Our Captain

[Conrad]

A few weeks ago in a debate on here I posted that Steven Gerrard was the greatest Liverpool player I had ever seen play, just shading Kenny, on his versatility.

 

At the moment though things just don't seem 100% right with him.

 

Is it just that he's unfit and playing through pain?

Is he in a sulk over our rubbish form?

Is he still fecked off with the loss of Alonso?

Is he still suffering from seeing what he might think of as his best chance of the title disappear last season?

Has he lost faith with/fallen out with Rafa?

 

His form has been - by his standards - poor for most of the season.

 

We need our captain to stand up and lead us out of this right now, but if anything he seems to be shrinking from the responsibility. It's not like him at all.

 

I hope it's point 1 and that his form will come back with fitness, but my gut feeling is that he has lost faith with the manager.

 

Any thoughts?

[muleskinner]

f*** knows, but he needs to sort his head out if he is sulking. Personally I just think he is unfit. Last time we had a season shaping up like this one he virtually dragged us to 4th on his own, we could do with a bit of that now.

[stressederic]

I think someone summed it up pretty well in the other thread. At the end of the season we just missed out on the title but we'd been playing well and were setup for a good close seasons and the start of a new campaign.

 

With the destruction of our transfer budget the players saw that we wouldn't build on our success. Add that to the disappointment of only just missing out on the league, I think too many of the current squad are feeling down about that.

 

Of course it is heart wrenching to have come so close and to miss out, but at somepoint they need to shake themselves out of it.

[lfc003]

I think he's unfit and bewildered at how this season is transpiring.

[Gomez]

I think someone summed it up pretty well in the other thread. At the end of the season we just missed out on the title but we'd been playing well and were setup for a good close seasons and the start of a new campaign.

 

With the destruction of our transfer budget the players saw that we wouldn't build on our success. Add that to the disappointment of only just missing out on the league, I think too many of the current squad are feeling down about that.

 

Of course it is heart wrenching to have come so close and to miss out, but at somepoint they need to shake themselves out of it.

 

I can't imagine the players can't see what's gone on here, and that we are in big trouble. But equally so, he could just be crocked.

[stonty]

I think he's unfit and bewildered at how this season is transpiring.

 

 

Me too

[stressederic]

I can't imagine the players can't see what's gone on here, and that we are in big trouble. But equally so, he could just be crocked.

 

In a strange way it's difficult to work out what his current fitness is simply because he isn't doing the things we normally see from him; those pacy runs, driving past players etc. That could be because he isn't physically capable at the moment but it could also be because his heart just isn't in it. I honestly don't know which it is.

[Swipe]

Mixture of being unfit and completely shell-shocked at what's happening.

 

He needs to snap out of it though. Will be virtually impossible for us to get out of this rut if our captain isn't helping us.

[Conrad]

Funnily enough, his set pieces were the best I've seen them against Fiorentina the other week.

 

But he doesn't look fit.

[Metro]

I think someone summed it up pretty well in the other thread. At the end of the season we just missed out on the title but we'd been playing well and were setup for a good close seasons and the start of a new campaign.

 

With the destruction of our transfer budget the players saw that we wouldn't build on our success. Add that to the disappointment of only just missing out on the league, I think too many of the current squad are feeling down about that.

 

Of course it is heart wrenching to have come so close and to miss out, but at somepoint they need to shake themselves out of it.

 

and you haven't even mentioned another major reason - Alonso.

[MFletcher]

He's a world class player and captain of this football club.

 

He needs to man the f*** up, get on with it and show some leadership on the pitch.

Edited December 19, 2009 by MFletcher

[anfieldgaz]

He's a world class player and captain of this football club.

 

He needs to man the f*** up, get on with it and show some leadership on the pitch.

Totally agree!

[john_lfc]

He's a f***in whinger with a shocking attitude

 

But, still the greatest player we've ever had

[Tones]

and you haven't even mentioned another major reason - Alonso.

 

What you mean he needs Alonso to play better, or is unhappy that Alonso is gone? If hes gettin moody because Alonso is gone then he needs a kick in a***.

[Zoob]

Think there's no point playing behind Torres at the mo. I'd rather see him in midfield, or replace Kuyt on the right and play Benayoun or Aquilani behind Torres. I guess the fact that Mascherano is out of a while will most likely mean a shake up anyway...

[Mr. Biscan]

Two reasons

 

1. He's injured

 

2. Everyone around him is s***

[Chili Palmer]

He may well be carrying an injury but thats no excuse for his s**** leadership during this spell.

[Andy @ Allerton]

He may well be carrying an injury but thats no excuse for his s**** leadership during this spell.

 

We've been having this discussion at the game for a while. He's a cracking player when fit and in form - but he doesn't do what a captain should.

 

He doesn't gee the side up and he doesn't encourage his teammates. For me a good captain should be leading by example AND helping his teammates improve.

[Billy Dane]

Great player, extremely average Captain

[Earl Hafler]

We've been having this discussion at the game for a while. He's a cracking player when fit and in form - but he doesn't do what a captain should.

 

He doesn't gee the side up and he doesn't encourage his teammates. For me a good captain should be leading by example AND helping his teammates improve.

 

 

Gerrard relies too heavily on others to inspire him to be a great captain, and if his game disappears he sulks, he doesn't remember his other duties as captain. The team needed him today and, as too often, he went missing.

Edited December 19, 2009 by Earl Hafler

[Frosty Jack]

Think there's no point playing behind Torres at the mo. I'd rather see him in midfield, or replace Kuyt on the right and play Benayoun or Aquilani behind Torres. I guess the fact that Mascherano is out of a while will most likely mean a shake up anyway...

 

i think it's got as much chance of working as sticking ngog up there with him in 442, but masch being out now means we wont see that 11 til january if ever.

[mathewbet1]

The current team cant get the ball to him at all when he plays 2nd striker. I belive if he had been playing in midfiled all season with Benny in the hole we would be around 8 points better off by now.

[Nebraska Red]

someone summed it up earlier, the players around him are s****.

 

Lucas and Mascerano, a double act that conjures up nothing positive for Gerrard or the team.

 

Kuyt, isolated out wide or buzzing around inefectually looking busy but offering little.

 

Benayoun/Riera/Babel/ Dossena/Aurelio, all average players at best, capable of brilliant moments, but little in the way of consistent midfield play.

 

Our defence has nobody to pass to in midfield, other than Kuyt, and he has the first touch of a hippo at the moment. Agger could go forward, but his path is blocked by our own defensive midfield players.

 

Gerrard needs to be back in midfield, we need Torres and N'gog up front and we build the rest of the team around these positive players and not have such a negative spine to the team. Put Darby or Degen at RB and play Johnson on the right.

Play Aurelio at LB and put Riera/Benayoun out wide on the left.

[Logic]

someone summed it up earlier, the players around him are s****.

 

Lucas and Mascerano, a double act that conjures up nothing positive for Gerrard or the team.

 

Kuyt, isolated out wide or buzzing around inefectually looking busy but offering little.

 

Benayoun/Riera/Babel/ Dossena/Aurelio, all average players at best, capable of brilliant moments, but little in the way of consistent midfield play.

 

Our defence has nobody to pass to in midfield, other than Kuyt, and he has the first touch of a hippo at the moment. Agger could go forward, but his path is blocked by our own defensive midfield players.

 

Gerrard needs to be back in midfield, we need Torres and N'gog up front and we build the rest of the team around these positive players and not have such a negative spine to the team. Put Darby or Degen at RB and play Johnson on the right.

Play Aurelio at LB and put Riera/Benayoun out wide on the left.

I think we need to change the shape of the team completely.

 

We don't have the wide players needed to play anyone on the wings.

 

Let's go with a 4-1-2-1-2.

 

Usual back four (with Carra soon taking on the role Hyypia had in his last few seasons), Masch protecting the centrebacks, Stevie G and Aqualad (or Lucas if Aqualad is crocked), then Yossi behind Torres and Babel.

 

Teams would worry about us for a change. We'd have enough individual brilliance in that team and still be solid enough in the defence. It's the AC Milan of Ancelotti. That's the tactic we should use with the players we have. We need to stop trying to fit players into a tactic that we don't have the players for.

 

And the question seriously needs to be asked wether Stevie should have got to keep the Captains armband after the whole Chelsea thing.

Edited December 19, 2009 by Logic

[Nebraska Red]

I think we need to change the shape of the team completely.

 

We don't have the wide players needed to play anyone on the wings.

 

Let's go with a 4-1-2-1-2.

 

Usual back four (with Carra soon taking on the role Hyypia had in his last few seasons), Masch protecting the centrebacks, Stevie G and Aqualad (or Lucas if Aqualad is crocked), then Yossi behind Torres and Babel.

 

Teams would worry about us for a change. We'd have enough individual brilliance in that team and still be solid enough in the defence. It's the AC Milan of Ancelotti. That's the tactic we should use with the players we have. We need to stop trying to fit players into a tactic that we don't have the players for.

 

And the question seriously needs to be asked wether Stevie should have got to keep the Captains armband after the whole Chelsea thing.

 

I never want to see us play Lucas and Mascherano together unless we are indire straits, their pairing is one of the main causes for our failiure to perform at the moment.