Legendary midfielder Steven Gerrard will bid farewell to Liverpool after a 25-year association with the club that has seen him make 695 appearances and score 180 goals. The 34-year-old is set to join MLS side LA Galaxy in May, with mixed reaction to his departure.
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Our #360debate today is: Has Steven Gerrard picked the right time to be leaving Liverpool?
Martyn Thomas, Reporter, says YES
It can be hard for top-level sportsmen to know exactly when enough is enough and while Steven Gerrard is not calling time completely, he should be applauded for acknowledging his time at Anfield is coming to an end.
Liverpool have endured a difficult season, losing Luis Suarez to Barcelona, and Daniel Sturridge to injury, but their captain’s ability to dig his team out of trouble has also begun to wane.
Indeed, his biggest influence on the side’s campaign has arguably been negative as coach Brendan Rodgers struggles to fit him into his starting XI.
One of the biggest questions asked has been where to play Gerrard in order to utilise his experience without costing the side vital energy in midfield.
Last season Liverpool thrived as their No8 played in a deep-lying role, but there were signs that defensively he was not disciplined nor quick enough to be a sustained success there. His experience at the World Cup with England appeared to confirm this hypothesis.
More recently, Rodgers has tinkered with the shape of his team and Gerrard’s place in it has become even less defined as a result.
The 34-year-old sat out their 4-1 win over Swansea – possibly the Reds’ most effective home performance of the season – coming back in as they scraped a 2-2 draw against Leicester.
There were only three days between the two games but they served to highlight the dilemma facing both Gerrard and Rodgers.
It should come as no surprise therefore that the midfielder has decided to take a step away from his beloved club. There are plenty, including former team-mate Jamie Carragher, who feel more should have been done to keep Gerrard’s know-how at Anfield.
Yet he has admitted to struggling with the idea of having a diminished role, and with Jordan Henderson earmarked as successor it is time for the 24-year-old to be given the chance to cement his own place in the club’s history.
James Piercy, Sub Editor, says YES
Yes, Steven Gerrard is not the midfield force he once was and, at 34, nor should we expect him to be.
However, while on a personal level you can understand his desire for a fresh challenge (who wouldn’t want to live and play in Los Angeles?), from a purely footballing perspective he still has something to offer Liverpool.
If we work on the assumption that Fenway Sports Group are standing by Brendan Rodgers for the long haul and are investing in his vision for the club then we, of course, need to accept he is prioritising youth and energy.
Gerrard can no longer consistently go on those lung-busting 50 yards runs, set up an attack and then retreat to his penalty area to make an eye-catching block or tackle. In fact, if any aspect of his play has noticeably deteriorated more than the other it’s his defending and tracking back. But that’s not to say his attributes can’t be utilised more sparingly. His stability in possession, intelligence and on-field leadership remain invaluable.
Gerrard has shown throughout his career he is able to adapt his positioning and role within the side; operating over the course of his career as a deep-lying playmaker, a traditional No10, a box-to-box dynamo, and even on the right or left of midfielder. He is fit enough and leads a sensible, stable life off the field to ensure he can play beyond his mid-30s.
He has admitted his decision to leave the club came, in-part, after Rodgers revealed his playing time will be reduced, which raises the question: why, at his age, can he not accept a reduced status or redesign his game further?
Like Arsenal post-2010, once you remove Gerrard from that dressing room there is a distinct lack of leadership. Talent needs direction and while a manager can do that on the training ground, it’s individuals like Gerrard who do it on the field.
There is, of course, more to this decision – financial and political – than we are being told, but at the same time it all seems a shame, for both Gerrard and Liverpool.
