Liverpool FC Forum

[Sabre]

Well, he did admit in the paper a week or so back that the toe was really bothering him in the Porto and Brum matches.  Perhaps it's still bothering him?

Where I come from, it's believed as firmly as the rotation is hated here, that when you play 90 mins in wednesday, from the min 50 of the next match you can notice the game you play in midweek. Players describe it as "you order your legs to run, but they don't respond".

Of course than can be bóllocks, but I do believe it. Especially when you have a player like Gerrard that doesn't save any effort in the pitch

I'm not worried about Gerrard, we're not seeing his best, his decissions sometimes are anxious, but he's a great player, the best of this squad, and he'll come back to his best soon enough.

[stmichael]

It's still a case of Rafa feeling the need to accommodate him into the side. He's played him in the hole, he's moved him to the right, he's played him on the left and now he's playing him in the centre because he's been whinging it for ages. Now he's playing cr@p in the centre due to an injury and we're struggling to create a lot as a result, especially with Alonso being out aswell.

The entire media have had a campaign to get him into the centre of midfield - even when we won in the Camp Nou, the discussion after the game was about Gerrard being stuck on the right and how they felt sorry for him because it wasn't his best position etc. Get a grip. We've just won in the Nou Camp, I think Rafa knows what he's doing.

We accommodate him. He's clearly not a central midfield player in the mould that Rafa likes, he's not a right midfield in the mould Rafa likes and he's not a playmaker in the mould Rafa likes. He's accommodated and, given his attitude and form at the minute, it is detrimental to the team.

[Lando_Griffin]

If it were a fitness issue, what makes people think that the "Rotation-obsessed Tinkerman" would still pick him?

Laughable, really...

[maypaxvobiscum]

maybe he should take a break from being the captain.

[stmichael]

maybe he should take a break from being the captain.

If Rafa were to take the captaincy off him, I could see him sulking and in turn, having an adverse affect on the team. (Although I could be wrong, given that the lad offered to relinquish the captaincy in the wake of the first "Chelsea-gate" affair.)

Plus, I think Gerrard with the armband is a lot better to the side than Gerrard without it. As said, Carra doesn't need an armband to show off his leadership credentials but Gerrard has always struck me as a person with fragile self-esteem so I don't think the way to get out of this slump is to change the captain.

This will sound controversial, but I don't think we're a side brimming with leaders so for me, it makes more sense to keep Gerrard as captain, although I'm not 100% comfortable with it.

[Smeg]

It's still a case of Rafa feeling the need to accommodate him into the side. He's played him in the hole, he's moved him to the right, he's played him on the left and now he's playing him in the centre because he's been whinging it for ages. Now he's playing cr@p in the centre due to an injury and we're struggling to create a lot as a result, especially with Alonso being out aswell.

The entire media have had a campaign to get him into the centre of midfield - even when we won in the Camp Nou, the discussion after the game was about Gerrard being stuck on the right and how they felt sorry for him because it wasn't his best position etc. Get a grip. We've just won in the Nou Camp, I think Rafa knows what he's doing.

We accommodate him. He's clearly not a central midfield player in the mould that Rafa likes, he's not a right midfield in the mould Rafa likes and he's not a playmaker in the mould Rafa likes. He's accommodated and, given his attitude and form at the minute, it is detrimental to the team.

What utter rubbish, and if he's not a player in the mould that Rafa likes then Rafa is an idiot.

He is by a mile the best player in our squad and probably in the top 5 in the world. Players like him are rare. End of.

Just because the lads had a few average games doesn't all of a sudden make him a bad player.

[Smeg]

maybe he should take a break from being the captain.

If Rafa were to take the captaincy off him, I could see him sulking and in turn, having an adverse affect on the team. (Although I could be wrong, given that the lad offered to relinquish the captaincy in the wake of the first "Chelsea-gate" affair.)

Plus, I think Gerrard with the armband is a lot better to the side than Gerrard without it. As said, Carra doesn't need an armband to show off his leadership credentials but Gerrard has always struck me as a person with fragile self-esteem so I don't think the way to get out of this slump is to change the captain.

This will sound controversial, but I don't think we're a side brimming with leaders so for me, it makes more sense to keep Gerrard as captain, although I'm not 100% comfortable with it.

Alonso, Gerrard, Torres, Carragher and even Hyypia are leaders... as is Kuyt.

So I can't see where you're coming from really.

[adamnbarrett]

If he's not fit, why play him?

simple as

[Sabre]

maybe he should take a break from being the captain.

If Rafa were to take the captaincy off him, I could see him sulking and in turn, having an adverse affect on the team. (Although I could be wrong, given that the lad offered to relinquish the captaincy in the wake of the first "Chelsea-gate" affair.)

Plus, I think Gerrard with the armband is a lot better to the side than Gerrard without it. As said, Carra doesn't need an armband to show off his leadership credentials but Gerrard has always struck me as a person with fragile self-esteem so I don't think the way to get out of this slump is to change the captain.

This will sound controversial, but I don't think we're a side brimming with leaders so for me, it makes more sense to keep Gerrard as captain, although I'm not 100% comfortable with it.

Alonso, Gerrard, Torres, Carragher and even Hyypia are leaders... as is Kuyt.

So I can't see where you're coming from really.

Alonso is a great player, but he's not a leader, and he never will be.

Not all great players are leaders. ABout Alonso a coach of him when he was a lad told me he sometimes need a "push" in the back so that he reacts. Sometimes too much of a good lad.

The only time I spoke to Alonso in the last two years, was after a Villa game away in which he took a plane to San Sebastian afte he scored and everything.

His words said Carra and Gerrard were the leaders, but more importantly his face aswell, "they're the bóllocks" would be a decent tranlation for his words (I think it's used in a good way that way)

The two captains and the best leaders of this team are Carra and Steve, and IMHO, there's not debate about that.

[The Manhattan Project]

Stevie will be fine. He's had to get over that toe injury, plus that thing with the kid and the car.

[account deleted by request]

maybe he should take a break from being the captain.

If Rafa were to take the captaincy off him, I could see him sulking and in turn, having an adverse affect on the team. (Although I could be wrong, given that the lad offered to relinquish the captaincy in the wake of the first "Chelsea-gate" affair.)

Plus, I think Gerrard with the armband is a lot better to the side than Gerrard without it. As said, Carra doesn't need an armband to show off his leadership credentials but Gerrard has always struck me as a person with fragile self-esteem so I don't think the way to get out of this slump is to change the captain.

This will sound controversial, but I don't think we're a side brimming with leaders so for me, it makes more sense to keep Gerrard as captain, although I'm not 100% comfortable with it.

Alonso, Gerrard, Torres, Carragher and even Hyypia are leaders... as is Kuyt.

So I can't see where you're coming from really.

Its been said on numerous occasions though that Liverpool are a very quiet team with no really vocal players. Carra seems to be about the most vocal of a very quiet bunch (and no one can understand him    )

Leading by example is great as long as you are playing well, once your form slips........

[europian-kings]

all he needs is a goalhe will be back on top form =]

[ivor_the_injun]

If Alonso was available, I think Gerrard would have been benched by now due to lack of form, completely aside from any questions about his fitness.

I don't think any of us want to see a Mascherano/Sissoko combination to try and get us out of the current slump, so Rafa's clearly banking on Stevie playing himself back into form and fitness.

It'll come. The international break is poorly timed from our point of view, but it's not like our immediate competition are unaffected by it, so let's not get all d*ckhead on 606 about it.

[JohnBull]

I'm looking forward to seeing the boy in a white shirt. If he shows the form I think he will show, I'd like to know what's going on at Anfield.
His domestics are well known and I don't think I'd like to be in that position myself but if it's only affecting his Liverpool game something's wrong

[Leonmc0708]

maybe he should take a break from being the captain.

If Rafa were to take the captaincy off him, I could see him sulking and in turn, having an adverse affect on the team. (Although I could be wrong, given that the lad offered to relinquish the captaincy in the wake of the first "Chelsea-gate" affair.)

Plus, I think Gerrard with the armband is a lot better to the side than Gerrard without it. As said, Carra doesn't need an armband to show off his leadership credentials but Gerrard has always struck me as a person with fragile self-esteem so I don't think the way to get out of this slump is to change the captain.

This will sound controversial, but I don't think we're a side brimming with leaders so for me, it makes more sense to keep Gerrard as captain, although I'm not 100% comfortable with it.

Alonso, Gerrard, Torres, Carragher and even Hyypia are leaders... as is Kuyt.

So I can't see where you're coming from really.

And Dean Ashton ?