Not many players can pull rank on Steven Gerrard, but when it comes to free kicks, Luis Suarez seems to have final say, and Liverpool's captain has revealed that, these days, he has to fight for the right to take free kicks.
After scoring a magnificent free kick goal against Sunderland last night, Gerrard told reporters:
"I don't usually get a go at them.
"Suarez has been magnificent on set-pieces but sometimes you need people to step in and I got that one.
"He wouldn't let me take one at Cardiff, but it doesn't matter who gets the goals."
This suggests that Gerrard asked to take one of the free-kicks against Cardiff, and Suarez refused to allow it.
You have to admire Suarez's chutzpah. Not many players could get away with that; even fewer would have the confidence to repeatedly deny an LFC legend like Gerrard - who has a superb record over the years - the chance to take a free kick.
If Gerrard - the club captain - has to ask another player for permission to take a free kick, then it's clear that the balance of power is shifting. This change in the pecking order is hardly surprising, though, as Gerrard - like so may fans - seems to worship Suarez like he's some kind of deity.
Indeed, given the enduring affection for Suarez, I'm sure - given the choice - the majority of fans would rather see Gerrard leave than the Uruguayan. A poll to that effect would be interesting. Maybe I'll run one soon.
Suarez has scored some stunning free-kick goals this season, but many of his recent efforts have been off-target. As such, it's a good thing that he put his ego aside last night and acquiesced to Gerrard. If he hadn't, the Reds may have ended the night with a 1-1 draw, which would've been fatal for the club's title chances.
Suarez had an off-night overall against Sunderland. As usual, he worked extremely hard, but his passing/finishing was a little wayward, which makes Brendan Rodgers' decision to substitute Daniel Sturridge - who had a great game, and was clearly LFC's biggest goal threat - even more mystifying.
All's well that ends well I suppose, and the team held on the get the three points, which, ultimately, is all that matters.
Author: Jaimie K
After scoring a magnificent free kick goal against Sunderland last night, Gerrard told reporters:
"I don't usually get a go at them.
"Suarez has been magnificent on set-pieces but sometimes you need people to step in and I got that one.
"He wouldn't let me take one at Cardiff, but it doesn't matter who gets the goals."
This suggests that Gerrard asked to take one of the free-kicks against Cardiff, and Suarez refused to allow it.
You have to admire Suarez's chutzpah. Not many players could get away with that; even fewer would have the confidence to repeatedly deny an LFC legend like Gerrard - who has a superb record over the years - the chance to take a free kick.
If Gerrard - the club captain - has to ask another player for permission to take a free kick, then it's clear that the balance of power is shifting. This change in the pecking order is hardly surprising, though, as Gerrard - like so may fans - seems to worship Suarez like he's some kind of deity.
Indeed, given the enduring affection for Suarez, I'm sure - given the choice - the majority of fans would rather see Gerrard leave than the Uruguayan. A poll to that effect would be interesting. Maybe I'll run one soon.
Suarez has scored some stunning free-kick goals this season, but many of his recent efforts have been off-target. As such, it's a good thing that he put his ego aside last night and acquiesced to Gerrard. If he hadn't, the Reds may have ended the night with a 1-1 draw, which would've been fatal for the club's title chances.
Suarez had an off-night overall against Sunderland. As usual, he worked extremely hard, but his passing/finishing was a little wayward, which makes Brendan Rodgers' decision to substitute Daniel Sturridge - who had a great game, and was clearly LFC's biggest goal threat - even more mystifying.
All's well that ends well I suppose, and the team held on the get the three points, which, ultimately, is all that matters.
Author: Jaimie K
Based on their recent interaction on the pitch, its clear as day there is mutual respect.
ReplyDeleteSuarez leads the league in Goals AND Assists this season. Gerrard has subsequently deferred to him on free kicks, which Suarez has been consistently a threat from there. Again, the key there is "defer" as in SG makes the conscious decision to let Suarez take the kicks.
ReplyDeleteSo this means that Gerrard treats him as some sort deity?
And obviously Gerrard lets him do it (not the other way around).
I'm not going to take the Cardiff quote so literally.
1. Gerrard still takes all the penalties.
2. Gerrard took the free kick last night.
He doesn't need Suarez's permission to do anything. He's the Captain, and if he wants to take the kick, he's going to do so, just as he did last night.
I think this season, you've done an excellent job with keeping the "deity" talk to a minimum, and when you have used it this season, it's been with good reason (at least in my view). This particular case though, it's a bit of a stretch.
Gerrard takes all the penalties so maybe free kicks are designated to Suarez. The goals Suarez has scored from free kicks blow most out of the water.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you should read through all of Gerrard's fawning comments about Suarez over the last year. He, perhaps than any single person (bard Rodgers) has lionised Suarez to an incredibly sycophantic degree.
ReplyDeleteYou're not taking the Cardiff quote so 'literally' because it wouldn't suit your argument. Gerrard said Suarez 'wouldn't let me take one against Cardiff' - why would he not be telling the truth about that.
I don't doubt there's mutual respect, nor have suggested otherwise.
ReplyDeleteThis man JK will do what it takes to take a shot at LS. Dude let it go we are moving forward! Of course no one can tell you what you should do or write so I hope you understand it's goes both ways. Mourinho makes a sub or tactical decision and he is a genius BR makes one and his is questionable. We are in 2nd place with 7 games to go and people are still trying to tell the manager what he should do. Amazing grace indeed!!!
ReplyDeleteIf you are going to poll who fans would prefer to leave, remember if you are giving us a choice, then we get to decide what the choices are. One choice should definitely be 'neither.'
ReplyDeleteWhat does Mourinho have to do with this? Why don't you just focus on the issue at hand instead of trying to muddy the waters. And there's no 'potshot' against Suarez in this article. Perhaps you should stop being so hyper-sensitive.
ReplyDeleteNo, I get to choose what the choice are. Goes with the territory. Sorry :-)
ReplyDeleteI taught certain players have been pick ahead to do certain task. SG takes the long set pieces and PKs and LS takes the short set pieces. So it's ok for you not "worship the deity Suarez" but not ok for others to do the opposite??? Even if you have not said that you are implying it. You can't imply what other's should do or not do even if you don't write the exact words. I think it's you who said we should read between the lines.
ReplyDeleteIt will skew the results because a lot of readers won't bother to vote for such a binary choice.
ReplyDeleteHyper-sensitive is a little too arsh! The issue at hand is BR sees what you don't see. Yes Millions are watching the game but he is the manager and his philosophy is what has brought us to 2nd place. Your last sentence in the article was Suarez worked tirelessly so it will make no sense to take him out because he was an enigma to the defense. And let be honest if it was Mourinho everybody will be lauding him. My friend let's not go there between you and Suarez!
ReplyDeleteYou've gone massively off the point. What does Rodgers have to do with this? And you are hyper-sensitive - you're looking for negatives about Suarez in this article when there are none. You're trying to turn this into something it's not.
ReplyDeleteGive me a break. It won't skew the results at all, you're just trying to make out it will because you don't like the subject of the poll, or what it might show. Football-related polls rarely have such an option.
ReplyDeleteJK JK You wrote the article and asked the question (and I am paraphrasing) why Sturidge was taken off and he was the one having the better game out of the two? Which I think my comment above answer's it. So I don't see any negatives been spew by me. I am going by what you said. I am amazed that you are saying that someone else is trying to look for negatives about Suarez!
ReplyDeleteIf one of them must go then I will sell Suarez.He'll earn us at least 70 million and, as good as he's been, Suarez is no match to Gerrard as an icon and as the face of the club, so Gerrard stays until the end of time.
ReplyDeleteThat would just explain why most polls are crap anyway.
ReplyDeleteI never said you did, this was just my point of view :)
ReplyDeleteWell, you are looking for negatives :-) You said I was trying to 'take a shot' at Suarez, which I wasn't. Why can't you just take the article for what it is, instead of becoming overly protective, and trying to defend his honour when it's not necessary?
ReplyDeleteHaha! I am just stating my opinion JK. Somebody has to defend the man I mean he is not perfect but people will take shot at him at anytime they get.
ReplyDeleteNor did he suggest that you suggested he suggested there was a lack of mutual respect!
ReplyDeleteI thought some people might take issue with Sturridge being subbed, which is fair enough since he was clearly having a better game than Suarez but I agreed with it at the time.
ReplyDeleteI think, although it might challenge the conventional wisdom, Suarez is the better counter-attacking player. He lacks the pace of Sturridge and pace is usually the key ingredient in an effective counter attack but Suarez's movement, anticipation and ability to hold the ball up make him the superior option in this regard. I'm talking about goals like the ones against Cardiff (no. 6) and Everton (the run from the halfway line). Even his half way line goal against Norwich last season can be seen in these terms, I think. Has a nice rapport with Sterling too (though Sterling may be less effusive given his reaction to Suarez's 3rd against Cardiff!).
Racist. I've got a mate called Tomasz and he is a lovely bloke.
ReplyDeleteIt's called humour.
ReplyDeleteAs I am not taking the quote literally to suit my argument, you are taking the quote literally because it suits your argument... There's nothing wrong with that. Simply my interpretation followed by the evidence that I presented about the PKs and last night's free kick. If given the choice, Suarez would take everything. If Gerrard kicks the PKs and took the free kick last night, he has the choice first. Hence, I'm not taking the Cardiff quote literally (in fact, I found it humorous and a bit dramatic).
ReplyDeleteAnd now I will ask you this about the quote you just referenced if we lose Luis... is Gerrard wrong?
If Luis left last summer, would the club be where we are now? Highly unlikely. Would we be able to replace 28 goals and 11 assists (both league-leading)? Highly unlikely.
Whereas you find them to be "massively counter-productive", I find them to be simple reality. Gerrard told it like it was and the club kept him in spite of his buy out clause being met by Ar5ena1.
Right now, Luis Suarez is the most talented player on the team (and one of the best on the planet). That's not speaking of him as some sort of "deity". Nor is that hyperbole. It's the simple truth. Over the course of a season, there's one player we'd miss the most, who is virtually irreplaceable. Suarez is that player. (Though I'd argue that Stevie and Sturridge are second and third in whatever order). There is no one player bigger than the club. The club is simply better with Suarez than without.
Is that my opinion? Sure.
My point is that it doesn't mean that we "worship" him in any way. In it's simplest terms, we would rather play with him than against him. And Stevie is the Captain through and through, but there are times when he "defers" to Suarez, who he recognizes is no slouch.
FILIBUSTER!
ReplyDeleteIn fairness, there's no shot at Suarez or Rodgers here. Of all the times to pick an argument about that, this isn't one of them.
ReplyDeleteI took it as more of looking ahead to Sunday and not risking anything with Sturridge's health. If you recall, he had the slight knock earlier in the game with his neck (though it didn't seem to affect him all that much).
ReplyDeleteThe team should be able to hold up for the final 15 minutes without him.
Precaution is all.
Gerrard may be right, bit that's not really the point.
ReplyDeleteIs Gerrard's comment about Suarez helpful? Does it inspire confidence? Is it the kind of thing the leader of LFC should be saying in public? Will it galvanise other players?
I'm taking Gerrard's comment literally because there's no reason not to. He stated something in public, and I see no reason why he's not being sincere.
I don't think there was any suggestion he was suggesting that
ReplyDeleteJK a really annoying ad keeps coming up for BATES MOTEL when my cursor rests on any of the many ads on this page
ReplyDeleteIs the quote correct? I get the meaning but is there a typo and where does it come from please?
ReplyDeleteTo be fair he said most not all.
ReplyDeletePendants rule OK. Or to be more accurate they dont actually rule etc etc .......
It's telling the hierarchy at LFC to make sure they hold on to him... which they did... in spite of what his contract stipulated.
ReplyDeleteSo here we have a question that you're asking about who "rules the roost" at LFC... well, suffice it to say based on this quote you used and what subsequently happened after that, it's FSG and Stevie G.
Agree. The trouble with quotes is they cannot convey the subtleties of verbal communication. He was almost certainly only being half serious.
ReplyDeleteThere's a typo in the original quote. It should say 'where we sit right now'. It comes from The Telegraph:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/10215319/Luis-Suarez-must-stay-loyal-to-boost-Liverpools-chase-for-Champions-League-football-says-Steven-Gerrard.html
I mean Gerrard being given permission by Suarez to take a free kick. Ha Ha!
ReplyDeleteDon't forget it was Suarez who earned the free kick. Not bad for someone on an off day
ReplyDeleteNor was I suggesting that I was merely pointing out nor did he suggest that he suggested he suggested there was a lack of mutual respect!
ReplyDeleteYears of studying Bird Law have prepared me for these kinds of wranglings.
ReplyDeleteGood point. I still stand by what I said but I think in this case, you're very likely correct.
ReplyDeleteYeah, you're right, because, as we all know, Gerrard is a regular Frank Carson in that it is the way he tells 'em.
ReplyDeleteLook I'm not saying I agree with it, but Bird Law in this country is not governed with reason
ReplyDeleteIn other news...
ReplyDeleteHoffenheim star Roberto Firmino has ended speculation over his future by agreeing a new deal at Hoffenheim.
That puts an end to any more rumours of us being linked with him.
I don't know f the article has een edited since you read it but the closest quote to the one you have used is as follows
ReplyDelete"We need that one exciting marquee signing who can play in one of the attacking positions [working with Suárez]. That’s why we are talking along the lines of keeping Luis because if the club lose Luis we take a step backwards. He’s the best footballer I’ve ever played with"
In this context it seems pretty innocuous and even more so in the context of the entire article which was clearly written some time back.
It does though contain an amusing prediction from SG when he says he thinks Man Utd will be OK this season......:-)
Jaimie K I don't know why I bother reading your absolute dribble! Why would you not let the 3rd at worst 4th best player in the world take a free kick ahead of yourself knowing full well he's better than you at dead ball situations. If Gerrard did over rule Suarez it would be utterly selfish, footballs a team game. I know sack it Minoglet I'm better at saving PK's I'm going in net for this one........ Bore off you loser.
ReplyDeletenow we know why Gerrard and Suarez wrestles during the celebrations. Its about the mutual understanding between thems.. Maybe Suarez confident of his freekicks and on that occasions he felt that Gerrard should take it. Suarez has an animal instict! Anyway keep going Reds, we'll fight til the end! YNWA
ReplyDeleteFrank was a mate of mine RIP
ReplyDeleteDid I see Coutinho taking corners too?
ReplyDeleteHaha, Gerrard is no sycophant. He is just honest and knows more about football than a part-time web writer. He sees the man every day and plays with and against him in practice.
ReplyDeleteGerrard seems to be okay with the fact that LFC is Suarez team now.
Maybe it is time you accepted it. Gerrard seems fine with it.
Don't you get it? Luis decides who stays and who goes ....:-)
ReplyDeleteEvery player on the team looks very confident to me. Does that answer your question? Or maybe you can have a glance at the table and that night answer for you.
ReplyDeleteStuart, are you serious? In my previous comment, I've included a link to the Telegraph article from where the quote originated.
ReplyDeleteNo it doesn't. Extending a contract means nothing these days, and it's sometimes a strategy to ensure the selling club gets a bigger transfer fee.
ReplyDeletenothing mystifying about the substitution, sturridge comes off every game as advised by the physio.
ReplyDeleteGood thing Stevie took the kick as he got the goal, same with another time this season he took the kick and scored. But theres a reason Suarez takes them, he out of nowhere became one of the best, hes got 3 this season, got a couple last season, and has a high strike rate - average is about 5% conversion rate.
ReplyDeleteBesides that though yeah, Suarez had an off game, but the team had a bit of an off game. Lets be serious though if it were Chelsea, that would be a tremendous victory by their standards.
And all this selfish nonsense - think Johson and Coutinho set the tone on that with their shots from outside the box - still Suarez managed 3 key passes, and attempted a few more that didnt work - also credit to Sunderland for shutting down the attack, they parked the bus, and I dont think anyone had any qualms about the chances that were taken - the defense made things difficult.
Unfortunately some dont quite have the same vision (Cout and Johnson) to make the right passes at the right time, hold on to it a little longer. Suarez can have an off night, and its still not bad.
Sturridge played well, and too bad he was subbed off - would have rather see Allen going.
On another note - not that these things are the holy grail, but Liverpool is ranked 3rd in Europe right now, only slightly behind Bayern and Barcelona, and Suarez is ranked as Europes top player.
How do you know this?
ReplyDeleteSuarez is the best player in the league, we would suffer without him. He is essentially irreplaceable - although I am not a scout.
ReplyDeleteBut there is someone more important than Suarez at LFC - the manager.
Brendan Rodgers has implemented the "vision" he had for the club, I thought he was good when he arrived, but doubted he could back everything he talked about up. He has proven himself now and improved a lot of players in the process.
It is essential that he, and his staff, have the final say on signings because it takes a lot of character and unselfishness to play the BR way. These attributes are key in new players.
LFC will be a real draw for players this summer. This will reduce the purchase price in many cases compared to previous years - there's nothing like player power in our favour
I'm sure there's a hierarchy in Melwood based on perceived player ability and status. For example, in a preseason game, Alberto really wanted to take a direct free kick but Henderson told him to go away because he wanted to take it. Hendo put it over the bar but it was clear in that situation who had the authority.
ReplyDeleteSuarez is a relentless character who always wants to win and always wants his way. This, topped with his ability, is why Suarez can tell the skipper who is going to take the free kick. If Suarez was half as good with less of a reputation, Gerrard wouldn't allow it. If Flanagan asked to take a free kick he would have no chance.
If Gerrard recognises ability then he will allow someone else to step up. Players like Riise and Aurelio have hit tremendous free kicks in the past. Penalties are a different matter, where no one will take a penalty if Gerrard is on the pitch unless he explicitly allows it (e.g Sturridge).
I don't see how Sturridge's substitution is mystifying. Like someone commented below, Suarez is a better counter attacking player, and more importantly, Sturridge is a lot more injury prone. We need him fit for the last 7 games.
ReplyDeleteNot sure Suarez acquiesced seem to me Stevie just hit it before Suarez got the chance hahaha
ReplyDeleteMy first thoughts were Sturridge based on his performance looked more likely to get another goal than Suarez.. I disagree about counter attacking. Sturridge with Coutinho in the side is alot more dangerous than Suarez with his runs behind the line.
ReplyDeleteSuarez is better at coming short to receive the pass and starting an attack. That said you're right about the injuries and we need to protect our players.
It's mystifying to me, because that's my opinion. Is that okay?
ReplyDeleteI believe Rodgers sub's struddige more often than suazrez due to his proneness For injury. Only rational reason I can think of.
ReplyDeleteGerrard was joking around saying he wouldn't let me take one. Its humour. They were joking on the pitch after the goal. This article is blown out of proportion. Typical journalist style taking a few words and making it into a story. When they are talking seriously its all about the team. Everyone who is interviewed on a serious note is all team based. Its great.
ReplyDeleteHow you can write things like 'its clear the balance of power is shifting' after that interview is just crazy talk.
About Gerards comments regarding if Suarez leaves, well he's telling the truth isn't he. Losing Suarez would be a massive step backwards. I think it goes without saying that the club will kick on and find a replacement. Look at it this way, if Gerard said something like theirs no one bigger than the club blah blah... Everyone after would be thinking 'yeah right lose Suarez and we are going to struggle'. Look what happened when Alonso left... We all know how devastating it can be to the team to lose one of your best most influential players.
Anyway enough negativity, watching Liverpool these days is a joy to behold.. A bit nervy last game but you cant win comfortable all the time.
Come on Redmen!