Re: He's going. Well it all came down to this i said this a few months back gerrard is like the flake in a flake 99 without it the ice cream is not as satisfying. I certainly hope rafa doesnt add alot of spanish sprinkles and opts for bigger chocolate chip chunks from else where. And i dont know about the possibilty of this happening but here goes GERRARD LEAVES TO REAL MADRID for an UnDiScLoSeD FEE. I will f8cking kill some1 thinking of firing a roket under his chelski supporting agents bum Well he was a great playe i wanted a new jersey with his name know i am thinking of carragher
Re: He's going. Gutted yeah, but we've been through this before, no one could replace Kev, no one could replace Kenny, no one could replace Robbie, no one could replace Michael, the only thing that didn't happen we never replaced Michael O with a true class player, also lets not forget how injury prone S G is, so good luck where ever he goes (except in the EPL) and lets spend, spend, spend and come up with a couple of real world class player win the treble and then put the finger up to the scum and the London gits.
Re: He's going. Is this true? Tha agent won't get a 'cut' if a transfer request is turned in? It certainly works differently over there...;^) Damn, Damn, Damn...
Re: He's going. i am sorry for all liverpool fans but u must admitt his decision was inevitable!!! the CL win only made the decision harder!
Re: He's going. its very difficult not to feel some ill will toward gerrard right now. if he goes to chelsea it may not be too pretty when the the blues visit anfield in october.
Re: He's going. Certianly a disappointing day for me. However, whoever gets him is going to over pay, imo and the Reds will now have the opportunity to build a much deeper squad. I guess its to be expected in this day and age where building your legend at one club is no longer as important as maximizing your earnings.
Re: He's going. We must get at least 30-40 million for him, and that money should be used for the new stadium.
Re: He's going. Whilst any top player must be tempted by a move to a more successful and wealthier club, to say it was inevitable is just plain wrong... He could have stayed if he wanted to enough. Simple as that.
Re: He's going. This is really the only consolation for me. The trouble with last season wasn't the absence of quality, but depth. And since his value couldn't be higher (well, it would've been higher if he hadn't put in a transfer request, but then we wouldn't be talking about this) we stand to make $1.50 on the dollar, probably.
Re: He's going. From what i understand, Gerrard hasn't handed in an official transfer request. He has only indicated a desire to leave Liverpool FC which Liverpool themselves have made public knowledge. If he were to leave today, he would still get a severance package.
Re: He's going. In any event - I don't know why everyone is worried. This should allow us to sign Peter Crouch. I wonder if we will be better off in the long run without Steven Gerrard. I love to watch him play, but there are times where we get out of balance when he does begin trying to take over the game. Of course - a great team needs a player who can will a win and Stevie has been that guy for us. He also provides the steel amongst a growing number of flair players, and that makes us a credible side against physically tough teams such as Chelsea. If anything, this will make Didi that much more important for the side - though he certainly does not play the same role. I think there is going to be a tendency for Rafa to want to run out a midfield of Xabi, Didi and Luis Garcia. That would necessitate getting a +++ right winger/right midfielder and it would take a special striker to work alone ahead of that group. I just hope that we are mobile enough and that Xabi is comfortable doing enough of the grafting type of play in the league that he will have to do playing behind Luis Garcia. At least he and little Luis are both willing to get stuck-in - even if they are not as aggressive in the tackle as we are used to. I am going to miss those 45 - 50 yard passes that Stevie G was ambitious enough to play. But to be honest, Milan Baros spoiled so many of them that I don't think we will be much worse off with Xabi making 35 - 40 yard ones - especially since he plays them a touch more accurately. JAR will miss those passes, as Stevie G never missed an outlet to the ginger-top. I will miss those free kicks that StevieG finally figured out how to nail, but Didi and Xabi have shown they can serve a good one too. But if Steven Gerrard is content to sign for Chelsea, I will not miss him at all. He will lose his way a bit playing in that side anyway - maybe he will get a few more pieces of silverware, but it won't provide him with a more exhilirating sporting challenge. Chelsea might as well not even field out-and-out strikers if they have Robben, Duff, Lampard and Gerrard in midfield. There won't be enough touches for them. And honestly - who is he going to replace in the side? Maybe Mourinho's/Abramovich's deal with Satan includes a clause that Frank Lampard will break his leg every other year in exchange for wall-to-wall title runs each year and they are just planning ahead. Otherwise, is he going to play ahead of Lampard and see Chelsea put Drogba or Gudjohnson alone up front? Is he going to replace Makalele in a defensive midfield position - where he simply is not best employed? I just don't see how he fits in to their side. I hope that Struan Marshall fellow knows what he is onto for Stevie's sake. Otherwise I see him being just as outstandingly happy as David Beckhem perports to be every time a microphone is jammed in his face in Madrid. All one has to do is watch him play to know that it is not the same game for him anymore. But what this really means to me is that I am a Liverpool fan through and through. Michael Owen can come and go. Steven Gerrard can flounce off to our biggest rivals (I am still holding out hope for Real Madrid). But the club is bigger than any of these players. We handled the loss of Owen by achieving singular greatness. And last year we proved we could even excel without Steven Gerrard when we had to (though without his influence at key moments against Olympiakos and Milan - who knows what might have been). The greater the personalities that leave the club - the more my regard for the club as a whole rises. The team spirit and the institution that is Liverpool FC raises the whole team up. Just look at what has happened to Jamie Carragher. We may yet see the same thing happen to John Welsh or to some other player. At the same time - it is pretty splendid seeing that we still have players like Djibril Cisse and that same Jamie Carragher who respond to the loyalty they have been shown by the club by (sometimes tacky) effusive gestures of their love for the club. Sorry for the rather blowy, stream-of-consciousness style - hard to be coldly analytical when something like this happens (if it is indeed happening). A move of this magnitude and by a player in the circumstances of Steven Gerrard basically forces one to reevaluate what commitment and honor mean in sport.
Re: He's going. This entire attitude is bizarre to me. I imagine that players are now told by their agents that they should be content in their "new contracts" for exactly 60 - 90 days after signing it. And from that point on, they should be very circumspect if the club is not banging down the door to offer them enhanced terms. Of course this ploy is occasionally abandoned by players who eschew contact talks during the season "in order to concentrate on their play" only to revert to standard operating procedure (have the reasonable expectation that the club chief executive throw the £100,000/week offer on the table at the first meeting and scramble when the player tells them to get down on their knees and tell them they love him) THE moment that they determine it is the "right moment". I mean - when did Steven Gerrard sign his last contract? And why do they even call them 3 year contracts if the Bosman process makes it imperative to re-sign them the moment the first year is up or abandon all hope of receiving a credible transfer offer? If players continue to become so mercenery, they better watch out or teams are going to start signing stars to more performance-related contracts. They are going to leave you anyway, they are going to demand so high a wage that it is difficult to impossible to retain a big/quality enough squad, so why bend over backwards to them. If Steven Gerrard can be convinced by his representation to move from Liverpool to Chelsea (If this does indeed happen) - than what confidence can any club have in any player at the elite level?
Re: He's going. I'm a Yank. I hate agents. That's not hyperbole. They are simply the worst possible form of attorney/solicitor/barrister. I greatly admire Gerrard's football talent and spirit. If I may be permitted this one small petulancy, I think that he's an utter tosser to leave his club. It was his club, remember. Proper captains don't abandon ships. Now the only matter at issue, if I read things correctly, is to gain the highest possible dollar for him and hope that he doesn't contribute to Liverpool's league woes by playing at the Bridge. And, BTW, whatever has happened to Wayne? 33.5 million minimum and let it be Barcelona...
Re: He's going. Um, I think we should strengthen the team a little first. I don't know about you, but not winning the league won't feel any better in a shiny new stadium
Re: He's going. Hopefully a team like AC Milan joins the bidding. The more teams involved, the higher the price...and I think we should take slightly less money instead of send him to Chelsea. Chelsea should be used to drive up the price, but ultimatley he should be off to Madrid. By the start of next season Madrid will have more English players in the their first team than Liverpool and we may have more Spanish players than they do. We could be better off without him. There were always questions about whether a Gerrard/Alonso pairing would work. Alonso is better suited to be playing alonside someone like Hamann (or a new signing who can hold down the midfield). We can now afford to buy a player like Joaquin who could really add something speical to the attack. Joaquin is clearly available. Madrid have turned their attention elsewhere and Chelsea are going to sign SWP. Anfield could be a great fit for him.
Re: He's going. I agree with everything you have said. For a player in Gerrard's situation to need to be coddled to such a degree is simply unbelievable. For me, its about the club and its success. The disappointing aspect to this is that Gerrard, along with Carra, represented a local connection for the club, one that has historically driven its success. Having local kids who grow up dreaming of playing for the Reds and have the committment the cause no matter what really drives the heart and soul of everyone at the club. Loosing that is what hurts.
Re: He's going. The thought of him possibly wearing Chelsea blue makes me ill. That being said, I agree with everyone who's trying to look on the bright side. The cash in hand at the end of the day will certainly be welcome. It'll be interesting to see who Rafa brings in.
Re: He's going. From today's Fiver: I said this about Owen and I will say the same about Stevie if/when he leaves: I can't begrudge him for making a decision that he and/or his agent think is the best for him. Too often, we think athletes make career decisions from the POV of fans but at the end of the day, it's business. Athletes will pledge allegiance to a city or a club because that's usually the most financially wise thing to do - to stay in the same market and build the "brand". Sports are big business. It sucked when I found out Santa Claus wasn't real, and it sucked when I realized no athlete don't play out of love of the game or loyalty to a club. But that doesn't mean I don't still enjoy Christmas or soccer.
Re: He's going. They are a manipulative and malign breed, aren't they? Still, our working class heroes such as footballers need them to take care of complex issues such as contracts etc. And there there is the money. Unfortunately their biggest pay day seems to be when players move and moves such as this one must bring a Faganian gleam into the eye of an agent.
Re: He's going. He has stated that he would like to play in another league, and his game would be well-suited to the Premier League. He would be an excellent replacement for Steven Gerrard and Bayern Munich fans have never really taken too him as much as one would expect (perhaps Bavarian reaction to a player from former East Germany? I don't think his mediocre form in his first season explains it entirely). A great two-way player who is perhaps a more reliable goalscorer than Steven Gerrard. He would mesh well with a lot of the Spanish players as well. It comes as no surprise to me that he has always been rated by Barca. But with Van Bommel signed - and the financial realities that even Barca admits have placed some limits on their signing policy - perhaps Liverpool would be a better option at this juncture. Finally, Ballack has always regarded Didi Hamann very highly. Not only would he form an excellent understanding with him, but he would really enjoy playing beside him and being in the team with him I am sure. I think he would also respond well to a club with a manager and rather less autocratic structure than Bayern Munich. Ballack has always struck me as a pretty introspective guy who could do without some of the grandstanding that goes on at the club of Der Kaiser. I think the change in management helped things some, but I think he would really respond to the trust that Rafa places in his players. Supposing we got £35m for StevieG, I would be comfortable with £18m - £20m going towards a sally for Ballack, if he was interested. I don't think Bayern would be able to turn it down, either, though perhaps their new stadium will make a big difference in their approach to the financial side of the game.
Re: He's going. Ballack wouldn't be my choice. Only because he is an even more attacking player than Gerrard. It would leave Alonso with too much responsiblity in covering the back four. We should be building the team around Xabi Alonso now, and give him a midfield partner that gives him freedom to be the creative force in our midfield.
Re: He's going. I will take this attitude if StevieG signs for Real Madrid or AC Milan for £35m. But if he goes to Chelsea or is copasetic with a minimal fee like Michael Owen was after refusing to renegotiate his contract for so long - I say you are giving him too much credit. We are not the ones who said crap like "How can I leave after a night like this" or kissed the badge or what-not. His agent is giving him bad advice if he says that a move to Chelsea is the best for his client. Especially if we really are willing to pay up to £100k/week. He will not get to play as much or he will be forced to play in a less suitable position. If club loyalty or what-not are so intangible that we have to ignore them - how can we believe the claims of these players that "role" or "silverware" mean the most? Because Michael Owen is unlikely to get anymore silverware at Real Madrid (sitting on the bench) than he was at 'Pool. And Steven Gerrard will not likely have the combination of lynchpin role and success that he currently has at Liverpool - at any other club. If players like these were really interested in a sporting challenge - they would do whatever they could to make the team that they are at as successful as it can possibly be. Pulling a Karl Malone to the Lakers (sorry non-Yank readers) is a farcical way to get a "better sporting challenge". And you tell me that if it is better for StevieG's long-term career to move within the league to Chelsea and be considered yet another typical, play-for-pay player - or do what Alan Shearer, Roy Keane, Kenny Dalglish, etc have done. They signed for the club that they loved (or determined to love) and have given everything that they had for that club. And it has - or will - result in a far more stable platform for their future after their playing days are over than a guy like Kevin Keegan who never maintained that close identity with the club where he had his greatest success. These agent's have a very short-term outlook on financial matters. It is all about maximizing your income at its peak.