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O Captain, my Captain

Comment: 0 August 16th, 2011 by: admin
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Drink up and rejoice, Merseyside:  Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is coming back next month to again grace the field and the hearts of many.

As one can imagine, everyone – squad members (old and new), fans, Kenny Dalglish – must be marking their calendars and counting the days.  Captain Steven Gerrard, Mr. Liverpool, is on the way back to recovery, and Anfield!

Or is he?

Which Steven Gerrard will Anfield actually be getting back by September?  The dependable hero rejuvenated and ready to lead his troops?  Or will it be a rickety, shadowy figure of a once-great footballer whose significance in the renewed club will continually diminish into nothingness?

Gerrard’s injury sustained in 2009 has been dragging him through an unpredictable range of conditions: operation after operation, with uncertain periods of rest in between.  And for a while, he dragged a dependent, Gerrard-centric team through the same ups and downs of his ordeal.

To an extent, it was not necessarily an unfortunate consequence; it was more of a predictable one.  It all had to do with Gerrard being the go-to guy; the heart, soul, and centre of the team.  The source of inspiration.  And pathetic as it may seem, the squad in one way or another failed to function without their fearless leader.

That changed, echoed public consensus, when Kenny Dalglish arrived.

Changing Times

Primarily as caretaker manager, Dalglish inherited from Roy Hodgson a team that was hobbling and in bad form.  But a few weeks at the helm and he was gaining respect from the players, the supporters, the officials and the media.

And with other Anfield figurehead Fernando Torres jumping ship for Chelsea not long before, Dalglish was swift to bring about new life to the squad, the likes of Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez.

As Dalglish continued to push Liverpool forward, it was apparent that his desire was to empower the team as a whole.  To create an entirely new squad no longer clinging like five-year-old sissies to one or two players to carry them forward.

One of the most widely-regarded changes made to Liverpool was the renewal of individual player power.

‘Often a new system, positional changes or tactical tweaking can make a major difference to a non-performing group,’ David Pleat of the Guardian noted.  ‘And with his three centre-backs system, Kenny Dalglish has certainly given his men fresh optimism.’

And there was no game that stamped Dalglish’s influence more firmly than the match with Chelsea, where the reds (to the exhilaration of fans still stung by Torres’ ‘betrayal’) stole a 0-1 win.

Amped-up tactics involved Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel and Jamie Carragher, supported by Martin Kelly and glen Johnson – all in all becoming part of a formidable positioning strategy working wonders.

Experts also noted players like Dirk Kuyt, who had been given a more active role for both the offensive and defensive fronts.

That game, and many others, had defined Liverpool as a brand new team, where teamwork and collective strategy ruled, and triumphed.

And as Liverpool clawed their way up to 6th place, Dalglish’s status as the team manager was virtually set.

Also, it was during that transition when perhaps Gerrard’s role as the sole go-to man was beginning to diminish.

A New Hope?

After years of being the squad saviour, Gerrard’s absence brings a feeling of loss, albeit temporary.  But after Liverpool’s 6th place finish last season (after almost getting a peek at Champions League rank), one has to ask: what kind of motivation and inspiration is needed now?  And is Gerrard in the picture?

Coming so close to reclaiming glory, the squad’s priority shifts now from seeking what was lost when Gerrard left, to retaining what seems to be working, and pushing it further.

And it seems Dalglish is out to do just that.

The competition in midfield has massively increased; thereby, Gerrard’s on-field presence drops in importance.  His condition had already resulting in a number of recuperation leaves (i.e. absences).  Responding to the situation, Dalglish called in the likes of Lucas Leiva, Jay Spearing, Charlie Adam, Jordan Henderson and Alberto Aquilani to cover the holes left by a missing Gerrard.

Apparently, it seems Liverpool have severed ties with their passive two-man strategies wher the other 9 stand like spectators that somehow wandered into the field.

And maybe there is the fact that, with his miracle of raising an almost-dead club back to life, Dalglish has become the new inspiration at Anfield.  Known as one of the greatest footballers and managers in Liverpool’s history, Kenny Dalglish is suddenly bigger than Gerrard.

Ironic as it may seem, Dalglish’s attempts to make the club work as a team has made him a figure fans look up to.  All hail King Kenny, the new ruler whose every decision is met with faith and support.

No longer are Gerrard’s mere presence and skill the only source of hope: they now look to King Kenny, the man who will lead them to victory.

Such a transition is usually slow but steady; make no mistake: it IS happening.  Should that be the case, Gerrard will begin to seem less like the Liverpool hero, and more like a part of the backdrop.

The King’s Red Knight

 And there, waiting in the wings and ready for battle, is Luis Suarez – the man quickly rising to new heights, and emerging as another Anfield icon and maybe King Kenny’s right hand warrior.

Suarez charges across the field running on skill that eclipses many.  And as if anointed with a sacred emblem, the Uruguayan brandishes the number 7 which, unbeknownst to the boy at the time, was Dalglish’s number during his days as a Liverpool player.

‘If I’d known then there’s no way I would have chosen it,’ said Suarez.  ‘When I arrived, the club told me there were five numbers.  I still don’t know why I chose No. 7.’

Suarez joining Liverpool drew from fans a positive attitude unlike any other signing in nearly ten years.

And why should it not?  The 24-year old striker has not disappointed, with 4 goals in 13 appearances for Liverpool the previous season.  Also, with 4 goals during Uruguay’s rise to eventually claim the Copa America title, Suarez is proving to be a tremendous force on the international stage as well.

The public has already pegged him as one of Liverpool’s greatest players – after just one season.

‘Of course it’s too soon to name Suarez as one of the Liverpool greats, but there’s no doubting his potential and the endless possibilities his presence at Liverpool creates,’ columnist David Hendrick wrote.  ‘Whenever Suarez receives the ball on the pitch, fans sense that some magic may be about to occur…From the moment [he] made his debut against Stoke, Liverpool fans have believed that we have a truly great striker to build our future around.’

No Place for Charity

Apparently some blokes have been calling for Gerrard to be shown the exit.  Although not in huge batches, opinions questioning the captain’s contribution to the club have been suggesting that, plain and simple, the club might be better off without him.

London-based sports data company Opta Sports spread the blunt numbers via Twitter, saying ‘2.4 – Liverpool have averaged a goal more per PL game without Steven Gerrard this season (14 games)than with him (1.14).  Evolution.’

As early as May 2011, other comments have been popping out, even blaming Gerrard’s presence of costing Liverpool (based on comparative numbers) a chance at the Premier League title last season.

No one is saying that they don’t want Gerrard coming back.  He is after all a legend, an icon, a hero.  Which is why the question might not be about him still being needed in Liverpool.

It might be about whether or not he can integrate h is play with Dalglish’s new system.   This new squad with newfound energy will in no way bow back down and let Gerrard take over.  No way on this Earth would Luis Suarez change his game for Gerrard’s sake.

The burden lies with Gerrard, and no one else, to find himself a spot in the new order.  After that, it’s his burden to fall into step and sync with the rest of the squad.  No way should there be any special treatments, no charity cases (which he will refuse anyway).  Either he adapts or he might as well head for the door.

Everything will unfold, slowly, come September.

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