Avram Grant's praise of Steven Gerrard last week has some people wondering if Chelsea are again interested in the Liverpool captain, and if Gerrard - nearly 28 and no closer to a Premier League title than he was three years ago when he rejected a 32 million pound move to Stamford Bridge – would this time accept an offer.
Here's what Grant said, in case you missed it:
"For me, Gerrard is a great player and a great person For me he is the player of the year in England and maybe in Europe because of the influence he has on the team. He's very good, I like him very much as a player and I know him, he is a nice guy, a positive guy and his an example for many people. Unfortunately he plays against me, not with me but he is still my favourite player."
Hmmm…
Of course the interview, given on Friday, can be taken as part of the mind games before the big Champions League showdown tomorrow. Liverpool is perhaps engaging in their own tactics, with Rafa Benitez saying that a neck injury for Gerrard, suffered during training, could keep him out of the first leg.
However, Grant's words certainly renewed past fears for this Liverpool fan, and made me wonder if Gerrard ever wishes he'd taken the deal in 2005.
Hopeless idealist that I am, I badly want to believe that there are some professional athletes that care about things other than money, like representing your hometown club or being the symbol for a city's football. By rejecting the deal to Liverpool's rivals, Steven Gerrard renewed my faith. He must have realised then that winning a title with Chelsea would feel hollow.
However, three years later, with his club once more finishing fourth in the league and boardroom antics threatening to overshadow on-field play, you have to figure even another Champions League title may not be enough to persuade him to stay this time.
He must be asking himself what more can he do? He's led the club to the Champions League semi-finals three times in four years and gave this fan one of the most memorable nights of my life, when I watched in the First National Bank, surrounded by Liverpudians, as he helped the Reds come from behind to defeat Chelsea (perhaps that's a story for another time) in the second-leg of last year's semi-final. I couldn't begrudge him if he left, even if I came of (late) footballing age during the Gerrard generation. But I don't think I could stomach him playing for Chelsea.
Other Liverpool fans I've spoken with here in the UAE feel confident Liverpool will beat Chelsea again this year. In 2005, that went a long way toward Gerrard's decision to stay. When Liverpool beat them again in 2007, it helped salvage another mediocre season and hinted that next year there would be serious efforts at the league title. This year the promise will be the same as last. How long will that be good enough for Gerrard?
Gerrard video: Top 10 Goals
4 comments:
As One, I know he is your hero and you love him and all that; but I have a few choice for Mr. Gerrard.
Hypocrite: Hypocrisy is the act of condemning another person, where the stated basis for the criticism is the breach of a rule which also applies to the critic and of which the critic is in breach to a similar or greater extent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVb2gbMtN3I
He is a strong captain and has real technical ability. He is my choice as the best English player and has had my vote for the last five years. But I hate people who act like their s&*t does not stink.
That was an obvious dive in the Champions League final. He went for it, his team needed it, he got away with it and it paid off handsomely. But he has some nerve to turn around and accuse non-English players of hurting the game.
Because of that, he loses big points in my book.
Hypocrisy is the act of condemning another person, where the stated basis for the criticism is the breach of a rule which also applies to the critic and of which the critic is in breach to a similar or greater extent
Still bitter over 2005? Not satisfied with the revenge exacted last year?
Yes, of course Gerrard does what is necessary to help his team win.
Gattuso did clip his left leg and appears to grab his arm as well. Big no nos in the penalty area.
As for the other examples, only one comes close to the displays of diving by some other players.
I don't agree with blaming the phenomenon on non-English players, as some of the English are surely guilty of it as well, but at least he speaks out against diving and tries to uphold high standards, until his team really needs a call to go their way. Isn't it you that's always kidding you'd like to see him at an Italian club team?
Nah. Nothing to do with bitterness. I wasn't celebrating Milan's Champions League success.
And Liverpool's win was exciting, but it did lead me to think some thoughts that I wished I hadn't.
But back to Gerrard, which is the topic. He is a great player. And the English back him as being a role model. A solid box-to-box midfielder. What David Beckham could have been if he hadn't married Posh Spice.
But the fact is that he needs to watch his words more carefully. Moreover, he has to watch his own antics on the field and stop singling out other players.
Yeah, it's good for the sport if teammates and clubs themselves control simulation/diving. But who is going to police the police. Is Torres going to come out and call Steven Gerrard on a dive? Would Benitez?
I would. But that's me.
If diving works, why stop? We can't expect the players to stop doing it of their own accord, just like we can't expect everyone to keep paying for music when it's so readily available for free. It's up to FIFA, UEFA, referees, league officials, etc. to make the punishments for diving so harsh that only a select few would risk getting caught, like drunk driving.
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