One of the biggest recurring myths about Liverpool FC is that the team doesn't perform without Steven Gerrard in the side. With Gerrard set to miss crucial games against Arsenal and Hull through injury, the time has come to lay this particular myth to rest once and for all.
Updated to include the victory over Hull City on the 25th April (originally posted on 19th April 2009)
The irrefutable truth is this: Liverpool do just fine without Gerrard in the side, and history proves this beyond a shadow of a doubt. To illustrate this, I've examined every competitive game Gerrard has missed since the 2000-2001 season, and the overall results are thus:
Total games played without Gerrard since 2000 - 79
Wins - 48
Draws - 12
Defeats - 19
Goals For – 134
Goals Against – 68
Unbeaten in 76% of games
* Won 60% of games
* Lost 24%
* Drew 16%
* Average 1.7 goals scored per game
* Average 0.8 goals conceded per game
As you can see, these statistics are superb:
* Unbeaten in almost 8 out of 10 games without Gerrard in the side.
* Almost 2 goals per game scored
* Less than 1 goal per game conceded
I don't dispute that Gerrard is important to the side - of course he is - but as recent results have proven, Liverpool can survive without him and have done so many times in the past. Of course, I would prefer to have Gerrard in the team, but if he's not, we should still be confident in the team.
This is why I am not worried about the upcoming Arsenal game. Based on past history, there is an excellent probability that Liverpool will win the game, or at least not lose, which would be an utter disaster for our league chances.
So - from this point forward, the argument that Liverpool struggle without Gerrard in the side is no longer credible in any way ;-)
Below is a list of every game Liverpool have played without Gerrard since the 2000-2001 season:
2008-09
Aston Villa 0-0
Man United 2-1(sub)
Crewe 2-1
Spurs 2-4
Fulham 0-0
Portsmouth 3-2
Man City 1-1
Blackburn 4-0
Chelsea 4-4
Hull 1-3
PL 10 W5 D4 L1
2007-08
Sunderland 2-0
Toulouse 4-0
Derby 6-0
Chelsea 0-2
Luton 1-1
Fulham 2-0
PL 6 W4 D1 L1
2006-2007
Bordeaux 1-0
Reading 4-3
Birmingham 1-0
Galatasaray 2-3
Portsmouth 1-2
PL 5 W3 L2
2005-06
CSKA Sofia 0-1
CSKA Moscow 2-1
Blackburn 1-0
Anderlecht 1-0
Fulham 0-2
Charlton 0-2
WBA 2-0
Blackburn 1-0
West Ham – 2.1
PL 9 W6 L3
2004-05
Norwich 3-0
Olympiacos 0-1
Chelsea 0-1
Fulham 4-2
Deportivo 0-0
Charlton 2-0
Millwall 3-0
Blackburn 2-2
Deportivo 1-0
Birmingham 0-1
Tottenham 1-1
Burnley 0-1
Bayer Leverkusen 3-1
Juventus 0-0
Aston Villa 2-1
PL 15 W7 D4 L4
2003-04
Chelsea 1-2
Yeovil 2-0
Chelsea 1-0
Villa 1-0
Tottenham 1-2
PL 5 W3 L2
2002-03
Leeds 1-0
Spartak Moscow 3-1
Crystal Palace 0-2
Middlesbrough 1-1
Birmingham 1-2
PL 5 W2 D1 L2
2001-02
Man United 2-1
West Ham 2-1
Tottenham 1-0
Newcastle 2-0
Grimsby 1-2
Boavista 1-1
Leicester 1-0
Fulham 2-0
Newcastle 3-0
Charlton 2-0
Tottenham 0-1
PL 11 W8 D1 L2
2000-2001
Arsenal 0-2
Rapid Bucharest 1-0
Derby 4-0
Slovan Liberic 1-0
Chelsea 2-1
Stoke 8-0
Leeds 2-0
Roma 2-0
Man City 4-2
Roma 0-1
Derby 1-1
Everton 3-2
Coventry 2-0
PL 13 W10 D1 L2
Updated to include the victory over Hull City on the 25th April (originally posted on 19th April 2009)
The irrefutable truth is this: Liverpool do just fine without Gerrard in the side, and history proves this beyond a shadow of a doubt. To illustrate this, I've examined every competitive game Gerrard has missed since the 2000-2001 season, and the overall results are thus:
Total games played without Gerrard since 2000 - 79
Wins - 48
Draws - 12
Defeats - 19
Goals For – 134
Goals Against – 68
Unbeaten in 76% of games
* Won 60% of games
* Lost 24%
* Drew 16%
* Average 1.7 goals scored per game
* Average 0.8 goals conceded per game
As you can see, these statistics are superb:
* Unbeaten in almost 8 out of 10 games without Gerrard in the side.
* Almost 2 goals per game scored
* Less than 1 goal per game conceded
I don't dispute that Gerrard is important to the side - of course he is - but as recent results have proven, Liverpool can survive without him and have done so many times in the past. Of course, I would prefer to have Gerrard in the team, but if he's not, we should still be confident in the team.
This is why I am not worried about the upcoming Arsenal game. Based on past history, there is an excellent probability that Liverpool will win the game, or at least not lose, which would be an utter disaster for our league chances.
So - from this point forward, the argument that Liverpool struggle without Gerrard in the side is no longer credible in any way ;-)
Below is a list of every game Liverpool have played without Gerrard since the 2000-2001 season:
2008-09
Aston Villa 0-0
Man United 2-1(sub)
Crewe 2-1
Spurs 2-4
Fulham 0-0
Portsmouth 3-2
Man City 1-1
Blackburn 4-0
Chelsea 4-4
Hull 1-3
PL 10 W5 D4 L1
2007-08
Sunderland 2-0
Toulouse 4-0
Derby 6-0
Chelsea 0-2
Luton 1-1
Fulham 2-0
PL 6 W4 D1 L1
2006-2007
Bordeaux 1-0
Reading 4-3
Birmingham 1-0
Galatasaray 2-3
Portsmouth 1-2
PL 5 W3 L2
2005-06
CSKA Sofia 0-1
CSKA Moscow 2-1
Blackburn 1-0
Anderlecht 1-0
Fulham 0-2
Charlton 0-2
WBA 2-0
Blackburn 1-0
West Ham – 2.1
PL 9 W6 L3
2004-05
Norwich 3-0
Olympiacos 0-1
Chelsea 0-1
Fulham 4-2
Deportivo 0-0
Charlton 2-0
Millwall 3-0
Blackburn 2-2
Deportivo 1-0
Birmingham 0-1
Tottenham 1-1
Burnley 0-1
Bayer Leverkusen 3-1
Juventus 0-0
Aston Villa 2-1
PL 15 W7 D4 L4
2003-04
Chelsea 1-2
Yeovil 2-0
Chelsea 1-0
Villa 1-0
Tottenham 1-2
PL 5 W3 L2
2002-03
Leeds 1-0
Spartak Moscow 3-1
Crystal Palace 0-2
Middlesbrough 1-1
Birmingham 1-2
PL 5 W2 D1 L2
2001-02
Man United 2-1
West Ham 2-1
Tottenham 1-0
Newcastle 2-0
Grimsby 1-2
Boavista 1-1
Leicester 1-0
Fulham 2-0
Newcastle 3-0
Charlton 2-0
Tottenham 0-1
PL 11 W8 D1 L2
2000-2001
Arsenal 0-2
Rapid Bucharest 1-0
Derby 4-0
Slovan Liberic 1-0
Chelsea 2-1
Stoke 8-0
Leeds 2-0
Roma 2-0
Man City 4-2
Roma 0-1
Derby 1-1
Everton 3-2
Coventry 2-0
PL 13 W10 D1 L2
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Now, how about statistics of the games when Gerrard did play? That would be helpful too...
ReplyDeleteYNWA
I think your most important player this season has been Mascherano. I don't have stats to back me up, but you seemed to miss him at Anfield against Chelsea.
ReplyDeleteyeah, mascherano absence was one of the key factors that lead to our 1st leg defeat of champs league with chelsea... in fact, he was the most carninal player missed on that match.. with him on the team, the defence is always solid...
ReplyDeletebut on stevie's and torres' case, we finally got that settled... this team can win w/o them ..Finally, we're seen as a real serious contenders ...
Great article Jaimie.
ReplyDeleteI believe the rest of our midfield become liberated when Gerrard is missing and take much more responsibility individually.
Sometimes when Gerrard plays, there can be a tendency for the other players to give him the ball at every opportunity.
Of much more concern for the team is how well we do without Torres. Him being on the pitch is often enough to unsettle defenders whether he scores or not.
Cheers Nik
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you re the midfield becoming liberated when Gerrard is out. I'd even go so far as to say that maybe Gerrard getting injured at this stage of the season is a blessing in disguise.