Liverpool’s woeful start to the Premier League has brought some of the senior players of the team under the microscope.
The player whom everyone has started having a go at is Steven Gerrard, the skipper of the side. Many journalists believe that the playmaker should be benched for the next few matches as it would help him have a look at his game.
When Gerrard had first come to the professional arena in the late nineties, he was an attacking midfielder, but, over the years, he has settled more into a defensive role and he has been quite useful for Liverpool playing deep.
But, now, the age is getting to him a little bit. He is not the same in terms of pace and on the basis of his showings this season; one can say that he is getting off the mark in terms of skill as well.
According to Matt Law, one of the journalists working with Telegraph, Gerrard should not be included in the starting line up in the next game.
In the words of Law, “Steven wouldn’t be in my starting XI for the Everton game. He is presently not one of the best back three in that Liverpool camp. I don’t see any harm in giving him a break if his form is not good. That would be beneficial for him.”
In fairness, Gerrard hasn’t been helped by the constant matches – playing on Sat-Weds-Sat would drain any players legs of energy after a while! That said, the latest Champions League betting suggests Liverpool should qualify from their group, so this is a problem that is not going to go away any time soon.
Alyson Rudd, who is a Times’ journalist, also reckons that playing Gerrard in that same position again would not be the right idea.
In his words, “Steven got exposed the other day and it was bound to happen with him at some point. It happens with every player. Somewhere down the line, your game dips down.”
Gerrard has featured for Liverpool in 15 Premier Leagues. This is his 16th one.