the Captain leaving had been put to bed.

All season long we have heard Parry & Benitez state their desire to keep Gerrard over and over again. I can't believe all this bul.lshi.tttt about Gerrard getting upset coz the club have been too slow in sitting down to negotiate a new deal. I would love to believe it is all a bunch of tabloid lies but just about every paper in the land are running the same story.

If the captain wants to go to Spain (i don't believe he will play for Chelsea) then atleast come out and tell the fans the truth coz no-one believes all the spin and bul.lshi.t that seems to be flying about at the moment. We have a big game next week and once again it looks like the local boy come good is gonna be sat on the bench as was the case last year.

This has left me feeling numb

[7_Kewell]

According to The S*n, Gerrard has received no improved pay offer from Liverpool and no more talks are planned.



i think that says it all.....isn't Zenden, and a few other players, unvieled today?  If so, i expect to hear RAfa's side to this 'story'