Is Gerrard finished as a top level PL player?

Twigginater

News came out yesterday that Gerrard won't be back for the start of the season as Liverpool hoped. He'll be back "in September" which will mean he'll have missed all of pre season, and probably around a month of the premiership season if everything is as they say it is.

But increasingly it seems that Gerrard is less and less reliable. After his great partnership with Torres around 2008, he was utterly terrible the following season and then last season his indifferent form continued under Hodgson (along with every other liverpool player) and then he pretty much disappeared for the second half of the season.

When a team has a central midfield consisting of Lucas/Meireles/Aquilani/Poulsen/Gerrard and Spearing, it doesn't seem to make much sense on paper to bring in Henderson and Adam, especially when the teams left backs consist of Insua and Aurellio, and the CB's desperately need strengthening.

So perhaps Dalglish has had to change his plans to effectively plan for life at Liverpool without Gerrard. His groin has troubled him for years, and for it only just now to come out that his groin is infected looks worrying for the Scousers, as it suggests he might have had to have another operation.

buckooo1978

i think Gerrard could still be a top player if he learns to adapt his game the way giggs has....he's still a fantastic passer and has a great shot so I see no reason why he can't move back into midfield and play as a more sitting midfield player

on the other hand he is becoming injured on a regular basis and havent played week in week out for about 12 years maybe the body is in serious decline

Anderson8

I'm not sure if he has the attributes to do a Giggs/Scholes and adapt with age.

puNANI

Hopefully not, but I don't think he will be any close as prominent as he was before. As much as I dislike him and Liverpool it always sucks when a player has taken the toll from carrying a team on his shoulders for ages and rushing back from injuries when he wasn't ready. Especially a quality player like him.

jgraham

I don't think Gerrard is as technically gifted as Giggs/Scholes and I can't see him being able to adapt his game in a similar way to either of those.

Twigginater

Yeah injuries suck no matter who gets them. I just think at 31, after a decade of being rushed back and carrying Liverpool like others have said, as well as being a regular for England, something has got to give.

cj4_elmo

For a player who always depended on his physical superiority to appear world-class, Gerrard is finished at the top level because he's nothing special without his physical advantage.

Like Carragher, they'll both be a waste in the 25 men spot and their manager won;t cut them off because they of who they are.

RonaldoVII

Agree with this. He'll still score the odd great goal and superb pass but they'll be too rare for him to be classed as a top bracket player.

kouroux

He never struck me as someone intelligent enough to change his game.To make it less dependent on the physical traits.
He's a great passer when he's on form and he should work on developing that aspect in terms of consistency.

vic090482

In a word 'YES'.

buckooo1978

I'm not sure - obviously giggs and scholes is/was a phenomenon - gerrard has shown he can play well in a variety of positions so if he had someone to do his running for him he could be a valuable player with his passing and shooting range

Twigginater

Fuck me, I know they might be past their best, but I doubt they're fairly classed as a waste of a spot in a 25 man squad.

Degen, Poulsen, Ngog, Cole and Aurellio maybe. But Gerrard?

mufcwarm92

He's not finished yet, writing him off now is silly. But if he keeps getting these niggling injuries and can't regain his form from a season or two ago, he may well be finished soon. Last season, he certainly wasn't a 'top level PL player'.

cj4_elmo

The difference between the players you listed and them is that they hardly play, Gerrard and Carragher are practically nailed on to start if fit and hardly deserve to on merit.

Lawman

I'd hate it to have a squad player like Gerrard at the club the fact is he'd walk into our midfield.

RedRover

He's no more regularly injured than Rio Ferdinand to be fair to him.

Players do suffer more with injuries as they get older and its obviously a concern for Liverpool or any club to lose such an influential player but I'd say he's got a few years left in him.

He may not ever be the player he was but no player in his 30's ever is.

He uses teh ball well, works hard and has a great football brain. I'd say he'll play a fair few more years yet, maybe in a less advanced role.

cj4_elmo

Would he still be doing it on merit? Arguably Meireles had a bigger impact than him and they're both fighting for the same spot.

cj4_elmo

There're many aspects which Gerrard is known for, but a great football brain is not one of them.

Eyepopper

Paying the price for being rushed back from injury time and time again.

Lynk

I wouldn't have him in our midfield. He's brainless as a CM.

R_Kelly

I said in the 'how many Liverpool players would get in United's team' thread that I suspected he may be finished with the trouble he's had with injuries recently teamed with his age. Will have to see how he comes back from this one, but he's certainly looking like his best is a distant memory.

RedRover

He's a great passer of the ball and takes up some very good positions, hence why he's scored plenty of goals in the past - more so than a lot of midfield players.

I'd say he knows what he's doing.

RedRover

Perhaps.

John Terry looks like going down the same route. Also doesnt help that players are thrust into the team at a young age and end up playing 50 odd games a season.

Rooney should consider this when he wants to play in every single game.

buckooo1978

I agree with ya totally

It's rooneys nature though - ultra competitive from football to FIFA on xbox by the sounds of things - wants every game

Makes you wonder what a 26/27 year old messi is going to be like if they don't start resting him more often - I suppose that's what Sanchez can do

Peasplease

He'll continue to be a good player in his position and one of the best in our team but I doubt he'll win games almost on his own anymore. I actually thought he was very good last year, so I'm expecting more of the same.

cj4_elmo

Without his pace, would he be able to get the space and time to pull of his passes and shots?

giggs-beckham

His passing range isn't the same league as scholes and he isn't as skilful as giggs.

peterstorey

Exactly what he doesn't have. He's got great technique and physical attributes but is pretty brainless, which is why he never fulfilled his potential in CM.

davisjw

He is still a quality player. Keep him in the hole and not ask him to move around a lot and he'll do fine. Plus he's not up there in age yet. He hasn't had a good rest in quite a number of seasons. Being injured was probably the best for him.

Liverpool are a decent squad again and I'm sure they'll push the 4th placed team for awhile. Not sure they have the depth yet, but the quality of players has improved.

B19

Gerrard is not brainless. He has a great eye for the right pass and generally shines the most when he has intelligent players around him on a similar wavelength. Hence why players like Owen and Torres thrived off the balls he made for them.

What he is is an impact player. His job is to create chances, not keep things ticking in midfield.

peterstorey

That's what CMs do they keep the motor turning over and control and win games. Gerrard is an AM as Benitez proved beyond any shadow of doubt.

MUFC07

Thing with Rooney is that he is capable of adapting his game if the circumstances require it, he is a top footballer.

B19

Gerrard has been doing a fine job of that as well the past season when called upon to play in central midfield.

I'd be worried about how finished he is if his performances were of the same standard as they were in rafa's final season which was lacklustre for him to say the least.

But the fact that he has still been our best player when he hasn't been injured or recovering from injury and in fact delivered a fair share of disciplined and mature performances in midfield tells me he is not only not finished but looks like he could age well as a player too.

But most people commenting in this thread haven't really paid much attention to his actual performances in the past season. It shows.

RedRover

He's never been particularly quick so I dont think it'll make much difference.

Obviously the older he gets the less he'll be able to get about I suppose but I think he's got enough to be a good PL players for a few years, especially if they tweak their set up to suit him.

RedRover

Indeed - but you still need to be in peak physical condition to have a long career, and to a certain extent need a bit of luck in avoiding major injuries - Ryan Giggs being the best example.

Hopefully Rooney will be able to keep playing for many years to come, probably moving further back as he gets older.

Cling Bak

Carragher was excellent last season for Liverpool. He had an indifferent season the year before last, though.

I don't know about Gerrard at the 'top level', he's always been a player capable of a special moment, but I wouldn't say he's finished.

Neither are a waste to any 25 man squad though.

misterredmist

What is it they say ? Form is temporary, class is permanent

I don't believe for one minute we've seen the last of Gerrard at the top of his game, and having the summer off may benefit him in the long run. Still a few good seasons in him yet.

wouldn't surprise me if he jacked England in soon though

Pexbo

Cliché's mean nothing. They also say that a player goes downhill from 30 which is the case with many, but Giggs is an obvious exception.

Gerrard doesn't have any of the tact that Giggs and Scholes showed in their game that allowed them to go on for so long. His best attributes were physical and if you look at any physical athlete post 30, they decline.

He's 31 now and has been in obvious decline for 2 or 3 years, you could argue injuries haven't been kind to him but that's another factor of age.

We might see the odd 8/10 or 9/10 match winning performance out of him but I don't expect him to ever have any sort of consistently top class season like he has in the past.

njred

Just curious,but did you just say Gerrard has never been particularly quick?
Please explain.

davisjw

I suppose it's rather hard to explain except to say "from what I see", and I would have to agree there. Never has Gerrard run so fast where I said to myself, damn he's quick. You have to be "fast" to play in the PL, but he's never been quick.

When I think quick, I think Young, Nani, Evra, Agbonlahor, Defoe, Lennon.

When I think fast, I think Rooney, Suarez, Torres, Giggs, Johnson, Silva.

When I think normal for the EPL, I think Gerrard.

And for slow, I'd say Lampard.

Quick = Burst of speed.

Fast = Needs time to get up to speed

Normal = The difference in a burst of speed and speed after 20 yards is the same.

Slow is just well...slow.