There comes a time when all great players begin to fade. The earliest sign is the drop in pace they suffer from; then comes the increase in recovery time after games and then the questioning of their starting spot in the team. In a player like Steven Gerrard’s case, you may need to scratch beneath the surface to see the true cause of his problems.
Steven Gerrard may never have known the ultimate form of domestic success in a league title; instead, he did earn an even bigger and arguably more sought after prize in the Champions League and European domination. Elation followed; as a player, as a captain and as an aspiring footballer, this was the pinnacle well and truly, this feat closing in on being nearly a decade ago.
Where do you go from ultimate glory? International football? In 2008, European supremacy at this level was impossible with England failing to qualify. In 2012, the penalty shootout win in Istanbul couldn’t be relived like it was against the Italian side AC Milan all those years ago. The Italian National team were ruthless, stronger and more composed, exploiting the stigma attached to England so eloquently with that Pirlo chip living long in the mind. At Brazil in 2014, England never got going and the less said about Gerrard’s play the better. He was a player who seemed absent in the games against Italy and Uruguay for large parts.
Internationally, although success was of course desirable, it was never close to being achieved by the Liverpool captain. Liverpool was now his only claim to captaincy; retirement from International football signalled the captain’s armband being passed over to fellow Merseyside man, Wayne Rooney.
Put yourself in Steven Gerrard’s shoes for a moment. Right now you would have to reflect on the one thing that continues to escape your grasp: the Premier League title. A season of relentless work, a season of redemption and a season you will inevitably be remembered and mocked for eternity as a result of that slip. Even the most composed, exemplar professional mind will have been damaged by such a torrid experience over the last year; Gerrard is no exception.
Gerrard was very public in his admiration of Luis Suarez, a player with undeniable immense quality. This quality, however useful for Liverpool, still found a way to offer a further blow for Gerrard. A mistake from a header linking up with his teammate for all the wrong reasons this time, and just like his last World Cup, over after just two games. Even Suarez’s replacement, Mario Balotelli, got in on the act, adding to Gerrard’s misery and scoring the decisive goal in the first group game.
After all this emotional and psychical strain, later in the summer the player Steven Gerrard had so much admiration for and adored playing with, Luis Suarez, leaves. Just like that. A shortened break before the Premier League and increasingly extravagant pre-season tours add to the jet lag as Liverpool head off to the USA. Then, before you know it, the Premier League is back. All of this on top of the fact nature is taking its course and even a supreme athlete like Steven Gerrard is bound to be absolutely worn out.
The pinnacle he reached in 2005 must seem like a lifetime ago, not just in the parameters of time but also in his playing capabilities.
The solution for Liverpool may be easier to comprehend than actually carry out. Jordan Henderson, Raheem Sterling, Adam Lallana and the new signings brought in with the Suarez money are likely to be able to hold the fort. That is, if Brendan Rodgers is bold and makes the decision to rest Gerrard. A ‘rest’ is all it has to be, not a dropping from the squad permanently with the aim never to bring him back into the first team. Nor does it have to embody any form of weakness in Gerrard’s character.
Gerrard will of course be keen to play; his passion is clear to all. Perhaps this clarity needs to be reinforced to him through Rodgers. He is a legend, fans’ favourite, an idol and role model to many, and there is no shame in admitting he’s not at his best in his current state. This decision may have to wait for now with the Merseyside Derby too big a game to remove the captain this weekend, epitomising his importance still to the team. If the decision is made at any point in the season it will by no means undermine his current legendary status at Liverpool, a realisation Gerrard might still need to make for himself.
The demise of Steven Gerrard and the synopsis behind his failings are obviously down to various factors. Tiredness is key, but there is strength in the argument that he simply isn’t the player he once was. Regardless, playing whilst emotionally, physically and overwhelmingly drained will only contribute towards increasing the speed of his downward spiral.
His 2005 Champions League victory alone puts him amongst the greats. If in the remaining years of his Liverpool career he can add a League title, he will be one of, if not the best player to have a played for Liverpool. Perhaps the ‘ultimate goal’ is still managing to evade him.
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