6 Mar 2008

More evidence of Steven Gerrard’s inflated opinion of himself

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' posturing that arises in the form of body language and sulking whenever the chips are down.

I've highlighted a small thing, but it’s yet another example of why Gerrard is not fit to captain Liverpool FC.



9 comments:

  1. PATHETIC. PATHETIC. PATHETIC.

    This article, even if printed wouldn't be good enough to wipe my arse with.

    Wake up, grow up and start covering Anfield issues that actually exist, not rampant judgments of bog-standard generalised cliche' ridden footballer quotes to the press.

    On this evidence. you need to seriously reconsider your career path. Maybe you should work in Guantanamo Bay???

    A staggeringly atrocious attempt at journalism.

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  2. Stunning analysis. Thanks!

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  3. I come by here on occasion to read these posts.

    I see now they are written under the banner of "Critical realism about LFC" and I forget what the old banner said, but this is certainly more absurd.

    Unless you consider, say, offering a translation of a quote in the media, for example, to be less than exaggeration, and less than embellishment.

    Your translation is not pure. It is interpretation. Which is fine. But to posit it as an argument built on other arguments, and thus proving a thesis, or supporting a point, is inaccurate.

    I could care less whether you have an axe to grind or not, where your true feelings for Liverpool are or where they are not - just please for the sake of actual realism, don't call this realism, and don't call this journalism. This is neither.

    Rant if you want, be angry and frustrated, call for Rafa's head if you like - some of us do the same in reasoned and unreasonable moments - but don't hold yourself above others doing the same by saying it is that which it is not.

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  4. Is this article part of "someone's" plan to disturb Liverpool and it's captain again?.. Come on you guys, enough is enough... stop harrasing the team, if you want to take Stevie away from Liverpool, DO NOT STOOP so low as to critise him, he is a local lad, and he will always be fighting for his team.

    Of course, when people like this writer.. tries to stir things up... he/she must be up to som e mischieve to try to de-rail the team's efforts to reach the Champions league.... so, please lay off the team.. go write something else about some other teams....

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  5. Thanks for your comments, Matthew.

    You are correct - My article constitutes an interpretation of Gerrard's comments, i.e my opinion. But opinion is what this site is all about I do not hold myself out as presenting fact in any way. I think it is obvious this is an opinion site - I shouldn't have to put a disclaimer after every post saying 'this is just my opinion'.

    I tell it like I see it, and what I say is critical realism. Why? Because I am not burdened by club bias like so many other Liverpool writers.

    There is a ridiculous perception that criticising the team means you cannot be a 'real fan'.

    I disagree. In my mind, people who *do not* criticise cannot be real fans. Criticism is part and parcel of being a fan, and when it comes to critical realism about LFC, I think it is clear that I live up to this billing.

    Take this article for example. Everyone else, including the major media, is singing the same tune: SG's inspirational pep talk drags Liverpool out of their slump and variations thererof. I on the other hand argue that Gerrard has tried to direct media/fan praise his way by implying that his 'pep talk' is responsible for Liverpool's current run of good form.

    This is one interpretation. Many might disagree with it, but given Gerrard's history, I would argue the interpretation is valid.

    This is being a realist in my view. The reality is, Gerrard is a press whore with a thirst for validation, and his comments prove that.

    The first line: 'I know I called for an improvement recently...etc' is blatantly out of place! It doesn't fit with the rest of his comments. He just had to get it in there because he's trying to suggest he is responsible for the upsurge in fortunes. Why else would he say something like that unprompted?

    People unwilling to be realists will ignore this possible interpretation because they cannot bear to have their godlike view of Gerrard challenged. Yes, in isolation this is a small issue. However, considered in the context of five years of selfishness, arrogance and countless 'Me Me Me' comments, it is undoubtedly another small example of Gerrard's rampant egotism.

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  6. Anonymous

    I respect your views, but I do not apologise for my regular articles attacking Steven Gerrard. The fact that he is a 'local lad' is irrelevent. That didn't matter when he tried to leave for Chelsea TWICE, despite being captain of his hometown club. His local lad status didn't matter to him when he admitted England was more important than Liverpool.

    I want Gerrard gone from Liverpool, I make no bones about that. No one in the club's history has disrespected the club more than him. Argue all you like, it's true. He is a poor captain and a negative, self-obsessed whiner. His shadow looms large over the club, and he is stopping the club from moving forward.

    Everything about Liverpool is about HIM. Everything is changed, moulded and reorganised to suit HIM. One man should not have so much influence on the club.

    I support Liverpool FC - the team -not Steven Gerrard FC.

    Liverpool will soar without him, just wait and see.

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  7. Gerrards most recent comment only serves to stupify me even more. Can he just stick to playing? Maybe before a press conference he should be vetted by a PR officer. LFC needs less bad press I agree, but that should begin from the club and its employees. Im only now too aware how amatuer the PR unit at LFC has become. And really if anything, this blog is serving to denounce that.

    Keep up these 'crazy' articles, at least they provide some of the more equivocal supporters something to think about.

    As far as im concerned the majority of LFC journalists are a bunch of brown nosed desk monkeys with a banana dangling off a stick.

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  8. Hey Jamie,

    I love reading your articles. But there does seem to be more negative articles compared to positive ones.

    I do not doubt that you are a true fan. In fact I consider you more of a fan than those that, as you say, have 'blind-faith' in the club.

    Maybe its your presentation. Healthy criticism is great, but the words you chose sometimes gives of the impression of passionate hate towards some members of the club. A brief scan of the topics show up "Pathethic", "culprit", "disgrace", "what a joke". I respect your intention, but it does make you seem like you thrive on sensationalism.

    That's how I feel. As for Gerrard, sure he's not perfect, but he is somewhat inspirational. Maybe I don't understand the daily goings-on of liverpool as I'm all the way down here in Australia, but I am no less of a fan. I wake up at odd hours to watch the matches and their performance on the pitch effects me, as it does any other fan wherever they are. There is no logical explanation why I chose to follow them many odd years ago, but the passion is still true. And when I see Gerrard performing as he does (currently that is), its pretty darn inspirational.

    So while 'critical realism' is great, i think 'blind-faith' is kinda okay too. =)

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  9. Hazwan

    Thanks for posting, and I'm glad you find the articles enjoyable to read. And you're right - there are more negative articles than positive, but that just reflects my dissatisfaction with the way football is changing and how this is affecting Liverpool.

    I despise many aspects of modern football and I especially loathe the cult of the 'celebrity footballer'. Both of these things are having an impact on the values of the club, and this season has proved that more than any other.

    I judge everything that happens at LFC against the standards that have been maintained at the club since Bill Shankly became Manager.

    People may accuse me of living in the past, but I refuse to accept that desecration of the
    club's fundamental values is inevitable.

    I'm glad Gerrard is an inspiration to you, and I'm sure he is for many people. However, for me, many of the things Gerrard does and says are just incompatibale with my personal conception of Liverpool FC.

    And it's not just his double flirtation with Chelsea - it's everything he says off the pitch and his general demeanour and impact as a Captain. Steven Gerrard IS bigger than the club, and this disturbing to me.

    I don't care how good someone is, no one player should wield the amount of power Gerrard does. And it has gone to his head big time, you jujst have to examine his conduct over the last 5 years to see that this is true.

    I don't think many people understand why I am so critical of the club, and I am working on an FAQ that answers all this (so I don't have to keep explaining myself!) but like you, I am a passionate fan - I just don't like the way things are at the moment.

    And it doesn't matter where you are in the world, you're a fan and I don't dount your passion for the club. This is another thing that gets my goat, the spurious idea that to be a real fan, you have to live in Liverpool or go to games.

    Such nonsense. For a start, Anfield has a capacity of approx 45,000 people, so there is NO WAY even a small percentage of LFC fans can go to every game.

    Secondly, it is ridiculously hard to get tickets anyway, even for games which have lower popularity.

    The plain fact is, without out-of-town support and the worldwide fanbase, the club would wither and die. End of story.

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