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I think with the players we have this season in midfield we are better suited to deal without him, but he still adds that something special so why would we try?

for some reason Gerrard is the only one who plays hollywood passes.

Everyone else just tries a 'good idea and vision' through ball that unluckily gets cut out.

Gerrard is one of the very few players in our squad who consistently scores and/or creates goals (the others being Johnson, Suarez).

We have a few players who could potentially start doing it (Shelvey, Assaidi, Borini, Suso, Sterling, Sahin, Allen) but in the main Gerrard is one of the few we can rely on to know he will produce goals and assists.

That is invaluable, and thats why he is still one of the first names on the teamsheet.

Its up to the others to consistently score and create, so that the question of 'should Gerrard play' becomes really relevant.

I can;t see us keeping Sahin and Allen is too quiet and reserved to take Stevie's mantel.

Allen is too quiet and reserved to take Stevie's mantel

He is covering Lucas at the moment, not his normal position.

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hmmmm.....

if you asked me if we could do without Lucas then I would say no without thinking about it.

With gerrard there is a bit of thought behind it, with the midfielders we have, i would like to see a midfield of Lucas, Allen and Sahin.


Which leads to say that we may not need gerrard. At the end of the day Gerrard is Gerrard and he can still deliver but I think we rely alot less on him than before.

Which is why i asked the question. Put Gerrard's performances this season against Shelvey's name and ask yourself would he get in the team

He wish he would do less of the Hollywood passes.Most go to the opposition.
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Do you actually watch Liverpool? Yes he tries the odd hollywood ball which is he capable off with success numerous times and why should we stop that? But this season he is clearly listening to BR and is focusing more on possession with short passes however if a glory ball is on we should NOT stop him from trying it.

Every team needs a crab passer

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I believe we still need Gerrard in the team, maybe not as much as we did a few years ago.

He can consistently create and score goals, he has a great engine, and can inspire the team. Opposition teams must always fear Liverpool more with him in the side as they know what he is capable of.

Whilst Gerrard used to do all the scoring he is a shadow of what he was. I now think that for every good game he has for us he puts in 5 stinkers. I can see that. Rodgers can see that. Not sure if uncle Roy sees it.

However, it is gonna take a brave man to drop him. So many of you out there seem to think he is still the man to save us. Even pundits on TV bang on about Gerrard this and Gerrard that....or are they to scared to actually say what they think and just spout out the same old rubbish?

I am sorry but he is fast turning into yesterdays man.

How exactly does Rodgers see it Bungee? He has nothing but praise for Gerrard all season and has picked him for every PL game.

Funny how all the people disagreeing with you are apparently 'scared' to give their honest opinion.

What a load of twaddle.

Gerrard was England's best player by a mile yesterday.

He is not as consistent as his best years, but his ratio is far better than the silly one good game in 6 that you claim.

Not many players in our squad can grab a game by its balls and turn the game on its head like Stevie has done for the last decade.

comment by T Bone Steak Roysters (U3947)
posted 11 minutes ago
Not many players in our squad can grab a game by its balls and turn the game on its head like Stevie has done for the last decade.

.............

While I quite agree with you on this, and every team, if they are to be successful, needs a player like this, Stevie hasn't really been grabbing games by the balls for some time now.

Certanly not since his best years of 03-06.

I actually don't think you would really miss Stevei from your line up any more.

All this 'Hollywood Passes' comments almost send me to go and try crystal meth!

He is one of the best long ball passers of the modern era, so why restict this from his game? Sometimes he won't get it right, but when he does it right, it offers a totally different option in and around the final third, rather than our attackers taking too many touches/passes and losing the ball!

I don't think Gerrard has to be the player he used to be.

He really does need to adapt to the quick-tempo, give and go game, though. With players like Allen and Sahin, we'll be well on top in most games; Gerrard just needs to choose his moments when trying to do something special.

Too often he tries to force the issue when it's not on, as well as slowing our tempo down because there's no through ball on and he refuses to recycle the ball properly. Sometimes you can see him really trying to adapt and move the ball on sharply, he just needs to do it more consistently.

At the end of the day, Steven Gerrard is Steven Gerrard - if he does the right things often enough, he'll get into the right positions and will get goals and assists.

Righteous1

If you think Gerrard was the best player on the ptch yesterday then you cannot have very high standards. I thought he along with the majority of England players were poor.

I truly believe the longer we rely on Gerrard to bale us out, the longer we will go on waiting to win something worthwhile. It is day in, day out sold performances we need from all the players that we need to see. We have about 5 players we can rely onto give a 7/10 performance or above. Suarez, Agger, Johnson, Allen seem to be consistently solid...and the kids are generally performing well. The likes of Gerrard, Reina, Downing, Cole, should be doing more....lots more.

Football based on possession relies heavily on everyone coming to the party and contributing, not just by keeping the ball, but by keeping it moving at a steady rhythm. Players like Gerrard (and Enrique when he is around) disturb this by consistenly losing possession when there is no need.

One day, Gerrard will retire. What will we do then???

Players like Gerrard (and Enrique when he is around) disturb this by consistenly losing possession when there is no need.
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The report I read, of yesterday's game, suggested that Gerrard was guilty of losing the ball, but less guilty than anybody else, especially Carrick, so it gave him 7 out of 10.

I don't know if he was England's best player yesterday,, because I didn't see all of it, but he's been England's best player in general since he was made captain.

Are we going to play this possession football up to the point where we just pass it backwards and forwards in front of the opposition's defence?

If he sees an opportunity, he goes for it, and he wouldn't be doing it if BR had told him not to. Christ knows, we're struggling for creativity as it is. I saw somebody else today moaning about Suarez losing the ball.....that's just about our only two genuinely creative players.

We can pass ourselves to death, and have great Opta stats, but if we don't create chances, it's all a waste of time. Gerrard has created 6 of England's last 9 goals, (and it would have been another one yesterday if Defoe hadn't missed a sitter)

Besides, most of the times I've seen Gerrard lose possession for Liverpool, it's been when he's trying a short pass that he didn't need to make (ie. trying to follow instructions, instead of playng instinctively).

When you impose a new style of play, that's what you get until it becomes instinctive to the players, and that's why it takes time. Gerrard's playing for his 4th Liverpool manager in 3 years, so he's had a lot of different instructions to take in, and no doubt he gets different instructions again when he plays for England, so it would hardly be surprising if it's taking a while for it to become instinctive.

But in the meantime, let's not throw the baby out with the bath-water. He and Suarez are still the 2 most creative players we have. Some people seem to be more devoted to tiqui-taqui than they are to winning football matches.

Gerrards pass completion yesterday in the first half was something like 96% (Opta).

He was the only England player who looked like doing anything worthwhile, as he proved by creating the goal.

People like Bungee 9 just focus on the 4% of misplaced passes to back up their silly argument that Gerrard is finished.

Kemlyn

If you don't create chances you don't score goals.

It's a very simple game.

No its all about passing until nobody shoots

Barca and spain have proven quailty in the final 3rd, we dont, so we need Gerrard to obviously adapt his game, but dont totally stop what made who he is today..

Newcastle and Spurs are fine examples of having winners in the team, people who will follow footballs orginal rules.... Score more goals than the other team!


The last few years they have signed the players they need and not just with Padew, Houghton done his part too!

Spurs have focused on their final third too!

We have signed about 5 or 6 CM's with low stats of making any influences in the final third!