Why Liverpool cannot and should not sign David Villa

Liverpool are apparently waiting in the wings to snap up Spanish striker David Villa if - as recent reports suggest - a reputed move to Arsenal falls through. Capturing Villa would be a dream acquisition on a par with Fernando Torres, but unfortunately, the Steven Gerrard conundrum means that signing any top quality striker right now would be a recipe for disaster.

The Villa story has been popping up regularly in recent weeks, with The Telegraph recently reporting the following:

“Villa has regularly partnered Torres for the national team and, were Arsenal or Chelsea to fail to agree a deal for Villa then Liverpool would be alerted to his availability”

Villa himself seems positive about the idea of coming to Liverpool, and clearly relishes the prospect of teaming up with Fernando Torres:

"It is great playing alongside Fernando. We understand each other totally and we get on brilliantly off the park."

Alas, as great a signing this would be for Liverpool, with Steven Gerrard at the club, it will never work…and I will explain why.

Quite simply, Liverpool are incapable of playing 4-4-2 successfully with Gerrard in the centre. Everybody is always going on about how Gerrard’s best position is central midfield, but if that’s the case, why does not play there for Liverpool or England?

The answer is simple: Gerrard has proved that he cannot form a *consistently* successful midfield partnership with anyone - for club or for country.

Whether it’s Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano, Momo Sissoko, Lucas Leiva or Frank Lampard, Gerrard just does not function successfully in a midfield two.

The main reasons for this are his positional indiscipline and hero complex. Basically, Gerrard always wants to do everything himself, which means he abandons his position on a frustratingly regular basis, leaving holes for others to exploit.

As a result of this, the Liverpool team has been chopped and changed in every conceivable way over the years in an attempt to accommodate Gerrard; the 4-2-3-1 formation that Liverpool currently plays is the only formation that suits him.

What about playing on the right? That’s a no-go too as Gerrard has made it quite clear that he doesn’t want to play out there, even though it would probably be the best thing for the team.

So – we’re left with his current position - playing behind the striker. In Liverpool’s current system, this is the only place Gerrard can play, and for him to be successful, he needs two midfielders doing all the donkey work for him.

And therein lies the problem: The whole team is set-up to get the best out of Gerrard, which means that if Liverpool buy another top quality striker and accommodate him *regularly*, the formation would need to switch to 4-4-2. This means we’re back at square one again, i.e. trying to fit Gerrard in somewhere that not only benefits the team but satisfies his ego.

If Liverpool were to sign David Villa - or a striker of comparable quality - such a player is not going be happy sitting on the bench waiting for Crouch-like cameo roles. A player like Villa needs to play regularly and should play regularly, or what’s the point of spending all the money?

Furthermore, Fernando Torres is not going to be happy sitting on the bench regularly to accomodate someone else, and Liverpool fans wouldn’t stand for that anyway, so what is the solution?

Unfortunately, the solution is that Liverpool cannot and should not buy another Torres-quality striker whilst Gerrard is at the club.

Of course, none of this would be an issue if Gerrard could successfully function in a midfield two, but that truth is, he cannot.

If Liverpool's current formation is the template for the future, then buying another top quality striker would just create unfair competition for places up front.

And as we’ve seen over the last year, intense competition for places causes friction and recrimination. For example, in midfield, we had a ridiculous situation where 5 midfielders were competing for 2 first team slots.

This unfair competition forced out Momo Sissoko and caused Xabi Alonso to seriously consider his future. Indeed, Rafa was lucky that Alonso was injured for so long earlier in the season, otherwise the selection headache in midfield would have been even more acute.

The same goes for the striking roles this year - With Rafa favouring one up-front, Dirk Kuyt has been converted into a right midfielder and Peter Crouch has been stuck on the bench for most of the season

If someone like Villa was to sign, and Liverpool continued to play with one up front, it would be a recipe for disaster. Somewhere along the line, either Villa or Torres would become dissatisfied with warming the bench. Alternatively, Rafa could try and accommodate both strikers by playing 4-4-2, but this would cause the team to become unbalanced again for the reasons I’ve outlined above.

An example of this imbalance is the recent Liverpool-Arsenal Champions League game at Anfield. In a break from the usual formation, Rafa played 4-4-2, with Crouch and Torres up front and Gerrard on the left.

By his own admission, Gerrard put in one of his worst performances in a red shirt! If Villa or some other top striker was to come to the club, these poor performances from would (in my view) be a regular occurrence, especially if Gerrard was played in a position he dislikes.

A team with a 4-4-2 formation with Villa and Torres together could line up like this (Using the current squad):

------------------------ Reina

Arbeloa --------- Carra --------- Agger -------- Aurelio

Pennant ------ Gerrard ------ Mascherano ----- Babel

--------------- Villa ------------- Torres

The Gerrard-Mascherano partnership *does not work*. For proof of this, just examine the games in which the partnership has been utilized and then look at the results and the turgid performances that came out of it.

In any event, as discussed above, Gerrard in the center *consistently* is a non-starter.

The 4-4-2 formation *would* work if the team lined up like this:

---------------------- Reina

Arbeloa --------- Carra --------- Agger -------- Aurelio

Gerrard ------ Alonso ------ Mascherano ----- Babel

------------------ Villa -------- Torres

Everybody with any objectivity and sense knows that the best position for Gerrard in a 4-4-2 is on the right, but the incredible sulk will never allow this to happen.

So choices are thus: Play 4-4-2 with Gerrard in the center or play 4-2-3-1 with Gerrard behind Torres.

Surely the answer is to stick with what works? Rafa has *finally* hit upon a winning formula in the premiership after 4years of trying - it would surely be madness to change things now...wouldn't it?

As long as Gerrard is at the club, Rafa should stick with the 4-2-3-1 formation and spend any transfer funds on creative right and left wingers/midfielders and pacy, creative fullbacks.

Ultimately, there is no point in signing a striker of Villa’s calibre if Rafa plans to continue with the 4-2-3-1 formation. I don’t want to see another top quality player wasting away on the bench, just like Peter Crouch has been wasted this

A player like Villa will not and should not play second fiddle to anyone. He - or indeed any top striker – should only be signed if Liverpool are going to play 4-4-2 with Gerrard on the right.

Of course, there is a third option: Sell Gerrard and buy a midfielder who can function successfully as part of a midfield two...

*Cue mass hysteria and Liverpool fans collectively foaming at the mouth*

This article was first published in April 2008. Reposted in June during Euro 2008 to coincide with increased David Villa speculation.

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Steven Gerrard displays his lack of class once again

Steven Gerrard’s graceless and deliberately public attempt to tap-up Gareth Barry has once again highlighted his complete lack of class and professionalism.

In an over the top public eulogy designed specifically to appeal to Barry’s ego, put pressure on Aston Villa and indirect pressure Liverpool’s board, Gerrard disregarded all standards of professional courtesy and went for straight for the jugular with his attempt to ‘persuade’ Aston Villa’s captain to join Liverpool.

Gerrard fawned: "I want Gareth Barry to become a Liverpool player. I am desperate for us to sign him. He's a good player. I want Liverpool to be as strong as possible and Gareth Barry will certainly make us stronger. You talk about improving the team, the starting XI and the squad, and Gareth will certainly help Liverpool to become a better team".

Liverpool’s captain then backpedalled into irony, of which he was clearly unaware:

"We can't be disrespectful to Villa. He is still their player and we will see what happens. Naturally, they are going to try and keep hold of him, and rightly so because he is one of their star men. He has been a fantastic servant for them over many years”.

‘We can’t be disrespectful’? What planet is Gerrard on? His comments are nothing but disrespectful. When it’s obvious Aston Villa are fighting to keep hold on to their ‘star man’ and club captain, Gerrard has no business trying to exert pressure in this way. It really does betray a lack of class on the part of a man who is supposed to represent everything good about Liverpool FC.

The ultimate irony is that a few years ago, Chelsea were trying to snatch Gerrard away, and Liverpool fans spat bile and venom at anyone who even dared to encourage Gerrard to leave. Now Liverpool are doing the same thing as Chelsea – i.e. trying to snatch away the captain of a rival club – and suddenly it’s okay!

And quelle surprise, the very same fans that were foaming at the mouth over Chelsea’s attempts to prise Gerrard away are now apathetic over his one-man mission to ‘persuade’ Gareth Barry to come to Anfield.

Pure hypocrisy of the highest order.

If Gerrard had just made an off-the-cuff comment in response to a spontaneous question then I wouldn’t have a problem, but that is not what happened; Gerrard’s statement was calculated and manipulative, as the following comments illustrate:

“I am sure Gareth will find it hard to leave Villa. He has been fantastic for them but, in football, sometimes opportunities come along where you can better your career. I think Gareth is 27 now and he needs to play Champions League football. In my opinion, he needs that now”.

Gerrard plays on the fact that age is against Barry and time is running out for him to play at the highest level. The chances of Villa getting into the CL are slim at best, so Gerrard has picked the one thing that he knows will get to Barry on a psychological level.

Gerrard also makes it sound like Liverpool’s interest is a once in a lifetime opportunity that should not be missed. This of course is true (!), but he should not be saying all this in public. Indeed, Gerrard makes light of the fact that he ‘knows all about’ Barry and that off the pitch, they are ‘good friends’.

If they are such good friends, why couldn’t Gerrard tell him all this face to face? This is not just about Gerrard making a personal plea to his mate, there is more at play here, and once again, Gerrard is up to his old tricks, namely trying to exert indirect pressure on the club.

Reading between the lines, he is using his inflated status to force the club to sign Gareth Barry. Just look at the language he uses: He is ‘desperate’ for Liverpool to sign Barry. He ‘wants’ Barry at the club.He’s ‘good friends’ with Barry.

His whole statement is a blatant warning to board: 'Sign Gareth Barry now. Why? Because I said so'.

Anyone who has followed the Steven Gerrard’s career for the last 10 years knows that he has regularly made public comments in an attempt to indirectly influence the club. Anyone who fails to acknowledge this is in serious denial.

There was no need for Gerrard to make his ‘I love Gareth Barry’ statement and in my view it is inexcusable. Of course, people will accuse me of being over the top, but the apathy and shrug the shoulders acceptance of Gerrard’s comments just highlights the incredible hypocrisy of Liverpool fans.

Liverpool fans would be raging till the cows come home if, say, Deco at Barcelona said the following: ‘I am sure Steven will find it hard to leave Liverpool. He has been fantastic for them but, in football, sometimes opportunities come along where you can better your career. I think Steven is 28 now and he needs to play at the highest level. In my opinion, he needs that now”.

Whether Gerrard intended it or not his comments represent a fundamental and tasteless lack of respect for Aston Villa. It’s a classic case of big-club arrogance: Gerrard sees Liverpool as the bigger club so he thinks it’s okay to belittle Villa. After all, they’re a smaller club with no chance of Champions League football, so why should he bother according them the proper respect?

This is a viable interpretation of Gerrard’s comments, and even if there is truth in what he says, he shouldn’t be saying it in public. Rafa Benitez also showed Villa a lack of respect when he tried to publicly make a monkey out of Martin ‘O Neill a few weeks ago, also over Gareth Barry.

Quite simply, I don’t want players and managers associated with Liverpool to behave like this. Benitez’s spat with Martin O Neill was embarrassing in itself, and Benitez was clearly in the wrong. Gerrard’s comments are equally embarrassing, yet entirely predictable give his history.

Anyone reading this and asking themselves the question ‘what’s the big deal’ really needs to ask themselves one question: What do you really want? A club where things are done with class, dignity and respect for traditions built up over decades...or a club of unprincipled egotists with no respect for anyone and where underhanded tactics are the norm.

In other words, a club like Chelsea.

The funny thing is, when Chelsea were chasing Gerrard, no one at Stamford Bridge stooped to make a fawning and manipulative public statement designed purelyh to exert pressure and turn Gerrard's head.

No Chelsea player went to the press and said 'Steven needs to be winning trophies, so it's time for him to come here'.

It seems that even for a soulless corporate zombie like Chelsea, some things are beyond the realms of decency!

In fact, I challenge anyone to show me one instance – just one – in the history of the premiership where a player from any team has made a statement even remotely similar to Steven Gerrard’s insipid plea.

You won’t find anything like it because such statements are tantamount to tapping-up and are rightly anathema in the world of football.

But not for Steven Gerrard, apparently.

But I don’t blame him. Stupid is as stupid does. I blame Liverpool fans for continually deifying him and becoming an enabling force for his constant ill-advised comments.

The fact is, no matter what Gerrard says and does, the sycophantic and hypocritical fan-base who think he walks on water will always decree that it’s okay, whilst criticizing the *exact same things* in other players.

But who cares, right? It’s only Aston Villa.

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Cometh the hour, cometh the predictable cocky overconfidence

The most important game of the season is upon us, and as per usual with this Liverpool team, the days leading up to an important game have been saturated with the usual pre-match routine of endless public pronouncements proclaiming the team’s apparent superiority.

Self-important overconfidence is not the Liverpool way, and never has been, but of course, none of that matters in the egocentric world of modern football.

It is disappointing to see the current Liverpool team increasingly adopting a "we’re the best so bow down at our altar" attitude, but it's been this way all season, and whilst the build up to today's game is not as bad as some examples earlier in the season, it's a growing trend that I feel needs to stop.

Why can’t Liverpool players and management just keep their heads down and let their football do the talking on the pitch? Why must *every* important game be preceded by tiresome boasting in the press about how Liverpool are the best and are certain to win?

Let’s start with Rafa – surely a humble, low key approach from him? No. After the CL semi at Anfield game, he said:

“It was clear that we had the better chances, had more control and played better than them. You can see we were clearly better than them”.

That may be the case, but why say this in public? Added to this we have Rafa’s blatant antagonism of Chelsea, with his remarks about Drogba diving and obvious Alex Ferguson-like attempts to try and influence the referee.

This is the kind of behaviour I expect from Chelsea (!), not Liverpool; from Jose Mourinho and Alex Ferguson, not Rafa Benitez. Clearly, it's a case of if you can't beat them, join them - a policy, incidentally, that Steven Gerrard has adopted when it comes to Didier Drogba and diving.

On the subject of Gerrard, he clearly agreed with Rafa's view about the first leg: "We were on top for most of the time [in the first leg] and Chelsea scored their equaliser without really producing anything. We know their weaknesses. We know how to beat them”.

Liverpool know how to beat Chelsea? Well, if that’s true, and as Gerrard says, Liverpool know Chelsea’s weaknesses, how come the club hardly ever beats Chelsea?! It’s a conundrum.

Gerrard went on to slam Stamford Bridge: "Stamford Bridge is a big stadium, but it's got nothing of the aura that Anfield has".

Alvaro Arbeloa chimed in with his belief that Liverpool have a ‘psychological edge’, and like Benitez, he was emphatic about the outcome of the game:

“We have confidence. We beat Inter Milan, we beat Arsenal and we will now beat Chelsea”.

Jamie Carragher and Gerrard have also piled the pressure onto the shoulders of Fernando Torres, suggesting that the reason for Liverpool’s long running failure to score at Stamford Bridge is the club's lack of a player like Torres. Gerrard said:

“We may not have scored or won at Chelsea in four years, but we haven't been there with Fernando in the team before”. Carragher added:

“A lot of people are talking about the fact that we haven't scored at Stamford Bridge for a few years but, as Stevie (Gerrard) said after the first leg, we've never been there with Fernando Torres. He has been the stand out striker in world football this season and he is capable of scoring against anyone at any time."

So what happens if Liverpool lose and Torres doesn't score? One of the reasons Torres left Atletico Madrid was the fact the everybody put pressure on him to make sure the team was successful. Is this pressure from Gerrard and Carragher any different?

It’s probably just me, but I do not see the point of any of the above comments or strategies. Indeed, this kind of posturing is unnecessary and counter-productive.

For example, Didier Drogba has publicly defended himself against Benitez’s diving claims, which means he will probably be even more fired up to score in the game tonight.

And Chelsea’s players will be even more motivated to win after all the comments from Liverpool players about being the best. Chelsea already have the advantage, and given Liverpool’s atrocious record at Stamford Bridge, was there any need to rile Chelsea up even more?!

Contrast Liverpool’s comments with those of Chelsea and there is a big difference. There has been no goading or boasting from Chelsea players or Avram Grant, just typical, nondescript comments that do not attract attention or allow tabloid hacks to create hyperbolic headlines.

Once again, it appears that I am living in the past, clinging onto the Liverpool tradition of humility and respect for opponents. At the height of the club’s powers in the 79s and 80s, there was none of this self-congratulatory garbage.

Players were respectful towards other clubs and did not boast about being the best before anything had actually been won.

And even when trophies were won, the club remained humble in victory. This is no longer the case, and the conduct of the club this season has consistently proved that to be true.

The ultimate irony comes from perennial press-whore Dirk Kuyt, with his contention that it is Chelsea who are afflicted by misplaced overconfidence:

“When the final whistle blew I think some of them were thinking they had already reached the final".

Yes, Dirk. And I suppose if Liverpool had scored an away goal in the 95th minute of Champions League Semi-Final you would have been completely calm...

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Rafa slams Drogba for diving but Steven Gerrard is just as bad. And here is the proof.

Rafael Benitez has slated Didier Drogba’s diving antics ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League trip to Chelsea, but perhaps Rafa should have taken a closer look at the behaviour of his own players before launching his hypocritical tirade.

On the subject of Drogba’s predilection for diving, Rafa said:

“With Drogba, it's important to have a good referee.You can't do anything, but I will say it because it was so clear. He is amazing because he is massive.

“It's very impressive. I have a lot of clips of him from over the years and he surprises me. After four years, I expected it. We've played against Chelsea 19 games and every time I have collected some clips of Drogba”

Whilst Rafa is undoubtedly correct about Drogba's tiresome histrionics, Liverpool have a player who is just as bad when it comes to diving, and that player is club captain Steven Gerrard.

I will inevitably be slated and ridiculed for once again casting Gerrard in a negative light, but it sickens me that Liverpool’s captain is such a blatant diver.

What makes it worse is he has the gall to actually publicly criticize other players for diving, whilst doing exactly the same thing himself!

This season alone has been filled with examples of Gerrard diving. Against Everton at Goodison Park earlier in the season, Gerrard dived in the box after minimal contact with Tony Hibbert and Liverpool got a penalty.

What makes this incident worse is that Gerrard moaned at the referee and ended up getting Hibbert sent off. As the video clip below illustrates, Mark Clattenburg had the yellow card ready; then Gerrard walks past him, says something, and Clattenburg pulls out the red instead. Take a look:



Liverpool's recent victory against Blackburn at Anfield was marred by more examples of Gerrard's diving. On three occasions, Gerrard threw himself to the floor looking for a penalty. I’ve only managed to find clips for two of them, but they’re both laughable attempts at simulation.

This first one is embarrassing – Brad Friedel pulls himself out of the way, and Gerrard deliberately pushes his leg into the Blackburn keeper to create the contact, then goes down like a sack of potoatoes:




This second clip shows Gerrard trying to con the referee by diving after an innocuous challenge from Christopher Samba:





Gerrard doesn’t just dive for Liverpool, he dives for England too. Below is a clip of his blatant dive against Andorra, and you’ll notice the Andorran keeper has a go at him afterwards:





Below is a short compilation of Gerrard dives, including the most infamous dive of all, which came against AC Milan in 2005's Champions league final. How anyone can argue that it is *not* a dive is beyond me. Where exactly is the contact?!





Gerrard is a hypocritical diver, pure and simple. The question is, why do so many fans accept it and even praise him for it? Liverpool fans never pass up the opportunity to ridicule the likes of Ronaldo and Drogba for diving, yet when it comes to Gerrard and Torres, they’re conveniently overcome by selective blindness.

Take the Milan dive for example: If Gerrard had not dived, it's conceivable that Liverpool may not have gone on to win the game. Because Liverpool *did* win the game, fans think it's acceptable to overlook the dive and everything is forgotten.

I don't see it that way. As fantastic as the Milan game was, it was a phyrric victory in many ways. I can never take pleasure from blatant cheating, and that's what Gerrard did when he dived.

Of course, my attitude means I can't be a real fan. If I was a real fan, how could I highlight these things about a Liverpool captain? Well, for me, being a real fan is about acknowledging the truth and not allowing bias to cloud judgement.

And if you want an example of what 'real' fans think about Gerrard's diving, take a look at this video clip, where fans on the Kop actually encourage Gerrard to dive. At one point, you can clearly here someone say 'You should have dived there Stevie and won a penalty':





The fact is, many fans and pundits do not have the balls to tell it like it is, lest they be castigated by Liverpool's rabid 'superfans' for not being 'real supporters'. Winning is clearly more important than playing the game with honesty and integrity.

A prime example of this kind of spinelessness is Jamie Redknapp’s defence of Gerrard after the Blackburn game. Instead of being objective and telling the truth, he displayed breathtaking bias in his lame attempt to justify his mate Stevie’s actions:





There's nothing noble about defending a player when they've done something obviously wrong. Refusing to be objective because of bias and personal preference is just weak, and does not make someone a better fan.

Anyone who dives in football is cheat. End of story. There is never any excuse for it, and the diving epidemic is just indicative of the corrupt, self-serving nature of the modern game.

I don't care what Drogba and Ronaldo do - I don't want to see Liverpool players diving, and I definitely do want to see the captain of the club cheating to gain an advantage.

So Rafa - before having a go at other players for diving, why don't you make sure your own players are conducting themselves in a way the befits the history and traditions of Liverpool FC?

Gerrard may not writhe around on the floor like he's been shot a la Drogba, but his diving is still an embarrassment to the club.

And it needs to STOP.

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Steven Gerrard goes missing against Chelsea once again...

After the recent victory against Arsenal in the Champions League quarter final at Anfield, Steven Gerrard labeled his performance as one of the worst he’d ever put produced in a Liverpool shirt. Two weeks later, Gerrard should hold his hands up again and admit that his non-performance against Chelsea last night was arguably even worse.

What is it about Gerrard and England’s top teams? Whether it is Chelsea, Arsenal or Manchester United, he never seems to perform. When was the last time Gerrard actually inspired Liverpool against any of the aforementioned teams? A cursory examination of Liverpool’s dire record against the top three during Raga’s reign reveals the disappointing answer.

Against Chelsea, Liverpool’s supposed ‘Captain Fantastic’ was typically anonymous and operated on the periphery of the action – misplacing passes, running around like a headless chicken and generally avoiding responsibility.

His only contribution to the game was a great volley near the end of the game, which was saved by Petr Cech. Liverpool fans may be satisfied with one positive contribution in 95 minutes of football, but I feel someone who is supposedly ‘world class' should be offering more in such an important game.

So why did Gerrard play so badly? The main reason has to be 4-2-3-1 formation – it works against rubbish defences, and Gerrard has prospered in the hole against inferior defences this season.

However, whenever Liverpool have played that formation against a top class defence, it has come up short. Examples of this include the two recent games at the Emirates against Arsenal, the defeat to Man United at Old Trafford and both games against Inter Milan.

It’s not only Gerrard who suffers against top defences in that formation – Fernando Torres also struggles to make an impact, which was definitely the case last night.

The fact is, against good defences, 4-3-2-1 does not work. Gerrard does not have the footballing intelligence required of a world class link man, and he often seems unsure of his position.

Furthermore, in a 4-3-2-1, Gerrard is crowded out by defenders and defensive midfielders, and does not have the guile and genuine craft to prosper in such a crowded environment.

Liverpool should have played 4-4-2 at Anfield last night, with Crouch and Torres up front and Gerrard on the right. Against Chelsea, this is what is best for the TEAM.

And Rafa should have seen that the Gerrard/Torres partnership has been ineffective against top opposition this year and made the relevant tactical changes.

What makes it even more galling is the fact that Chelsea were there for the taking! I can’t remember seeing a worse Chelsea performance against Liverpool in the last 4-5years.

Nothing was coming off for them and their big players looked jaded. Liverpool needed to capitalize, and the likes of Gerrard needed to turn up and do the business.

That Liverpool played well at times is a testament to excellent performances of Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano, the opportunism of Dirk Kuyt and the defensive solidity of Sktl and Carra.

They all did their jobs on the night, but Gerrard was a no-show.

Every player is entitled to a bad game now and then, and Gerrard has been superb for Liverpool at times this season, but when is he going to start doing the business against England’s top teams? When is he going to stop hiding and step up and put in a performance worthy of his inflated reputation?

It’s all well and good doing the business against the poorer teams, but I would trade in his goals and assists against Cardiff, Bolton, Luton and Sunderland for a bigger contribution against Arsenal, Man United and Chelsea.

Gerrard has a chance to redeem himself against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge next week, and he will have to be at his best if Liverpool are to progress.

Another non-performance will surely not be acceptable...?

Having said that, I'm sure there are many fans who gave Gerrard man of the match against Arsenal and again last night. As they say, love is blind.

My team to beat Chelsea would be:

------------------------------ Reina

Finnan -------------- Carra --------- Hyypia ---------- Aurelio

--------------------------- Mascherano

Gerrard -------------------- Alonso ----------------- Babel

--------------------- Crouch ------ Torres

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Ray Kennedy: Steven Gerrard would not get into the Liverpool team of the 70s

Liverpool’s all conquering team of the 70s and early 80s was blessed with an amazing array of talent, so much so that club legend Ray Kennedy believes that Steven Gerrard would have struggled to get into the first XI.

In a recent interview, Kennedy stated: "Liverpool have some great players. I really like Steven Gerrard, he is one of the best midfielders I have seen. He would have struggled to get in our team, mind”.

Given the fact Kennedy played with the likes of Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish, Alan Hansen, Graeme Souness, Emlyn Hughes, Alan Kennedy and Terry McDermott, it’s hardly surprising he feels the way he does about Gerrard.

Bill Shankly signed Kennedy from Arsenal in 1974 – the great man’s last signing before leaving the club. As a striker at Arsenal, Kennedy scored 71 goals in 212 games over 5 years.

At Anfield, he was converted into a midfielder, and went on to win five league titles and three European Cups in his eight years at Anfield, scoring 51 goals in the process.

Even if Kennedy doesn’t think Gerrard would cut in the 70s team, he’s supporting Liverpool’s captain and the rest of the team to the hilt this year in the quest to recapture the European Cup:

"I watched the team win the 2005 European Cup on television; it made me so proud to see them with that trophy again. I hope they do it again this season. That would make my year."

Sadly, Kennedy was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 22 years ago and is now housebound as a result. Liverpool fans are doing everything they can to raise much needed money for Ray via the Ray of Hope appeal,

You can read about the Ray of Hope Appeal here: http://www.liverweb.org.uk/rayofhope.htm

Pledges can be made to rayofhopeappeal@hotmail.co.uk

Cheques can be sent to the Ray of Hope Appeal c/o HSBC account 21817299, sort code 40-03-27.

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POLL: Was Steven Gerrard right when he said Wayne Rooney 'destroyed' Liverpool, and was he right to say this in public?

Four days after losing to Manchester United at Old Trafford, Steven Gerrard praised Wayne Rooney in the press, saying the striker 'destroyed' Liverpool during the game. I personally think this is unacceptable behaviour for a Liverpool captain, but what do you think? Vote now!

Opinion Polls & Market Research

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Gerrard: "Rooney destroyed us at the weekend". Gosh...after that comment, I take it all back - He really IS an inspirational captain!

What is it with Steven Gerrard?! He just has no concept of what being a captain is all about. He proved that categorically with his failure to turn up in any capacity at Old Trafford, but now, in the aftermath of the defeat, he’s decided to eulogize about Wayne Rooney in public, praising him in emphatic terms for the part he played in Man United’s victory.

Discussing his failed partnership with Rooney in the recent England defeat to France, Gerrard gushed:

"I've seen him do it [play up front alone] with Manchester United. He destroyed us at the weekend with his direct running and making it difficult for defenders".

Gerrard also enthused about how playing with Rooney was ‘always a pleasure’.

Is this what Liverpool fans want to hear from the captain of the club 4 days after being beaten 3-0 by our hated rivals?! Is this the kind of fighting talk that we should expect from someone who is supposed to embody the competitive spirit of the club?!

It wasn’t just ‘Rooney played well against us’ – Gerrard made a bold, emphatic statement: ‘Rooney DESTROYED us’.

I’m sorry, but Liverpool FC does not get ‘destroyed’; that’s not a word that should be associated with the club. Furthermore, it’s not even accurate! In no way did Rooney ‘destroy’ the team with some kind of devastating, memorable, match winning performance.

Yes, he played well, but Liverpool were down to ten men for much of the game, and with Gerrard hiding and responsible for a total lack of leadership on the field, I’m not surprised the Mancs were rampant.

Gerrard’s reverence for players in rival teams is sickening. I've lost count of the amount of times he’s publicly fawned over the likes of Rooney, Frank Lampard and John Terry.

Perhaps I’m living in the past, but I don’t want to hear the captain of the club gushing about our rivals and telling the world the team was ‘destroyed’. How does this breed confidence? How is this conducive to maintaining a winning mentality?

As usual, I have to compare Gerrard to Liverpool’s captains of the past. Do you think Ron Yeats, Tommy Smith, Emlyn Hughes, Graeme Souness, Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush or John Barnes would have been so negative about the team in such a way?

Never in a million years.

Hell, even Paul Friggin’ Ince never spoke about the team in such a manner when he *shudder* captained the club, and he was an ex-Manc!

Just imagine what Liverpool could achieve with a *proper* leader. A real captain instills confidence, steel and an unshakeable will to win. A real captain does not:

1. Write off the team's Champions League chances in public.
2. Gush over hated rival players in public and praise them for 'destroying' the team.
3. Claim that the national team is more important than his club team.
4. Repeatedly fail to back his manager in public in times of adversity.

5. Question his manager's decisions in public in a petulant manner after being substituted.
6. Fail to defend his team-mates in high pressure games.
7. Endlessly spout pessimism and negativity in the press.
8. Spout xenophbic nonsense about 'Foreigners taking over'.
9. Try to take personal credit for the team's good performances.

10. Invite negative media pressure onto the club at the worst possible time.

11. Blame poor onfield performances on off field turmoil. In public.

12. Show a complete lack of class by publicly lobbying for the England captain role

And all that is just this season!

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, and I'll keep saying it until people finally pull their heads out of the sand: Liverpool will never win the league with Gerrard as captain. He is not a leader and he does not have the qualities required to be an effective leader.

People will continue to make excuses for him, but in my view, he is a liability as captain; he has no understanding of leadership and no concept of what the role of Liverpool captain is all about.

Quite frankly, he is an embarrassment, and the longer he remains in the role, the worse it will be for the team.

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Manchester United debacle once again exposes Steven Gerrard's failure as a leader.

I have been arguing for years that Steven Gerrard is not an effective captain for Liverpool FC, and the Manchester United defeat once again confirmed this. Gerrard was typically anonymous during the game, but the most glaring problem was the conspicuous lack of leadership on the field.

I submit that Gerrard was indirectly responsible for Mascherano’s sending-off for the following reasons:

1. Mascherano was obviously pumped up for the encounter. At no point during the game did Gerrard approach him and tell him to calm down or stop arguing with the ref.

2. After Masch’s booking, Gerrard (one can only assume) failed to see any potential danger, and did not take then responsibility of talking to Masch to tell him to cool it a little.

3. After Torres’ booking, Gerrard was nowhere to be seen. He should have been speaking to the ref, defending the treatment of his fellow players.

4. It should have been Gerrard talking to Steve Bennett after Torres yellow card, yet even after Masch was sent off, Gerrard kept his distance, only ‘intervening’ about three minutes later, when Masch was refusing to leave the field.

5. After Masch’s sending-off, the only time Gerrard approached Bennett was when Manure were given a free kick in the second half. That was it for the whole game.

6. At the end of the game, Xabi Alonso and Jamie Carragher approached Bennett and expressed their frustration and anger. Carragher had to be pulled away, such was his irritation. Where was Gerrard? Too busy shaking hands with Man United players to bother about complaining, after which he just skulked off the field without a word.

Masch's actions highlight the difference between a leader and a follower: A leader does what Masch did and challenges injustice. A follower does what Gerrard did, i.e., nothing.

Now, I am not suggesting that Mascherano should not take personal responsibility for his actions – he should. However, the captain of the club needs to be doing more on the pitch! In high pressure encounters against the likes of Man U, real leadership on the pitch is absolutely essential.

Gerrard should have been watching Mascherano and intervening when necessary; he should have had the sense and the foresight to know that problems may arise at some point; He should have been protecting his players and making sure Liverpool’s case was argued as and when necessary.

He utterly failed on all points and exposed again that he is an utter failure as a captain.

And people have the gall to compare him to the likes of Graeme Souness?!

Such a comparison is insulting in the extreme.

Let’s hypothesis for a second: How would Souness have acted in the same situation? I don’t even need to answer the question because it’s obvious. With the great captains of the world, the answer is always obvious.

As per usual, when the going got tough, Gerrard was nowhere to be seen.

I don’t dispute that Gerrard is an excellent player, but I’m sick of Liverpool not having real leadership on the field and I’m sick of the club not having a captain who can stand alongside the greats of the past. I would gladly trade in Gerrard’s goals for a proper captain, as in my view, strong leadership on the field is one of the keys to winning the league.

Take the Man U game – it’s entirely possible that if Gerrard had done his job, Masch would not have been sent off. Liverpool could conceivably have gone on to win the game, thus putting them squarely in the title race and boosting confidence.

Instead, Liverpool lost, got dumped out the title race once and for all and will probably suffer a loss of confidence, not to mention the services of Masch for a few games.

How anyone can still argue that Steven Gerrard is a good captain beggars belief. Of course, Mascherano will be painted as the villain and Gerrard will again escape without criticism, but in my view, he should shoulder the lion’s share of the blame.

Liverpool needed a captain’s performance against Manchester United and they got it…from Mascherano.

Just one final note on the Mascherano incident: It transpires that earlier in the game, Masch was allegedly swearing the ref. Now, this is obviously unacceptable behaviour, but my opinion on his actions remains the same for the following reasons:

1. If Masch was swearing at the ref, then he should have received a yellow card for that. For the sake of consistency and fairness, Bennet should have taken action then and there.

2. If Bennett did not take action *when he should have* then that is his problem, and he should be disciplined for failing to take appropriate action.

3. Each incident should be judged on its individual merits. Bennet has no right giving Masch a second yellow for something that happened *earlier* in the game.

4. Masch was seemingly punished for his earlier infractions. This can only be the case considering a player CANNOT and SHOULD NOT be sent off for merely question a referee's decision.

I would have no problem with Mascherano getting his marching orders for swearing at the referee, but this did not happen, and Steve Bennett is to blame for not applying the rules correctly.

It is totally wrong for a referee to send someone off for an inconspicuous offence to make up for a failure to take action in an earlier incident.

Predictably, the biased press are painting Mascherano as a monster, and completely ignoring the finer details of the incident. What's even more disappointing is so-called Liverpool fans jumping on the 'Monster Masch' bandwagon.

My opinion hasn't changed: Mascherano did the right thing. He did not deserve to get sent off and he should be supported by all fans.

The ultimate irony of this article is that if Gerrard had acted lke a captain and spoken out against Bennett, and got sent off in the process, I would be writing an article praising his actions!

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Javier Mascherano's sending-off against Man United was PATHETIC. He showed real leadership ability and all Reds should support him.

Idiotic Referees and ceaseless bureaucracy are ruining football and Javier Mascherano’s dismissal against Manchester United for so-called ‘dissent’ is another depressing example of this. The Argentinean did not deserve to be sent-off and I have nothing but support and admiration for him and his actions.

Admiration? Yes, because he was the only Liverpool player who had the balls to question the referee over the injustice of Fernando Torres’ yellow card.

Mascherano made a stand in adversity and displayed the true strength of his character. It should have been Steven Gerrard questioning Steve Bennett, but he was hiding away somewhere, nowhere to be seen. As per usual.

That Mascherano questioned the referee despite his earlier yellow card is further testament to his commitment to the cause. And I submit that he has every right to question the referee; he did so in a non-threatening manner and was not abusive or confrontational in any way.

And Mascherano’s ‘dissent’ was nothing of the sort - he merely asked the referee ‘what’s happening’ after Torres was booked. Replays clearly show that he did not impede or intimidate the referee; he just had the audacity to question a decision.

Why is this wrong?!

What is the game coming to when the simple questioning of a referee’s decision is deemed to be a yellow card offence? If the player launches an intimidating Roy Keane style tirade then I can understand the ref taking action, but Mascherano did nothing of the sort.

Mascherano was entitled to question the decision; indeed, civilised discussion between referees and players on the pitch has been a staple of football since the game first began. In such an important, passionate game, referees should expect to have their decisions questioned and act accordingly.

There are those who will argue that given his earlier booking, Mascherano should have stayed away. Why? I'm sure he had no idea that simply asking the referee a question would lead to him being sent off!

If Mascherano had said nothing, then he would have been as bad as Steven Gerrard, who is supposed to be looking out for the players on the pitch. If the so-called captain is not going take the responsibility, then someone has to step up to the plate.

As a result of this ludicrous, irredeemably pathetic decision, the game was ruined. Ten years ago, nary an eyelid would have been raised at such behaviour. Indeed, ten weeks ago, a referee would just have waved him away! Refereeing standards are in the gutter and football is being ruined as a result.

Football used to be a game of men - no more. It’s now a sanitized game where passion and competitiveness are slowly being eradicated.

And fair play to the much maligned Andy Gray, who slammed the decision during his half time comments. He was absolutely right in everything he said, whereas Jamie 'jellyfish' Redknapp (predictably) sided with the referee.

Andy Gray and Jamie Redknapp perfectly illustrate the clash between old and new values: Gray is an old school, no-bullshit' type of guy, who like many, hates the way football is being turned into a passionless, sanitised non-contact sport.

Redknapp on the other hand is a typical 'modern' footballer - always following the crowd and jumping on the bandwagons, spouting whatever opinion is most popular at the time.

I've never had a problem with Andy Gray, and the accusation that he is biased against Liverpool is complete and utter drivel without any foundation in fact.

Anway - Liverpool lost the game, and Steven Gerrard was anonymous against Man United again.

And at the end of the game, what happened? Xabi Alonso and Jamie Carragher headed straight for the ref and expressed their frustration and discontent. Passionate as ever, Carra actually had to be pulled away.

Where was Steven Gerrard, Liverpool's so-called Captain?

Nowhere to be seen.

There is one positive thing that has come from this incident: Mascherano showed all the qualities necessary of a true captain and this bodes well for the future. As of now, he is officially my choice for next captain of Liverpool FC.

The sooner the better.

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Drop the spin, Rafa. Four defeats in seven games proves that Steven Gerrard is not an 'inspirational captain' for England

In response to speculation that Fabio Capello is about to snub Steven Gerrard for the permanent England Captain role, Rafael Benitez has argued that Gerrard should retain the job as he has ‘shown he can do the job well’. However, a cursory glance at Gerrard’s 7 games leading the team show that this is, in fact, pure nonsense.

In Gerrard's defence, Benitez argued: "Steven has captained England before and he has shown he can do the job well so I am surprised that there is talk that he might not be captain in England's next game.

"It is not up to me to make the decision and Capello is lucky because he has some very good candidates for captain but if he was to ask me I would tell him that Steven is the right man.

"Terry and Barry are both good players and good captains for their clubs so they are good options for England. But I see Steven every day, in matches and in training, so I know what he brings to Liverpool and that is why I think he would be the right man”.

So let’s examine Benitez’s assertion that Gerrard has ‘shown he can do the job well’. Below is table detailing every game in which Gerrard has captained England.

Date	Opponent	Competition	Score	Result
31/03/2004	Sweden	International Friendly (Away)	0-1	Loss
07/02/2007	Spain	International Friendly (Home)	0-1	Loss
13/10/2007	Estonia	Euro Qualifier (Home)	3-0	Win
17/10/2007	Russia	Euro Qualifier (Away)	1-2	Loss
16/11/2007	Austria	International Friendly (Away)	1-0	Win
21/11/2007	Croatia	Euro Qualifier (Home))	2-3	Loss
06/02/2008	Switzerland	International Friendly (Home)	2-1	Win

How exactly does 4 defeats in 7 games prove that Gerrard has shown he can do the job well?! Against the minnows, England do well under Gerrard’s ‘leadership’, but when the going gets tough, he does not have what it takes to motivate the team.

This is most obvious from the two crucial defeats against Russia and Croatia in the Euro 2008 qualifiers. These two games were vital to England’s qualification hopes, and this is where Gerrard’s so-called ‘inspirational leadership’ was needed.

It never materialized though, as England put in two shocking, directionless displays that led to England embarrassingly failing to qualify for the tournament.

If there is one game that sums up Gerrard’s failure as England captain, it is the ignominious defeat to Croatia.

All we’d heard in the week leading up to the game was Gerrard eulogizing in the press about how much he loved England; what an honour it was to Captain the team and how the Croatia game would be the biggest moment of his career.

But when it came to the crunch, the fabled ‘world class’ ability and much vaunted passion and inspirational leadership was nowhere to be seen.

There was a woeful 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.

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.

Of course, Rafa is obviously going to say that Gerrard should be captain of England. After all, he probably knows that the only way to keep Gerrard happy is if everything is going his way.

If Capello dumps Gerrard from the England captaincy, it will inevitably mean a period of sulking, which will no doubt affect his performances for Liverpool.

Benitez also managed to crowbar-in the ultimate Gerrard cliche: "If you think back to Istanbul and the FA Cup final against West Ham in Cardiff you will remember how inspirational he can be as captain."

This is all we hear from Gerrard apologists in response to any criticism of Gerrard's leadership ability. My question is this: When has Gerrard ever inspired England (as a player or a captain) in the way Benitez describes?

Never is the answer.

This is why he is the wrong choice to be England Captain. As much as Liverpool fans loathe John Terry, club-bias should be put aside and the facts should be taken into account.

In 13 games as Captain, England have won or drawn 11 games under Terry and lost only 2. Terry is clearly a more vocal, motivational, successful England captain than Gerrard and I would argue he has more of a ‘common touch’ than Gerrard, in that he isn’t a sulker, isn’t as self-absorbed and probably commands more respect.

Of course, I will be slated by short-sighted fans who can’t understand how as a Liverpool fan, I can praise John Terry.

Tunnel vision is not the mark of an intelligent fan in my view; Liverpool fans have always been thought of as knowledgeable precisely because they know when to accord respect and praise to rival teams/players.

In any event, I’m sure Capello’s feelings will have been swayed by Gerrard’s recent public rant – not the best example of someone being an inspiration to the team.

Capello may also have taken note of how Gerrard Stabbed John Terry in the back by shamelessly lobbying for the captain’s role when there was speculation that the FA wanted a change.

Rafa can spin the situation all he wants, but if the reports about Capello are true, then it (thankfully) proves that the Italian can see what I’ve been arguing for years: That Gerrard is a poor Captain for England.

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POLL: Arrigo Sacchi claims that Steven Gerrard 'is not a great player'. Is he right or wrong? VOTE NOW!

POLL: Arrigo Sacchi claims that Steven Gerrard 'is not a great player'. Is he right or wrong? I personally agree with him, but what do you think? Cast your vote now...

Opinion Polls & Market Research

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Once again, Liverpool's players are consumed by sycophantic self-love

What is it about Liverpool and public comments?! If it’s not depressing, pessimistic negativity it’s the other end of the extreme – cocky, fawning, self-congratulatory overconfidence. The last week has been filled with this type of tedious eulogising and it's been the same all season.

Every time Liverpool have put together a decent run this season, players have been falling over themselves to proclaim each other the ‘the best in the world’. This has continued in the last couple of weeks, with Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres taking it in turns to stroke each others’ egos.

After the Middlesborough victory, Gerrard fawned:

"He [Torres] is brilliant, fantastic. The best in the world, and I wouldn't swap him for any other striker anywhere”.

After the Newcastle victory, Torres joined in the strokeathon:

"He [Gerrard] is unbelievable. The best player in the world. And he is only going to get better."

A week before that, Gerrard eulogized Torres as ‘Frightening’ in another starry-eyed homage to Liverpool’s top scorer.

Perennial press-whore Dirk Kuyt also joined in the act, describing Torres as the "very best striker in the world".

The same thing happened after the 2-0 victory against Inter Milan’s 10 men at Anfield recently. After the game, Jamie Carragher lauded Gerrard as "The best player in the world”.

In turn, Gerrard described Carragher as 'a legend' and 'one of the best defenders in the world'

Wow. Liverpool apparently have the best defenders, midfields and strikers in the world!

If that's true, how come the team is struggling for 4th place in the league?!

The season has been plagued with this type of premature overconfidence. Indeed, after the victory over Marseille in the Champions League in December 2007, Liverpool players were again out in force, smothering each other with effusive praise, with Jamie Carragher enthusing:

‘He's [Gerrard] is definitely one of the best players in the world. You look at Kaka and Messi, but they probably play for forward’.

Other comments included Dirk Kuyt calling Ryan Babel 'a sensation'; Torres claiming Rafa to be 'One of the greats' and 'more than just a Manager'; Steven Gerrard labelling Torres 'amazing' and Jamie Carragher (again!) salivating that Torres is 'world class'.

This type of fawning is typical of footballers, who think every time someone has a good game they are ‘world class’ or whenever the team plays well it becomes ‘the best’ or ‘one of the favourites’.

Regrettably, this trend for self-obsessed narcissism pervades all aspects of football, with the most pungent example being players releasing autobiographies when they’re still playing. Just like the recent spate of vainglorious comments, such behaviour is jumping the gun.

What happened to being humble in victory? Since when did Liverpool become a club that brags about its success before it’s even achieved anything?!

The club is so full of players boasting about each other’s ability that’s it’s hardly surprising that much of the season has been tainted with mediocrity and underachievement.

There is nothing wrong with having faith in your team-mates, but do we have to hear about *all the time*?!

You never hear the likes of Wayne Rooney or Cristiano Ronaldo bigging each other up like this. In fact, there are no other players in the premiership who boast as much as Liverpool’s players do.

This rampant egotism has to stop. First of all, it is incompatible with what the club is supposed to represent. Second of all, it is completely UNWARRANTED! So a few players have a few good games. BIG DEAL! What has the club won yet or come close to winning?! ZILCH, thus such praise is premature and undeserving,

The likes of Gerrard, Torres and Kuyt should just keep their heads down, get on with the job and keep their sycophantic platitudes in check until they’ve actually *won something*

And if I have to read anymore of Steven Gerrard's tiresome 'rallying calls' before games...

Aaaagh! He is the absolute master of stating the obvious and repeating the same old tired, cliched drivel over and over and over and over.......and over and over.....

I dread to imagine the outpouring of self-congratulatory boasting if Liverpool beat Inter Milan tonight.

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More evidence of Steven Gerrard’s self-absorbed arrogance

After having the breathtaking temerity to criticise people who had the audacity to interpret his recent, blatantly negative comments as…negative, arch media opportunist Steven Gerrard is back in the spotlight again with a cheap attempt to take all the credit for Liverpool’s recent run of good form.

People will inevitably think that my interpretation of his latest comments is unduly harsh, but one has to view the comments in the context of Gerrard’s self-satisfied, egocentric character.

When discussing the recent victory against West Ham at Anfield, Gerrard couldn’t resist painting himself as the catalyst for Liverpool’s revival:

"I know I called for an improvement recently and the way the performances have gone I am obviously pleased”.

Translation: The team’s resurgence is down to my genius and if it wasn’t for my inspirational powers of motivation, we would still be playing gutter football. The rest of the team needed to start performing at my amazing level and now I’ve dragged them single-handedly out a slump, everyone should be worshipping ME.

I love the way Gerrard refers to his recent pessimist rant as 'calling for an improvement'. What nonsense. As usual, Gerrard believed that everyone was holding HIM back and he spat his dummy out in the press as retaliation. After all, nothing must get in the way Gerrard's pursuit of personal glory.

Anyone who doesn’t have their head in the sand can see that Gerrard didn’t need to begin his answer with that line. He said it like he was answering a question but he wasn't! The line was shoehorned in because he has a self-serving, narcissistic character that thrives on praise and ego massage.

The rest of his comments were perfectly reasonable:

"We were all disappointed with the inconsistency at home but against West Ham we started to put that right. It was a good team performance, I said well done to all of them. But we have another big game on Saturday and we must keep doing this right to the end of the season. There is still a lot of pressure on us to get fourth place.

"This is now a massive month for us, it will be tough all the way now. It is important for us to continue our league form. We have won the last three and if we can beat Newcastle on Saturday we will be able to focus on a huge game away to Inter Milan on Tuesday. That's so important for us now."

He could have just dropped that first line and said the above but his thirst for praise and validation prevailed.

Gerrard made sure he spoke about the collective for most of his interview, but don't be fooled; he may refer to 'we' and 'us' but you can bet your bottom dollar that he doesn't sincerely include himself with everyone else in the team.

Gerrard's attitude is and always has been: I am the best - why am I surrounded by these crap players? This is obvious from interviews down the years and his 'I'm so much better than this lot' posturin