My Captain

This post was a long time coming, its dedicated to all of those who said he was no good, the ones who said he doesn't have what it takes, he doesn't have the mentality, he doesn't have the passion, the desire, the stomach to lead such a big club, echoed in history such as Liverpool. This is for those who said Jordan Henderson wouldn't cut it, well, I'm here to tell you to go and look at him now.

When Steven Gerrard left Liverpool, it was more than just a player leaving, he was the club because for so long he was at the forefront of everything, in defeat and in victory he was there. When we were down, he lifted us up, he was the heart beat that gave the team life. He was formidable in attack, partnered well with many superstars who joined the club, he was the one constant we became used to and when he left, he left a huge void that many felt that could not be filled. Hence when the arm band was passed down onto young Jordan Henderson, many felt he wasn't the right man for the job. After Stevie, could there be anyone that would have been right? No!

There was a divide, some who trusted the decision by Brendan Rodgers and those who slated it. He was just 24 years at the time, only been at the club for about 4 years, not even from the parts, how could he be captain of one of the greatest football clubs of the world? Well, I was part of the divide that welcomed him, there was just something about him that I liked. He gained my respect as a player as he challenged for a place in a hotly contested midfield since he got to the club in 2011 to instill himself as a regular in the starting 11 and he gained my respect as a person, when he was pictured in the crowd of Sunderland supporters, at Wembley in 2014, watching his boyhood club Sunderland, take on Manchester City in the Capital One Cup. That is passion and love for you, opting not to sit in a corporate box, or the FA allocated seats, but being there as a fan.

Yes, he was not born and raised in Liverpool, but he's English and that counts massively now in the league. He was given a raw deal under the Rodgers reign and this came to show as it was exposed recently how Rodgers told Jordan that the door was open for him to leave, which left the captain devastated and even said he was in tears later that evening. While he was at a top level, he always had age on his side and I'm glad he chose not to take that option and continued to push with the club. I didn't think much of Rodgers, especially since he had a hand and forcing Gerrard out, still a few years from him calling it time on his career. I think Stevie could have managed another season or two with us. The good thing was during that time, Gerrard helped mold Hendo into the player he is today. 

Since taking over as captain, he didn't have it easy, as I said many doubted him, it was tough but he knuckled down and kept at his job. People don't seem to take notice of the hard graft he puts in because he's not always on the score sheets or not making that telling run down the line or tricking the defenders, he's in the middle, keeping things tidy. Making sure the front players get supplied and the defence doesn't get any unwanted surprises. He's the sweeper, the guy doing the dirty work and never was this more prolific than the opening 20 minutes at Anfield during the first semi-final against Roma. The opponents tried to beat us at our own game, hard pressing, fast pace and all out attack. This did catch us off guard, especially the youngsters, but you could hear Jordan commands his troops, yelling at Robbo and Trent, making sure things were tight in the center with him and Milly. It was because of him we overcame that storm and went finally could get our game into gear. The rest is history. 

So while many might still ponder his abilities, let me tell you now, that if you are a true supporter, a genuine supporter who watches the games, the players, you will know that Jordan has every right to. Come Saturday night, whether he lifts ol big ears up or not, he will have nothing to prove to the faithful, as we know the quality he has, and the trust the manager has in him. Next season will be interesting though, with new signings coming in to bolster the midfield, it might see the shape of the team change and players sitting out some games, bringing back the old rotation which minimizes the fatigue come the crunch end of the season. The future only looks positive though, with Klopp and owners both happy, the players happy and most importantly, us the fans being happy!

A Legend of The Game

Yesterday Steven Gerrard announced his retirement from professional football, we all knew this day would come after he left his beloved childhood club of Liverpool for new pastures in the USA to play out the reminder of his career. There was always this hope that many of us had that after his stint in the US, Steven would return to Liverpool in limited capacity to play for the Reds one last time before he bid farewell to the footballing world but as with him, he demands perfection, firstly from himself before others and as he said in his interview with BT Sports, he felt he couldn't give his best all the time on the field and that doesn't sit well with him. He is a perfectionist, we've seen it for ourselves, everything he does, everyone he plays with knows this as well, hence he built such great respect from players world over. 

The tributes that started to pour in for him from current to former players and greats of the game since the announcement speaks volumes about the player he was. One of the worlds greatest midfielders, if not the best. Yes there will be those who will argue this as he did not win a league title in his career but with winning the league, it's down to team work and not one individual, those who know this are the players themselves, and is why they still rated him so highly and voted for him as their choice to make many teams of the year and so on. 

It's not a time to focus on negatives though, its about celebrating what Stevie did for football and what he did for Liverpool Football Club. I count myself as fortunate to witness his career from the time he debuted, till his last game for the club, yes it wasn't the best way to say goodbye but team was in a bit of turmoil at the time. He knew things would change, low and behold, 2 years later and we find ourselves fighting with the best in the land, right back up where we belong. No one will be more prouder about this than Stevie. 

There has been so many highlights in his career, that to select a few would be wrong but ones that do stand out for me personally would be. The goal he scored against Manchester United in the 2000/1 season at Anfield, it left a lot of people with their jaw on the flaw for obvious reason. 

The "oh you beauty! against Olympiakos in 2004/5 Champions League season. I like many sat watching the game, praying for a miracle (which wouldn't be the last time I did so and it delivered). The strike was superb, bottom right corner, giving the keeper no chance, but something that many don't pick up was the lovely cushioned header Neil Mellor provided for Gerrard, regardless he still had to hit it sweetly and boy he did!

THAT match, 3-0 down, starting the second half on the back foot, digging deep to fight for a way back and producing a headed goal not only to ignite the greatest comeback in footballing history but bring back belief that anything is possible. 

The goal that literally killed some people, scoring Liverpool's 3rd in a pulsating FA Cup Final in the dying minutes to send the tie into extra time. It's goal that till this day I don't understand how much force it was hit at to get in from so far out. 

His season with Fernando Torres that saw the pair become one of the most feared in the league, there was nothing they couldn't do. Gerrard brought the best out of Nando and till this day Torres admits that was the best part of his career, playing along side Stevie. 

When Suarez came in, we didn't know what we brought in and while his partnership with Sturridge was making headlines, it was Stevie who played a pivotal behind the scenes role which both will justify to their goal scoring success. 

I don't think Football will ever see a more complete footballer in the near future, while there are current greats, Gerrard brought that unique style that only he can produce. He will be missed, that is for sure, there is mermers of him taking up a role as one of the coaching staff at Liverpool which would be great, but for now we would like to salute the player he was and the legend he has become. 

YNWA Steven Gerrard

#ThanksStevie

While the tears from Saturday have almost dried and the thought of seeing Stevie wear the famous red of Liverpool at Anfield are all but memories now, one can't help but wonder how different life at Liverpool Football Club will be without him. Already the silly season shenanigans have begun with Sterling and his manager causing a media frenzy at the moment but this post isn't about that, it's about Stevie. 

The farewell given to him was nothing short of extraordinary, I've never seen anything like that before in all my years watching the English Premier League. From the short ceremony that was held before the match against Crystal Palace, with the guard of honor formed by both teams to welcome Gerrard onto the pitch for the last time at a ground that was his second home. High fiving the Palace team as he walked out with his 3 daughters was a nice moment and to hear the entire ground in full voice for You'll Never Walk Alone and thereafter singing his song sent a tingling feeling throughout your body. 

The game started off well for LFC and Adam Lallana opened the scoring with a breakaway goal coming of an error by former red Martin Kelly, could have been a late present by the defender for all we know but from there on, it was down hill for the Reds. as Palace struck back to equalise just before half time and there after add 2 more goals to our misery. The team lacked focus and desire, I felt bad it being Gerrard's last home game and it had to be a defeat, for all those years he dug deep to rescue the team, just this one time they couldn't do the same for him. 

In any case, Liverpool went on to lose the game 3-1 but as the final whistle blew it was time for Anfield to say goodbye to its favourite son. Yes, there was Highway, Dalglish, Rush, Barnes and so on but no one can deny that the best from them all was Stevie. In fact the heroes of yesteryear tend to agree with that as well, as Gerrard said once, "I was made for Liverpool and Liverpool was made for me", it was always a perfect fit and his 17 year career bared testament to it. So much so that for the first time ever, no one in the stadium cared about the result of the game that just ended. There was even a banner that read "There best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be".

It's no secret that Liverpool FC conduct themselves in a certain fashion, "the Liverpool way" they call it. One of the main things is there is no player bigger than the club and while I am a firm believer of it, on Saturday things changed. There was someone bigger than the club and as much as he would deny it, Stevie was held in higher regards than the dropped 3 points, people were celebrating as if we had won, but in reality they were celebrating the career of one of the greatest football players of all time. That for me showed respect to a man that gave his all to make the people who support this great club happy. As a mark of respect, every team member came out wearing the new kit with Gerrard on the back which was a nice touch. A gitting tribute to a legend of the game.

Thank you Steven Gerrard, Thank Oh you beauty, Thanks for the memories, till we meet again, You'll Never Walk Alone.

Gerrard

Rumours were rife for the previous 2 weeks, "will he sign?", " Contract negotiations have broken down", "He wants more playing time", "He's off to the MLS" but then the inevitable happened. Following Liverpool's 2-2 draw against Leicester, the club called for a press conference on the Friday morning to make an announcement, by then everyone had knew the reasoning. 

It's almost like a bad dream you never want to come true but the reality is, it was happening. The blue eyed boy from the Red half of Merseyside was calling it quits on his career as a player for Liverpool. Emotions overwhelmed at that time, silly might say but Gerrard was not just a player to me and I'm sure many share the same feelings. He is an inspiration, a role model, someone you look to for motivation. A couple years ago after his testimonial game I wrote a piece on why he is so important to me in: Not just a name, so in this post I'm not going to divulge into what kind of player and person he is but rather reasons to why he is leaving.

After the announcement I sat there wondering why? but it made sense to me. I remember when Thierry Henry left Arsenal for Barcelona, many said it was for money, others said it was for trophies Arsenal could not win but following his move to the Catalans, he spoke out in an interview saying that one of the main reasons for him leaving Arsenal was that the youngsters could shine. With him there, he was always the focus of attention and play generally revolved around him, he knew the talent Wenger had and felt his time was up and it was their time to shine. So the Walcott's and Fabregas's rose to fame in his absence. 

Henry, a very close friend with Gerrard, as documented many a time would agree that Stevie is doing the something similar. When I play FIFA15 I have trouble deciding my midfield, we have got some excellent youngsters waiting in the wing but with Gerrard there, his name would always be first on the team list. Allen, Henderson, Markovic, Can, Lucas, to name a few, all are young, full of energy and ready to give it there all. Yes they might not have that gift Gerrard has of an all round player but if given freedom, you never know what you might end up discovering about one of them. Already Henderson has stepped up in leaps and bounds which saw him take the vice captain role in the team and I'm almost certain he will be Liverpool's new captain come the start of the 2015/2016 season. 

The press greeted the announcement in mixed views, many questioned why Liverpool were letting him go, even old team mate Jamie Carragher brought it up that the club should have tried harder to persuade him to stay. I think Stevie had his mind pretty much made up though. He knows he is old, turning 35 in the summer, he hasn't got the pace and energy that he had 10 years ago. He made mention about this in the emotional interview he had with LFC TV. So it was only fair to others that the manager treated his age and performance with the best interest of the club. He was told that he would be rested more, that means no guaranteed place in the starting 11. After 26 years with the club, and starting almost all of the games this would be a shock to any player and as he made mention in an interview, he isn't ready to be a squad player.

Fans of the opposition sides, especially those from Manchester questioned his "legendary" status, saying that a real legend would end his career at the club. For me thats nonsense, Gerrard has nothing more to prove to anyone, let alone the fans of his club. We know what he did for us in those years of service. He made us smile, he made us cry, he made us jump from our seats with joy. His passion flowed with us and it's that connection he had with the fans that made him unlike no other player. You can't compare Stevie to anyone, not Scholes, not Lampard, not Giggs or Henry, he is his own legend and if you ask those players they would agree. 

The outpouring show of emotions from fans via the various social media streams was there for the world to see but players who had the chance to play alongside the talismanic captain also gave their appreciation to the great player. It was quite touching to see the players send their tributes via twitter, none more so touching than the message from Xabi Alonso which I'm sure left no Liverpool fan with a dry eye. He was a players player, a fans player and a managers player as every manger who worked with him only spoke in praise. 

Being his last season at Anfield, he is still missing one medal from his collection, the Premiership, there's still 6 months to do it but it doesn't look likely... then again at half time in Istanbul, no one could ever imagine Liverpool lifting that trophy at the end but one man didn't give up and that man was Gerrard. He said he wants to end his career at the club on a high and he has every right to do so, we're still in contention for the FA Cup, in the semi finals of the League Cup and have the Europa League to fight for as well, so here's hoping we win some silverware for Stevie, our  hero, Mr Liverpool, Captain Fantastic, Legend.

You'll Never Walk Alone

Close but no trophy

The Barclays English Premier concluded this past Sunday with Manchester City claiming their second title in 3 years. It was a 2 horse race till the last day but it was obvious with City having the advantage that they would do the business. For my team Liverpool, at the onset there was always doubt by others on whether achieving a top four finish was possible but they proved everyone wrong, surpassing their target and challenging for the title till the very last day. 

Although disappointed, after the games were over I was damn proud of what they achieved in the season, they didn't get the trophy but they got the respect they deserved and made it known that Liverpool were back and they mean business. Brendan Rodgers and his troops brought back the old Liverpool, the one that sent shivers down opponents when playing against us, we were ruthless against teams, the fast style passing caught many off guard and most of the games were sealed within the first 25 minutes. The passing, the flow and the dedication of the players needs to be commended but what let us down was our defence.

Even though we scored 101 goals, just 1 behind champions City, we conceded 50 goals which is not champion quality. Hopefully over the summer break, the manager and his scouts will find the necessary players needed to strengthen the squad in that particular area. It's difficult to pin point players because they all had good and bad performances, Martin Skrtel for example, he was always in the spot light for tugging on players shirts during set pieces, also he had a habit of tracking back instead of going for the attacker, he also scored 4 goals in the wrong net but on the other hand he made countless goal saving tackles and blocks not to mention the 7 goals he scored in the right net which was a record for a defender. 

Other positives to come out of this season was the transformation of the younger players, Sterling, Henderson, Allen and Flanagan all who relatively young proved the doubters wrong. By the end of the season all of them were good as any of the first team choices, the maturity they showed in their game play, passing, thinking and vision only means that they have a bright future ahead for them. Henderson and Sterling have been rewarded with call ups to the England World Cup squad with Flanagan on standby.

I'll touch on it again, it hurts us the fans for coming so close to that elusive 19th title but imagine how the players feel. We saw the raw emotion come out the night after the Crystal Palace draw, as much as we are gutted they were even more so. Many mocked them but at the end of the day, it's them who are snapping up all the prizes now. Luis Suarez has been named Player of the season by many organisations as well as getting the golden boot for most goals scored in the league, the other night, Brendan Rodgers was name Manager of the season by the League Managers Association, so all was not lost.

But to quote the great Bill Shankly, "If you're first, you're first. If you're second, you're nothing" which is a very strong sentence but I believe we were not entirely nothing, with some tweaking this summer and the players keeping the belief we could be a force to be reckon with come the start of the 2014/15 league. We'll come back stronger, hungrier and with bigger challenges in store in terms of Europe, with our long standing captain, he'll rally the players as he always does for the challenge, WE GO AGAIN!

Not just a name...

Many players come and go but very rarely does one stay for life. Yes there were many others including most recently Jamie Carragher but this is by no means disrespect to him or the others and what they did but one cannot deny that there is just something special about our number 8, our Captain, our Steven Gerrard!

My fondest memory of the great midfielder was against arch rivals Manchester United, a game that was played at Anfield in 2001, with United still being dominant in England it wasn't an easy fixture for Liverpool but they managed to win the game 2-0 with a young Steven Gerrard who wore the number 17 jersey at the time opening the scoring with a 30 yard screamer. Alex said after the game that the shot was unstoppable and that nobody could have saved it. Sure Stevie made big contributions before that game but it was that goal that announced him to the world as one to watch out for.

From there he grew in leaps and bounds with the team, etching himself as one of the greats to put on the red of Merseyside. When he took over the reigns as captain from Sami Hyypia, there was almost a sense of righteousness instead of doubt over the appointment of a youngster for such a big job. He has led Liverpool to many victories, none more special than that night in Istanbul when he help inspire a team who were down and out back to fight for victory. Not long before that he sent Anfield into a state of ecstasy with his late goal in the group stages of the Champions League to ensure Liverpool make it into the knock out stages. 

His love for the club is undeniable and even when he had the chance to leave and join a Premiership winning team, he turned it down to stay on his ship as any good Captain will do. It hasn't been smooth sailing for him and some dub him as the best but unluckiest midfielder in the world. His quality is evident and for those who think otherwise are just bitter. The only accolades missing from his collection are the Premiership and World Cup, he has won every other competition there is, so to call him unlucky is questionable. He certainly doesn't have any regrets, hence he penned a new 2 year deal with the club. As always we as the supporters wait with baited breath in the transfer window to see which future stars we sign but this is our biggest signing of the summer.

This past weekend, a testimonial was held in his honour against Olympiacos, a team which he has fond memories off, as mentioned earlier it was against this team in the 2004/2005 season that he rocketed home a low volley to qualify Liverpool to the next round of the Champions League, which they ultimately ended up winning. It wasn't your regular testimonial as Stevie wanted to use this game as preparation for the season ahead, so only two ex players were invited, that being Jamie Carragher and another legend, Robbie Fowler. All proceeds from the game which was a sell out went to the Steven Gerrard foundation, they managed to raise in excess of a  million pounds. Liverpool won the friendly 2-0 with goals coming from youngsters Joe Allen and Jordon Henderson, both of whom, under the guidance of Gerrard could be future midfield heroes for the club.

There's not enough words I can use to some up Gerrard, personally he has inspired me a lot in life. His perseverance, his composure and his commitment are something that we can all learn from. There is no such thing as a lost cause for him and he will give everything a fighting chance, which is why every Liverpool jersey I buy, I put his name on the back, because to me, its more than just a name.  

You'll Never Walk Alone

League of its own

Its little under a month left before the start of the Barclays Premier League and the clubs have began their pre-season tours. No doubt the eyes of many will be cast on the top four with last years champions Manchester United being the pick of the bunch due to the new man at the helm. So far it hasn't been an easy start for the former Everton Manager David Moyes as he has only recorded one win from their first three fixtures. Not many will read into these games as there are just pre-season friendlies but no doubt he will be feeling the heat from the fans. The glory hunters.... I mean United fans aren't used to losing, so for his sake I hope this is just minor hiccups. 

We're also entering the business end of the summer transfer window, where most of the clubs will try to secure their signings well before the season begins. Which gives the new players time to settle in, Liverpool have been pretty active in the market after securing the signings of Iago Aspas, Luis Alberto and goalkeeper Simon Mignolet. So far all of the players have featured in the pre-season tour with Luis Alberto being the pick of the bunch for many from the new guys. There is still some time left in the window so we may be seeing more signings but Brendan Rodgers and Ian Ayre are keeping their cards close to their chest as for the first time in a while we're seeing things being done in the legendary "Liverpool way". 

Of course with the media there is always going to be rumours flying about, they don't call it the silly season for nothing. The biggest story is the Suarez Saga, will he stay or will he go? And if he goes, where will he end up? The player needs no introduction to controversy and is already serving an 10 match ban for biting Chelsea's Ivanovic during the fixture last season, he still has a further 6 games to serve in the new season. During his involvement with Uruguay during the Confederations Cup in Brazil, he spoke out to the media claiming his displeasure during his time in England, especially with the media labelling him as a cheat and a disgrace to the game. Well he can't really blame them but its part and parcel of the game and if he doesn't change his ways, it will carry on.

I always supported the player, yes I agree there is certain things that he does that I am not in favour of, obviously biting being one of them but there is no doubting that he is one of the most naturally gifted player in the league currently. Because of his comments, there have been a host of rumours doing the rounds with Real Madrid being the main club being linked to sign the player. Yes there have been bids from Arsenal but if Suarez really has a problem with the English media would he really stay in England?! 

With the signing of Simon Mignolet who was one of the EPL's top goalies last season, there is obvious speculation around the future of Pepe Reina, he never did wear the number 1 jersey for Liverpool but he is most certainly our number 1 keeper no matter what number is displayed on his back. The Spaniard come Scouser has Liverpool in his veins, he was one of the few that could actually understand what Jamie Carragher said but if rumours are true, former Reds boss Rafael Benitez has his sights set on getting the shot stopper for his new team Napoli, then all I can do is wish him well and thank him for all that he has done for this great club. 

There are still a few more games to be played before the season kicks off officially and many have their countdowns on the go for the 17th of August 2013 and just like the rest of them I cannot wait to see what this season has in store. A lot has changed since the 2012/2013 season and its hard to predict who will be the front runners. If Liverpool can carry on where they left off from the second half of last season, there is a reality of them reaching the hallowed top four. With Captain Steven Gerrard who recently signed a two year extension leading the ranks, along with the midfield sensation Philippe Coutinho, it going to be very exciting times ahead for Liverpool Football Club.

You'll Never Walk Alone!