Liverpool forced into a positive spin-offensive as a result of Gerrard’s pathetic public rant

Liverpool have been forced to publish a piece of positive spin on the official club website to try and steer the club away from Steven Gerrard’s negative and petulant public rant.

In the last few hours, Steve Hunter on the official site has published an interview with Rafa, which is clearly a hastily arranged and blatantly transparent attempt to take the edge of Gerrard’s public whining.

To recap: Earlier this week, Gerrard undermined Benitez and his team-mates with a pathetic, self-serving diatribe about how another Champions League win wouldn’t matter and how he’s running out of time to win the premiership.

As a result of ‘Stevie Me’s’ ill-advised piffle, the press went into overdrive, spinning his comments negatively and filling the back-pages with all kinds of negative speculatory drivel.

At time when this kind of attention is the LAST thing the club needs, the Liverpool spin-machine has been forced into action in an attempt to limit the damage of Gerrard’s comments.

In the interview on the official site, Rafael Benitez revealed the following: "Steven's commitment to this club is 100 per cent. He was trying to show he was disappointed with our position in the league”.

If his commitment is 100%, why have the club wheeled Benitez out to reiterate this in public?! Surely it should be self-evident?

Benitez added: "I was talking with him before our last training session and he's really pleased with our position in the Champions League. It would be fantastic if we could win the Champions League this season”.

Pure spin! Gerrard’s original comments were negative, with a completely different meaning to the tripe Benitez (i.e. the club) is feeding us. Re the Champions League, Gerrard stated:

"The only way we can fulfill [our] ambitions is in the Champions League. And I am not going to pretend that even winning that trophy - and we are a long way away from it at the moment - will make up for the disappointment of the league campaign."

Benitez tried even harder to put a positive spin on it: "I was talking with him [Gerrard] and for Steven to play in this competition is amazing and the most important trophy that he has won is the Champions League in Istanbul".

It is so obvious that the club is behind this statement! Anyone can see that, otherwise why release it in the first place? Benitez had already responded to Gerrard's comments, albeit with pessimistic appeasement rather than positivity.

It is clear that the club can see that Gerrard’s comments were negative and completely ill-advised.

The main issue here that, instead of focusing on preparing for this weekend’s league game, Rafa is forced to deflect Gerrard’s defeatist ravings and deal with a massive increase in negative press speculation.

If Gerrard really had the club’s best interests at heart, he would have realized the negative feeding frenzy his comments would generate. But of course, Gerrard is selfish and arrogant and only think about how things affect HIM.

Again, I ask the questions: What possible good has come from Gerrard’s comments?! Was there any need for him to go public with his feelings?

The thing the Gerrard apologists are forgetting is this: The possibility that there is a modicum of truth in what he said is irrelevant - the captain of the club should be more aware of the ramifications of comments he makes to the media. He should also know that the press will inevitably twist everything and spin his comments to fit the media agenda of the day.

The fact Gerrard came out with his comments in a time of intense turmoil for the club means he is either supremely ignorant or, as is more likely to be the case, he just doesn’t care about what happens and actually *wants* to whip up a media frenzy.

In any event, the fact that the club have to waste time *yet again* trying to appease the press is just another sad indictment of the negative impact Gerrard is continuing to have on the club.

This season has been littered with pointless, ill-advised public comments from Gerrard, including the following:

1. Stabbing John Terry in the back by publicly putting himself forward for the England captaincy.

2. Publicly moaning after his substitution v Everton and vowing to talk to Rafa about it, after which Bobby Robson was moved to write an article berating Gerrard’s selfishness.

3. Admitting in public that England (i.e. the pursuit of his own personal fame) is more important that Liverpool.

4. Back-tracking over his England comments and contradicting himself in the process

5. Blaming off-field problems for poor performances

6. Failing to back Rafa in public during his spat with Hicks and Gillette, despite emphatically backing Steve McClaren in public only days earlier.

7. Xenophobic public comments about foreigners ‘taking over’ the premiership

Aaaagh!

When will it end?!

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Inspirational Captain?! What a joke. Gerrard's latest comments prove once again that he is not fit to lead Liverpool FC

Steven Gerrard’s latest negative and very public comments about the state of the club provide yet more evidence (as if any more was needed!) that he is arguably the weakest , most pessimistic captain Liverpool FC has ever had

‘Mr Liverpool’s’ public lambasting of the club harks back to the summers of 2003 and 2004, where such moaning public statements were a regular occurrence as he tried to maneuver his way out of Anfield and into Stamford Bridge.

This is how it starts.

Mutterings of discontent, which build up over time until the proverbial bombshell is dropped.

And like last time, I will be ecstatic when the inevitable happens and ‘Captain Fantastic’ reveals his desire to leave. It may not happen tomorrow; it may not happen this year, but mark my words, it will happen.

Until that time, Liverpool fans will have to put up with Gerrard’s continual negativity in its various forms.

It's been happening all season - Liverpool players repeatedly whining to the press about various things, and Gerrard and Jamie Carragher have been the chief culprits. Rather ironically, those two are supposed to be the inspirational leaders of the club!

What a joke.

In his latest moaning session, Gerrard whines:

"You don't get any prizes in football for finishing in second place, never mind fourth. We need to improve dramatically and even if we do finish fourth, it doesn't mean we have had a good season."

"In the position we find ourselves now, fourth is the least that is acceptable. But we have bigger ambitions than that. The only way we can fulfil those ambitions is in the Champions League. And I am not going to pretend that even winning that trophy - and we are a long way away from it at the moment - will make up for the disappointment of the league campaign”

Thomas Jefferson once said something that sums up Gerrard and the rest of Liverpool’s whining brigade: ‘Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude’.

How are Gerrard’s comments conducive to being an ‘inspirational captain’?! How ANYONE can call Gerrard inspirational when he comes out with tosh like this is just beyond me.

Gerrard’s attitude is and always has been DEFEATIST. The above statement proves this once again. Not that this is first time Gerrard has been negative about Liverpool’s Champions League chances. He publicly wrote off the club’s chances in the 2004-5 season too…and look what happened.

I won’t go through the whole of Gerrard’s pointless statement, but one comment in particular illustrates his breathtaking hypocrisy. When asked about the effect of events off the pitch, he commented:

"It’s sad so much of the club's business has been conducted in public. The club I have grown up supporting always did its business behind closed doors, and that is what we have to get back to”.

Gerrard moans about club business being carried out in public whilst he disses the team…in public! You couldn’t make it up.

There are a few simple questions that need to be asked here:

1. Was there any need for Gerrard to make such a negative statement in public?
2. Does being negative about the team and Liverpool’s chances of CL glory serve any positive purpose?
3. Is this the kind of statement fans should expect from a captain?

No on all counts.

Gerrard’s comments do nothing but damage the club and provide the media with negative headlines and a chance to negatively speculate about the future of the club and the manager. Every major newspaper has put a negative spin on his comments and jumped at the chance to stick the knife into the club.

With the club struggling in the league and needing everyone to pull together to ensure the season finishes as well as possible, how are Gerrard’s comments supposed to inspire his team-mates or the fans?

Gerrard basically says that the team isn’t good enough and winning the Champions League will mean nothing. Way to go, Stevie! A fantastic way to motivate the team!

I am so sick to death of the Steven Gerrard sideshow. I’m sick of the sulking; the rampant ego; the arrogance; the negativity; the superiority complex he so clearly has; the repeated pessimistic public comments and the complete lack of real leadership on and off the field.

He was acting this way during the summer of 2004 – moaning in the press about how the team wasn’t good enough, and how he needed to win trophies. In his latest comments, he’s at it again:

‘I'm 27 now; I don't want to be talking about 'next season' for Liverpool when I'm 32’.

Gerrard is and always has been about one thing: his own glory. He makes it sound like he cares about the club and the fans, but he DOESN’T. He just cares about winning trophies for HIMSELF.

He proved this when he wanted to move to Chelsea to win trophies, and he’s proving it again now.

If he DID truly care about the club, he wouldn’t be adding to the problems by slamming the team in public. Any fool can see the detrimental effect his statement can and will have.

And still, despite the obvious fact that Gerrard’s behaviour is the antithesis of what being a captain is all about, fans will *still* make excuses for him, the main one being ‘But he’s just being honest and telling it like it is’.

WAKE UP!

Fans who peddle this excuse are weak-minded sheep that need to detach their lips from Gerrard’s buttocks and see things the way they really are.

Gerrard’s comments are divisive, destabilizing and a very subtle attempt to undermine Rafa Benitez, who Stevie Me clearly does not like.

This is obvious to anyone who is not dazzled by the Gerrard ‘phenomenon’, and is further evidenced by Gerrard’s repeated failure to back Benitez in public at key points in the season.

What gives Gerrard the right to constantly undermine the club in public like this?!

As Captain, he should be keeping his mouth shut about such things and focusing on motivating and inspiring the team for the remainder of the season.

Has there ever been *any* player in Liverpool’s history who has spewed as much negativity as Gerrard has throughout his career?!

No.

None of Liverpool’s previous captains *ever* came out with pessimistic statements like Gerrard, but he is lauded for it by fans instead of being castigated!

It truly beggars belief.

As I wrote a few weeks ago, the cancer eating away at Liverpool is a losing mentality.

Negative, defeatist pessimism in public is becoming the defining characteristic of Liverpool FC and Gerrard and Carragher are the perpetrators-in-chief.

I feel I have to return once again to something Bill Shankly said – something that defines what has made Liverpool so successful over the years:

“A lot of football success is in the mind. You must believe you are the best and then make sure that you are.”

Steven Gerrard clearly has no idea whatsoever what the above means. If he did, he wouldn’t be spitting his dummy out in the press.

Something Martin Luther King once said is also relevant here: ‘The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy’.

Gerrard has proved time and time again, that when the chips are down, he is a liability. And don’t give me any crap about Olympiakos or AC Milan; those were one off incidents where Gerrard's precious pursuit of personal glory was under threat.

What matters is a leader's impact over time, and Gerrard has proved that when the club is struggling, he adds to the burden rather than relieving it with real leadership on and off the pitch.

Examples of this are too numerous to list, but the double Chelsea debacle at the tail end of Gerard Houllier’s reign springs to mind, with Gerrard issuing veiled threats, ultimatums and routinely spewing forth negative statements.

Now, in another time of turmoil, he is showing his true colours yet again.

Instead of being a motivating, inspiring force as a captain *should* be, he moans to the press and undermines the club, the fans and his team-mates.

Quite simply, Gerrard is not fit to wear the captain’s armband. And anyone who has come across my opinions about Liverpool FC over the last five years knows that this is not a knee-jerk reaction.

Sooner or later, people will see the truth.

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Give the pessimism a rest, Carra. You're supposed to be one of Anfield's leaders. Start acting like it.

A raging victim complex is crippling Liverpool FC at the moment, and Jamie Carragher’s latest negative, pessimistic comments are irritatingly symbolic of this.

Carragher has often been lauded as the best Captain Liverpool never had. Indeed, many fans argue that it should be him and not Steven Gerrard leading Liverpool.

Well, this season, that idea has been well and truly blown out of the water, as it seems that every time Carragher opens his mouth, a stream of downbeat negativity spills out.

The worst thing about it is that Liverpool’s senior players, like Carragher (who are supposed ‘leaders’ who should be doing everything to motivate the club and the fans) who are the biggest culprits.

And it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy in a sense because, every time the team plays badly, someone moans in the press about how bad things are, and then the whole situation just continues.

I wrote last week about how Liverpool’s winning mentality had been replaced with a loser mentality, and Carragher’s most recent comments just confirm this even more.

When asked about the club’s current bad spell after the Barnsley defeat, he whined: “I wouldn't call this just a bad spell; it's been a lot longer than that. We realise that we are not playing well enough. It's not a matter of putting your finger on one reason. It's simply because we have not been good enough".

He went on: "We're devastated obviously. It's a major, major blow to go out of the competition to a lower league team at Anfield. We realise that's not good enough”.

Carragher’s self-pitying moan continued: "This clearly isn't the best preparation for Inter Milan. But we had the same situation last season, when we lost to Arsenal twice in the cups and people said we're finished before we'd even played Barcelona. But we got through on that occasion and, hopefully, this can be the same again”.

Carragher continued to state the obvious when asked about the fan response: "You get feedback from supporters all the time. Obviously, they are not too happy about things at the moment. Myself and Stevie (Gerrard), because we are local lads, hear a lot from supporters and we are supporters ourselves. We know what is being said. The supporters are as disappointed as we are".

Carragher concluded: “We can't do anything about all the things that are happening off the field. We just have to concentrate on improving the football side”.

Just like Gerrard a few weeks back, it seems as if Carragher is passing the buck and indirectly blaming off-field events for the team’s abject performances. If this is not the case, then why mention anything off-field events at all?

And these comments are not a one-off-Carragher has been a fountain of pessimism over the last few months, as illustrated by the following assorted public comments.

After the recent West Ham defeat, he stated: "We've got to sort it out very quick, otherwise fourth place is going to be in danger as well. We just need a couple of results to get the confidence back”.

After the Middlesborough draw: ”At the moment, the confidence isn't quite there, we're not quite at our best”.

After the Reading defeat in league: "At the moment, obviously, the confidence isn't great and we're not playing as well as we can. We realise that, we're not stupid".

In another interview: "We should be doing a lot better, but we've just got to try to get through this period and come out the other side".

In a recent newspaper interview: "We are not good enough. It is not one particular 'this' or 'that'. It is just that other teams have been playing better than us. We have obviously got to improve both as individuals and as a team".

When is this constant moaning in the press going to end?!

What possible purpose do Carragher’s comments serve?!

I’m sure there will be apologists out there who will argue that Carra is just being ‘honest’, but what is the point? It is obvious that Liverpool are struggling; players do not need to spell it out in such explicit terms in the press.

In all my years as a Liverpool fan, I have never seen such a constant stream of players moaning to the press about how hard things are. It’s pathetic and makes a mockery of everything Liverpool FC stands for.

Self-pitying negativity is not what fans want to hear from the senior players at the club. The likes of Carragher, Gerrard and co should just put a stop to their tedious whining, start taking some personal responsibility for this shambolic season and quietly get on with working hard and to improve their performances.

Whilst this continues, the team will continue to wallow in mediocrity. Strong, positive leaders focused on constructive improvement are needed at Anfield.

Sadly, at the moment, all we have are moaning, self-pitying ladyboys with a collective victim complex.

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Liverpool's winning mentality has been eroded by a team of weak-minded LOSERS...and Jamie Carragher is the biggest culprit!

There is a sickness shrouding Anfield, and it is not the anti-football, technical ineptitude and perennial underperformance in the league – it is the death of Liverpool’s winning mentality.

Quite simply, the current Liverpool team is full of defeatist, whining LOSERS.

Bill Shankly once said: “A lot of football success is in the mind. You must believe you are the best and then make sure that you are.”

Liverpool's current squad and management have a serious problem with collective defeatist mentality, and The huge number of pessimistic comments in the press this season has exposed the 'loser' mentality eating away at Anfield.

I've chosen a selection of public comments from the last couple of months to illustrate my point, but the entire season has been full of public defeatism.
Let’s start with Ryan Babel. After the recent Sunderland VICTORY, he stated:

"Fortunately we saw off Sunderland on Saturday”.

Fortunately? According Sunderland such respect to the extent of suggesting that Liverpool struggled to beat a team in the relegation zone is ridiculous. Even if it’s true, Babel should put a positive slant on it. He continued:

"Hopefully we have taken a first step towards regaining confidence, which is a bit low at the moment".

Is there any benefit in telling the world this? And he went on:

"We haven't been doing well the past few weeks. Our captain Steven Gerrard already said that confidence is a bit low at Liverpool at the moment”.

Such comments should be no surprise coming from a player who clearly has no self-belief:

"I can't physically cope with the terrific pace of the Premier League. I invariably face a tall task, even also against the so-called small teams".

Is this what Liverpool fans want to hear from players? Here’s a thought – GROW UP. Stop acting like a baby and start acting like a MAN. If you can’t hack the Premiership, keep it to yourself, instead of inviting ridicule and making yourself and the team look weak.

It gets worse. Let’s move onto Dirk Kuyt, who recently whined:

"We are struggling at the moment in the league. We know we can do better and win games like West Ham away. It's been disappointing to lose a lot of points at home this season”.

What purpose is served by confirming the obvious fact that Liverpool are struggling in the league? The trend continued with Liverpool's so-called 'inspirational captain' Steven Gerrard offering his own inimitable rallying cry:

“Confidence is a bit low at the moment”.

Great. So after a victory, Liverpool's captain focuses on the negative. Why? Perhaps it has something to do with the pessimism spilling down from the top. Rafael Benitez is no stranger to public defeatism, as his comments after the Sunerland vctory demonstrate:

“It was important to find our confidence. We need to find the confidence we had when we had people scoring goals and winning games”

What about Jamie Carragher? Surely positivity from him? Think again! Carragher has been a fountain of pessimism over the last few months, as illustrated by the following assorted public comments:

"We've got to sort it out very quick, otherwise fourth place is going to be in danger as well. We just need a couple of results to get the confidence back”.

After the West Ham defeat:

"At the moment, the confidence isn't quite there, we're not quite at our best”.

After the West Ham defeat:

"At the moment, obviously, the confidence isn't great and we're not playing as well as we can. We realise that, we're not stupid. A draw wouldn't have been that bad, but we've got to move on now”.

In another interview:

"We should be doing a lot better, but we've just got to try to get through this period and come out the other side."

In a recent newspaper interview:

"We are not good enough. It is not one particular 'this' or 'that'. It is just that other teams have been playing better than us. We have obviously got to improve both as individuals and as a team".

Aaaagh!

There seems to be an obsession with Liverpool players telling the world that confidence is at rock-bottom. Such comments are maddeningly counter-productive and give other teams a psychological advantage: if Liverpool are weak, struggling and lacking confidence, they are BEATABLE.

Whilst it may be true that confidence is low, WHY SHOUT ABOUT IT IN THE PRESS? Who does this help? NOBODY. It just perpetuates the negativity hanging over the club and lets every other club in Europe know that Liverpool are there for the taking.

It doesn’t stop there! More examples include Gerrard complaining that Liverpool’s off-field problems were affecting the team and, in the last few days, Benitez criticizing Xabi Alonso in public.

With such a negative, defeatist attitude coming out the club, it is no wonder Liverpool’s season is tailing off into ignominious failure.

Anfield needs WINNERS in the team – players with an unshakeable winning mentality – not mewling ladyboys who cry about lacking confidence every five seconds.

You never heard Graeme Souness moaning about lack of confidence. Emlyn Hughes never whined about not being able to ‘cope’ with the league. Kenny Dalglish never threw in the towel and continually whimpered about how confidence was low.

Why? Because they were winners with the right mentality.

All the comments I have highlighted above are not what Liverpool FC is all about, and such an astounding level of defeatism has no place at the club.

I am not suggesting that there should be blanket optimism and blind faith – far from it. There are, however, ways to present a united, positive front in the face of adversity, and at the moment, Liverpool just do not have a clue.

A massive overhaul of the club's media strategy is needed, and this should start with players being banned from talking about poinless, negative things 'like lack of confidence' to the press.

It needs to start from the top down, but this will be difficult to achieve with arch pessimist Steven Gerrard and petulant sulker Rafael Benitez running things. Both are supposed to be club leaders but both have a tendency to exacerbate the negativity with repeatedly ill-advised public comments.

Until the club sheds the losing mentality (on and off the field) and rediscovers the never say die, winning attitude that made the club great, the mediocrity and chronic premiership failure will continue.

And won't that be fun?

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Drop the excuses, Stevie. Rafa and the players are to blame for the on-pitch shambles, not Hicks and Gillette.

Steven Gerrard wasted no time passing the buck after Liverpool’s pitiful home draw against Aston Villa, claiming that off-field events were affecting the team, and that it was, in some cases, ‘impossible’ to ignore the problems.

Gerrard whined:

‘It’s not just this week. It’s been going on for some time and it’s certainly not helping the players’. We know what’s going on, but as players you’ve got a job to do on the pitch and you try to put what’s going on off the pitch to the back of your mind. But sometimes it’s impossible, when it is every day.”

Awww. My heart bleeds for you, Steven. And I suppose your wallet is too small for your fifties and your diamond shoes are too tight?

It’s so nice to see another shining example of Liverpool’s so called ‘inspirational’ Captain lifting the mood amid behind the scenes turmoil.

Gerrard’s comments are tantamount to shirking responsibility for a season blighted by staggering inconsistency. 'Captain Fantastic' basically concedes defeat, handing every other team Liverpool face this season a psychological advantage in the process.

I appreciate that Gerrard was asked a direct question, but what happened to being positive, and inspiring the team and the fans with fighting talk? Isn't that what captains are supposed to do...?

Gerrard may privately think that the team is suffering, but what purpose is served by saying it in public?

In any event, it is utter nonsense to suggest that off-field problems are to blame for Liverpool’s failure to mount a serious title challenge. Blaming loss of form on behind the scenes shenanigans is just an easy excuse and a coward’s way out.

How exactly does Liverpool’s ownership situation ‘affect’ the players? Anfield's cosseted playboys are still getting paid their grossly exorbitant salaries. None of the players are at risk from any proposed take-over, and regardless of what happens, none of the them are going to be out of a job.

I keep hearing how the players ‘must be affected’ by the off-field problems, but it’s all just meaningless, empty sound-bytes. I’ve yet to read one convincing argument detailing how the current situation actually impacts the players.

In fact, I would argue that footballers in the top division couldn’t care less about who owns the club. As long as they are getting paid, that’s all that matters.

When Liverpool's players step onto the pitch, they should be 100% focused and concentrated on the job in hand. To suggest that the players are thinking about off-field battles whilst they are playing is, quite simply, an insult to the intelligence.

Hicks and Gillette have NOTHING to do with Liverpool failing to win 12 of their 22 league games this season.

Off-field strife has nothing to do with 10 league draws, endless tinkering, ineffective rotation, poor home record, sup-par performances, ridiculous team selections, outlandish formations, playing players out of position, lack of creativity, inability to break teams down and an ultra-cautious approach.

Rafa and the players are to blame. No one else.

They are paid obscene amounts of money to behave in a PROFESSIONAL manner. That means being dedicated to their jobs and having the mentality to withstand the comparatively tame impact of boardroom power-struggles.

If players like Gerrard or anyone else can’t hack it, and it’s too difficult for them to give their all on the pitch, then replace them with players that Liverpool FC deserve, i.e. mentally tough PROFESSIONALS.

The thing that makes an absolute mockery of Gerrard’s moaning is Luton Town’s lionhearted performances against Liverpool in the FA Cup. Now there is team with REAL problems off the pitch. The pressure on Luton’s unpaid players is infinitely greater than anything the mollycoddled Merseyside millionaires are facing.

You don’t hear Luton’s players moaning about it though, even though they have far more reason to that Liverpool's players. And Luton's recent performances against Liverpool were bursting with passion and energy despite their dire situation.

Quite frankly, Luton’s strength in adversity makes Gerrard’s whining and Liverpool’s regular capitulations look embarrassing.

And let’s not forget that the Liverpool’s season was on the rocks BEFORE everything exploded between Benitez and Tom Hicks. The start to the season was fantastic, but it quickly tailed off into a depressingly predictable mess, as Rafa’s flaws and the team’s creative limitations came to the fore.

Were Gillette and Hicks to blame for the miserable draws against Portsmouth, Porto and Birmingham in September 2007? The woeful home defeats to Marseille and Besiktas in October? Rafa’s continual failure to play his best team? Rafa’s never ending tinkering with team formation and personnel?

No.

The problems on the playing side have been there all season, and have been brewing ever since Rafa took charge of the club, and no amount of spin or passing the buck is going to change that.

Hicks and Gillette have been turned into Hollywood bad-guys by the press, and sheep-like Liverpool fans have followed suit, with a misguided outpouring of pseudo-emotional hand-wringing.

Liverpool’s owners have arguably brought shame on the club with their rampant unprofessionalism and ill-advised public statements. However, blaming them for everything is dangerous, as it removes the focus from the real problem: Rafa’s inability to get the best out of the players at his disposal, and the team’s defeatist, cautious mentality.

And if DIC take over the club, things will not just magically disappear; The same tiresome problems will still exist and they will inevitably continue.

Liverpool may be in turmoil off the pitch, but the turmoil *on the pitch* is far worse. Instead of shirking responsibility, Rafa and the team need to start taking personal responsibility for their ineptitude, and that means knuckling down, being positive, trying harder and dispensing with the destructive negative attitude.

Self-pity is not what Liverpool FC is about, and if Anfield’s current crop of pampered players can’t hack the pressure of representing the club in times of adversity, then as far as I’m concerned, they’re not fit to wear the shirt.

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Crouchie exposes the technical ineptitude of England's prima-donnas

Peter Crouch’s performance against Croatia proved once again that it is utter madness to consider selling him in the January transfer window.

Crouch was the only player to emerge from the Croatia train wreck with any credit, scoring a goal that illustrated the excellent technical prowess that puts so-called ‘world class’ players like Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard to shame.

Crouch has now scored 14 goals in 24 games for England, and that tally is gleaned from only 11 starts! Not good enough? Well, what about Crouch’s Champions league form? He’s now scored 10 goals in the last 12 games! Still not good enough?! What about 18 goals and 7 assists from 30 starts last season?!

It is patently obvious that Peter Crouch is having a consistent and measurable impact on Liverpool and England. As such, it would be complete and utter lunacy to sell him.

In my last article, I proved with indisputable facts that Crouch is a Liverpool asset:

http://www.liverpool-kop.com/2007/11/rafas-irrational-vendetta-against-peter.html

I will now go one further and say that I believe Crouch is the most technically gifted England player in England. The ‘good touch for a big man’ cliché just belittles the fact that Crouch is clearly streets ahead of his more illustrious England colleagues.

As I said in the above article, if you start Crouch, he will invariably score or create a goal for you. This happened again with England, and Crouch should start again against Newcastle on Saturday. He deserves his place, his confidence will be high despite the defeat, and he does not need to be rested since Benitez has kept him on the bench for most of the season thus far.

Crouch must stay, and Rafa must get over his apparent dislike of Crouch and start making decisions that benefit the team and not him personally.

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Croatia debacle reinforces the assertion that Steven Gerrard is NOT world class

Steven Gerrard’s abject ability as a Captain was exposed once again as England suffered ignominious defeat to Croatia.

I’ve said it once and I'll say it again: Gerrard is not a leader. He does not have the strength of character, the fighting mentality or motivational power to be a consistently effective Captain. This has been proven time and time again for club and country.

England were wretched in every respect, and the so called ‘Golden Generation’ were exposed for what they really are: Limited, technically inept primadonnas, drunk on their own hype, whose competitive edge and work ethic has been dulled by rampant egos and shameful avarice.

For once, Alan Hansen had the guts to tell it like it is when he said ‘I can't believe how poor Steven Gerrard was’. Gerrard has been poor for England for a long time, but his international failings have been glossed over by the fawning media and the blind faith brigade who refuse to accept the truth.

Yes – I said Gerrard is NOT world class. The media hype him and every other English player with a smidgen of talent as ‘world class’ but the evidence does not support this hollow assertion. If Gerrard IS world class, where is the proof?
I can already guess the response from the ‘Steven Gerrard can do no wrong’ club: But what about that goal he scored against Olympiakos?! What about Istanbul!? What about the FA Cup final?! But Alex Ferguson said so!

These things do not make a player world class! Gerrard is an excellent premiership-class player – a true example of a typical English midfielder: Lots of huffing, puffing, tackling and endless stamina but precious little skill, creativity, footballing intelligence or consistent technical ability.

Truly world class players deliver not only in their domestic league but on the INTERNATIONAL stage. Any player who does not deliver in the big tournaments cannot be considered world class. There are of course exceptions to this, such as George Best, who never got to play in a major tournament, but players like him are a special case. The whole idea of ‘world class ability’ needs to be redefined, and in my view, achievement on the international stage should be the main criterion.

Steven Gerrard has been a consistent failure on the international stage, and his impact on England has been less than negligible. In Euro 2004 and World Cup 2006, the hype about Gerrard was sickening. Did he deliver? Of course not.

But someone else is always to blame for Gerrard’s failings: It’s the Manager’s incompetence; It’s failing to play him in the centre; It’s Lampard restricting him; the system was wrong for him and blah blah blah. No – Gerrard, like his overpaid pals, is just not good enough on the world stage.

The likes of Zidane, Ronaldinho, Maradona, Cruyff, Platini, Beckenbauer, Puskas, Eusebio, Pele etc all consistently delivered on the world stage – that is why they can justifiably be labeled world class. Gerrard does not deserve to be named in the same sentence as the true legends of the game, and to even think that he is on a par with the true world class greats is a complete joke.

Gerrard talks a good game, but actions speak louder than words. I cringed in the pre-Croatia build up as Gerrard issued his rallying cry of how England had to ‘die out there’ and how the players had to ‘give everything they’ve got’. Gerrard does not have the motivational ability to inspire players to give it everything they’ve got!

This was obvious against Croatia; there was a disgraceful lack urgency in the players as the Croatians were given all the room in the world to weave their magic. Gerrard barely said a world all night to his team-mates, and the real lack of proper leadership on the field was palpable.

All we’ve heard over the last week is how much Gerrard loves England, and what an honour it is to Captain the team, and how the Croatia game would be the biggest moment of his career. So where was the passion Stevie?! Where was your fabled ‘world class’ ability?! Where was the much vaunted passion and inspirational leadership?

A real Captain would not have let the heads go down after Scott Carson’s howler, and would’ve had a quick word with the stricken keeper in an attempt to restore his confidence. A real Captain would have been pushing the players on and cajoling all night. A real Captain would have fought tooth and nail to keep the confidence and self-belief flowing. Gerrard did none of these things. As per usual in the big games, whether it’s England or Liverpool, he hid and singularly failed to shoulder the responsibility.

After the game, Gerrard came out with a real corker:

"The effort was there but the result wasn't. That's what was important”.

What effort?! The magnitude of the game seemed lost on England’s apathetic losers as they ambled around the pitch without breaking sweat for the entire game. Just as Steve McClaren didn’t want to get his hair wet, the England players didn’t want to get their hands dirty, and as the so-called ‘inspirational leader’, Gerrard must take the lion’s share of the blame.

Of course, Gerrard was not solely to blame, but given his pathetic comments over the last week about foreigners taking over the league and how England are more important than Liverpool, he deserves all the criticism coming his way.

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Stevie Me's laughable explanation for his 'England are best' comments

Steven Gerrard has taken time out from his beloved England and deigned to offer Liverpool fans a hollow justification for his idiotic comments about England games being ‘bigger’ than Liverpool games…

Gerrard’s convincing, heartfelt clarification consisted of the following:

“All I was trying to say was when I am with England, England are most important but when I am with Liverpool, Liverpool are most important”.

With these comments, Gerrard is insulting our intelligence, and if he thinks he can fool fans with this feeble attempt at an explanation…he’s right! Sadly, despite the outrageous and obvious truth, Gerrard apologists across the globe will accept his 'explanation' without question and the whole thing will be forgotten.

Quite simply, any fan who unquestioningly believes this tosh is a mug. Gerrard might try and convince people that he didn’t say England are more important, but he DID. Consider his original comments again:

"When I join up with England, these games are bigger than Champions League games or league games”.

This statement is categorically unambiguous: England games are bigger than CL and league games. Gerrard claims that he was making a distinction between when he plays for England and when he plays for Liverpool. Where is this distinction exactly?! He also said:

“If you go to a major tournament and play well or achieve something as a team it's going to be a lot bigger than achieving something at your club."

Am I missing something here? Where does he say ‘when I play for England they are most important’?! Again, Gerrard’s attitude is clear and impossible to misinterpret: Achieving something with England is A LOT BIGGER than achieving something with Liverpool.

Additionally, there is no allusion to the Liverpool/England distinction he makes his ‘apology’. Why? Because that is not what he meant.

Instead of lying to the fans, Gerrard should have the courage of his convictions - If he feels England are more important than LFC, then he should just stick to his opinion. Sticking resolutely to a passionately held opinion in the face of adversity is something I can respect.
After all, my LFC bias aside, I can see the argument that playing for the national team is more important than playing for your club. It’s not something fans want to hear but a convincing argument could be made for it.

In any event, for me as a Liverpool fan, Gerrard’s comments are depressingly explicit. No amount of desperate backtracking or spin can change this simple fact: Liverpool's homegrown Captain prefers winning with England to winning with Liverpool.

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Gerrard: England more important than Liverpool

Coming hot on the heels of his ignorant ‘foreigners are taking over the league’ comments, Steven Gerrard has angered many Liverpool fans by proclaiming that playing for England is ‘ a lot bigger’ than playing for Liverpool.

I have been repeatedly shouted down when advancing that opinion that Gerard cares more about England than Liverpool, but once again I have been proved right. Gerrard stated:

"When I join up with England, these games are bigger than Champions League games or league games. You're representing your country. If you go to a major tournament and play well or achieve something as a team it's going to be a lot bigger than achieving something at your club."

Gerrard’s disappointing views are arguably at odds with the majority of Liverpool fans, who prioritise club over country. Not that Gerrard seems to give two hoots about damaging the expectations of his loyal fanbase:

"Maybe that is supporters being selfish. As a player, you want to play in the biggest games. Those are European [Championship] games and World Cup games."

It’s nice to know that Gerrard considers games against Macedonia and Trinidad and Tobago to be more important than games against AC Milan and Arsenal.

These comments confirm what I have been saying for years about Steven Gerrard: He is more interested in playing for England than Liverpool. In that respect, he is similar to former Liverpool player Michael Owen, someone who has shamelessly prioritised country over club for years.

Gerrard’s comments are depressingly unambiguous, and whilst I can understand his patriotism, this is not what you want to hear from a Liverpool Captain. The fact that Gerrard is a homegrown Liverpudlian makes it even worse, as there is now a damaging dichotomy between him and the Scouse fans that worship him every week.

Fans love to believe that Gerrard is an extension of them, representing their hopes and dreams as a ‘local boy done good’. The reality is sadly very different. Gerrard is as far removed from the average fan on the street as it possible to be. He lives in a different world, and has nothing in common with the fawning fans who put him on a pedestal.

In my view, the reason Gerrard prefers England over Liverpool has nothing to do with patriotism and everything to do with vanity. He wants to be immortalised on the international stage, and considered one of the best players of all time. He is hungry for the fame that the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Maradona enjoy. It’s all about 'Stevie Me' and what he can achieve for himself, rather than having anything to do with the team or the pride of England.

With these comments, Gerrard is close to destroying the special bond that exists between Scousers and ‘one of their own’. Would you ever hear Robbie Fowler say such things? Never. That is why Fowler is revered and Gerrard will ultimately be greeted with indifference.

As I’ve stated repeatedly over the years, Steven Gerrard is not fit to be the Captain of Liverpool FC. He needs to be stripped of that honour, and it should go to someone who prioritises Liverpool FC above all else. This is the way it needs to be and this is the way it should be.

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