Thank you & farewell Steven Gerrard

I didn't say money did I Si?

I said he has a character that needs to feel wanted

Apologies mate and your correct that you didn't mention money although it has been talked about on here over the last day or so.

Scanned your post too quickly.

Some people only think what they see is what happens don't they?

Your last statement 'just having him around is important enough'

Think about that

Steven as we all know is a sensitive soul bless him, he nearly left in 05 as he didn't feel we wanted him or valued him enough.. Well this summer he had one year left and he had no offer in the summer by all accounts, apparently there was no contact at all with him post World Cup about wanting him to stay.. Then he (apparently ) has a few crossed words with the gaffer on his role and he is left out of the Real match away.. He have everything and waited long enough to get us back in that competition and was left out of the biggest game in the group as we fu**ed up the stage..

Them the offers from abroad came in, from reports before ours, and he thought about his future.

Look we don't know what's happened fully, but I don't and never have understood this reaction to have a dig at players, he has done everything for us and should be showered with nothing but thanks and adulation in my opinion

He's going yes.. Shame in my opinion but why do we need to look for reasons or blame him or complain that he's off..

It's happened.. But for me if we had offered him a deal before he went to the World Cup last summer he'd have signed it without thinking

Think about the offer we have him, between a third and half of his current deal.. How does that make sense in a commercial sense? How much are we going to miss out on with shirt sales in pre season tours and through the year.. Gerrard was our club icon

If we did indeed offer him between 1/3 and 1/2 of his current wages then that is borderline insulting, and its not surprising he turned it down. He should have been expecting a paycut, but not that drastic.
Was the offer really that low though?
If so, it would really worry me, given that we are reportedly offering Raheem £70k a week, which, again if true, would be another attempt to pay below the market rate.

Upto now I've been reasonably happy with the owners, but if we are going to lose our best players to penny pinching, then we'll go downhill fast.

He'll be back on loan after the LS season finishes, surely.

Since his announcement, there have been many comparisons with Lampard and Scholes and other English midfielders. I am not being biased in the slightest, Steven is head and shoulders above both of them, he really was the best of his generation. Lampard and Scholes had the luxury of playing in great teams and could never had had the impact they did for their clubs in our teams over the years.

I feel for Steven having had to play alongside the likes of Josemi and Nunez throughout his career. He should have far more medals to his name.

But anyway, I think the move is best for all considered. We need to look at a future without Gerrard, and Steven can have one last pay out with the luxury of living in America for a few years with his family. As sad as it is, this day was always going to come and I feel it is the right time. It does feel as if somebody has died though.

I thank Steven for his loyalty and for giving us many, many memories to cherish for the rest of our lives! Hopefully he will win that league title with us as manager one day.

Our top scorer and Rodgers has just said how he is still a world class player and crucial to the team...SO WHY LET HIM GO?!!?!

Oh yeah, we like letting our top players leave.

Too soon to let him leave, he still has plenty to offer.

SO WHY LET HIM GO?!!?!

Maybe the decision wasn't Rodgers...??

Maybe the decision wasn't Rodgers...??

The decision clearly wasn't Brendans. He's out of contract and we can't make him sign a new one of he doesn't want to. the boss has made it crystal clear that he wants the captain to stay, but Stevie has decided it's time to go. My guess is there's a number of factors at play, but the fact that he almost always cops the most flak off our own fans on forums and phone-ins after every poor team performance will have gradually taken its toll I reckon. It's weird, the rest of the football world can still see that he's a top player, it's only our own fans who like to put the boot into him. Sad and odd in equal measure.

The decision clearly wasn't Brendans. He's out of contract and we can't make him sign a new one of he doesn't want to. the boss has made it crystal clear that he wants the captain to stay, but Stevie has decided it's time to go. My guess is there's a number of factors at play, but the fact that he almost always cops the most flak off our own fans on forums and phone-ins after every poor team performance will have gradually taken its toll I reckon. It's weird, the rest of the football world can still see that he's a top player, it's only our own fans who like to put the boot into him. Sad and odd in equal measure.

Yeah the fans who instantly seize on every dip in form as proof that hes past it cant help.
But its lookin more n more to me that the club just didnt do enough to keep him. Carra has said as much, and danny murphy made the point tonight about him havin to go public to get an offer of a new contract at all.
Moneyball at work i think. Sounds like they made him an offer he couldnt accept to me.

Maybe the decision wasn't Rodgers...??

On the game tonight, I remember something along the lines of this being said by Shearer and it's probably the only thing that has ever been worth him opening his trap.

"If Liverpool wanted to keep Gerrard badly enough, then they could have done. I refuse to believe his head has been turned by the MLS".

Can't remember the exact words but you catch my drift.  Surely it wouldn't have been Gerrard's first choice.

Our top scorer and Rodgers has just said how he is still a world class player and crucial to the team...SO WHY LET HIM GO?!!?!

Oh yeah, we like letting our top players leave.

Too soon to let him leave, he still has plenty to offer.

Amen to that .

Nice to see him smiling and relaxed in the interview after the game today, maybe the decision to leave has felt like a weight off his shoulders. Well in again tonight captain fantastic.

We can go out about FSG taking it out of Brendan's hands, Gerrard wanting regular football etc etc but genuinely, if we offered him a reasonable contract before or just after the World Cup does anyone think he actually would have rejected it?

We were far too slow on this one.

We can go out about FSG taking it out of Brendan's hands, Gerrard wanting regular football etc etc but genuinely, if we offered him a reasonable contract before or just after the World Cup does anyone think he actually would have rejected it?

We were far too slow on this one.

The fact it took until November to even open talks was a poor decision IMO.

Thanks again, Stevie.

4 in 2.

Isn't there about 15M people living there? I'd imagine his every single move would be more in the spotlight if he moved to a smaller city?

Think he has relatively simple pleasures in life - a game of golf and a DJ with some Phil Collins tunes. He'll be fine wherever he goes.

With the level of celebrity there are in LA, he would hardly be bothered tbh. Whos gonna bother him? Mexicans, Ex-pats and a few college bros / highschoolers that watch soccer. Thats a WORLDLY difference than living in Liverpool. Carra wrote in the papers about how Gerrard stop going places because everywhere comes to a standstill where he going. Imagine that!

Plus there is the weather aspect vs NYC. Plus NYC is cramped and noisey / dirty (i live here). NYC is also owned by City (thats a no-no). The MLS i believe dont like to 'double up' teams with stars, they spread them out. And with LA losing Beckham and Donovan it seems like the most logical option.

If we did get to the FA cup final the date of that game is on the same day as Steven's 35th birthday.

If we did get to the FA cup final the date of that game is on the same day as Steven's 35th birthday.

And what a way it would be for Stevie to finish his Liverpool playing career with a winners medal.

On the game tonight, I remember something along the lines of this being said by Shearer and it's probably the only thing that has ever been worth him opening his trap.

"If Liverpool wanted to keep Gerrard badly enough, then they could have done. I refuse to believe his head has been turned by the MLS".

Can't remember the exact words but you catch my drift.  Surely it wouldn't have been Gerrard's first choice.

It went along the lines of  Stevie must have felt  let down at not starting his last game against real and BR should have took him to one side and said he won't start every game but will start all the big ones , along the lines of what whiskey nose done with Scholes and Giggs .

Steven Gerrard - 'I'll be a Liverpool FC fan til the day I die. I've lived my dreams'

Steven Gerrard insists his strong bond with Liverpool FC will never be broken as he insisted: “This club has helped me achieve my dreams.”

The Reds captain, who will bring the curtain down on 26 years of loyal service when his contract expires this summer, says he feels blessed to have enjoyed such a glittering career.

In an extensive interview with the ECHO, Gerrard dismissed suggestions that he felt let down over the Reds’ attempts to retain his services beyond the current campaign.

The 34-year-old midfielder, who has announced he will move to America to play Major League Soccer, says with his game-time at Anfield being reduced it was simply the right time to pursue a new challenge.

Gerrard revealed he snubbed approaches from a host of top European clubs, including Premier League sides, before opting for the States.

“It’s been an emotional few days for my family and myself since I made the announcement and I think it’s been the same for a lot of the supporters,” Gerrard told the ECHO.

“It’s been difficult but I needed to snap out of it quickly because there are important games to be played. There is still a lot to be achieved this season.”

The Decision

Gerrard went public with the news of his impending exit last Friday after making the toughest decision of his life.

“It was around a week before that I made my mind up,” he said.

“I’d done a lot of thinking and a lot of analysing. I wanted Brendan to be the first to know. I thought about the team and when would be the best time to announce it.

“After I told him we decided to sit tight until after the Leicester game on New Year’s Day. I didn’t want to wait too long.

“I knew that once January arrived and I was free to talk to foreign clubs the speculation would increase. The manager would have been facing questions about my future every few days and I didn’t think that was fair.”

Gerrard revealed it was a conversation with Rodgers a month earlier which ultimately proved crucial in his decision to depart.

It came around the same time in late November when the club offered him a 12-month contract extension.

Rodgers informed the talismanic midfielder that he would no longer be an automatic selection.

The prospect of becoming a bit-part player simply didn’t appeal to such a dominant figure who has been Liverpool’s driving force for the best part of two decades.

“I’ve got to be honest, that chat with Brendan came earlier than I was expecting,” he said.

“It was about a month before that he first mentioned to me about managing my game time. We had another chat on the subject recently – 10 days to two weeks ago.

“It was tough but I understood. It’s been very amicable. Everyone knows how much I rate Brendan. Our relationship is very good.

“There hasn’t been a cross word between us. Brendan has been fantastic for me. My only regret is that I didn’t get to work with him at a younger age.

“There is no finger pointing from me towards the manager or anyone else at the club."

I've never wanted to be a squad player

“From a professional point of view, everyone knows what I’m like and what I want.

“Since I was 16, 17 years of age, the moment I come into work on a Monday morning my preparations begin to play 90 minutes the following weekend.

“That’s the buzz. I’ve always worked hard all week to prepare and make sure my performance is right come the weekend.

“When it gets to the stage where you don’t know if you’re going to be starting or not it becomes different.

“I’ve never wanted to be a squad player. If I was missing games now, I’d be sitting out even more next season. I knew it would get worse and worse as time went on.”

Gerrard admits if Liverpool had offered him a new contract last summer he would have put pen to paper as at that stage he didn’t know his role would soon be reduced.

He had just ended his 114-cap England career to extend his club career. Instead it was November before there was an extension on the table.

“Yes, if a contract had been put in front of me in pre-season I would have signed it,” he said.

“I’d just retired from England to concentrate all my efforts on Liverpool. I didn’t want my club games to be tailored.

“My injury record had been fantastic for the past two and a half years and I had a great season from a personal point of view last season.

“It’s all ifs, buts and hindsight now. That period between the summer and the end of November gave me thinking time.

“There’s no blame and I’m not angry about it. There are other people in the squad and the club had other things to worry about.

“Liverpool Football Club have been unbelievable for me since I was eight years old. This club has helped me fulfil my dreams over and over again.

“The memories and experiences I’ve had over the past 26 years I wouldn’t swap for anything in the world.

“I’m a very lucky boy and I am also proud of what I’ve given back – the sacrifices, the dedication and the loyalty.

“I enjoy a very strong relationship with Liverpool Football Club and I don’t see that coming to an end. I hope to serve the club again one day.”

Gerrard, whose classy double in Monday’s FA Cup win over AFC Wimbledon took his tally for the campaign to nine goals, insists Liverpool’s struggles during the first half of this season played no part in his decision.

“It’s got nothing to do with how results have been,” he said.

“That’s not the type I am. If things aren’t going so well, I’d rather stay and help to put things right. I think I’ve shown that over the years.

“It simply came down to the fact that the idea of becoming a squad player didn’t excite me or motivate me.

“People can have their own opinion on that. But it would have been too difficult for me having been used to starting every game.

“I didn’t want to become a bit-part player. Coming off the bench here and there.

“The buzz for me is playing, contributing and helping the team. When you don’t know if you’re going to be sat in the stands or on the bench it becomes a bit different.”

It’s not easy being me at times

There were also off-field considerations. After spending his entire life in the goldfish bowl of his home city, Huyton-born Gerrard decided his whole family would benefit from some time away.

“It’s not just on the pitch in football but what you do off it as well,” he said.

“I think it will be good for me to come out of the city for a little while.

“Liverpool is my home and I love the city. But it’s not easy being me at times.

“Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t swap it for anything in the world because I’ve fulfilled my dreams. I’m not complaining about it but it’s one of the things I’ve gone over.

“Being a Liverpool player and living in the city, there are some cons that come with it.

“It can be difficult to come out of the house – to go to the coffee shop, go out for a meal, take the kids to the park or do the school run. The little things. That can be tough at times.

“Then there are the Steven Gerrard rumours – the bits and bobs you have to deal with.

“It will be nice to try something different - a new country, a new culture. To take the kids away so they can experience something new.

“It will be nice to be able to walk out the door without being recognised.”

Playing wise, there will be a weight lifted from his broad shoulders.

He has carried the hopes and dreams of Kopites for so long – Liverpool have always looked to Gerrard to provide the inspiration.

“I’ve never seen that as a burden,” he added.

“There’s been huge pressure and responsibility on me but I’ve always loved and embraced that.

“It’s been a massive honour to be captain of this club for so long and it will be right to the end.

“I’ll be a Liverpool fan to the day I die. I’ve lived my dreams."

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/steven-gerrard---ill-liverpool-8393442

Wasn't sure to put this here or the player thread, but sheds more light on Stevie's decision.

Oh Lord have we been blessed.

Steven Gerrard ● Best Goals Ever ● 1998-2014: http://youtu.be/UH6xY01jp5A

Wow right, everyone has been saying he shouldn't be playing every game for the full 90 minutes because he doesn't have the energy, forget all amazing loving loyalty and the memories. I'm talking about facts now.
He won't accept limited playing time then see ya mate, enjoy your adulation and vast fortune, us as LFC will move on and there is so much hypocritical nonsense just because he refuses to accept what all fans know is necessary that I can't fathom.
Snap out of the illusion, he simply has to go in order for players to not be under his shadows or any manager now or the next to have to get the OK from him without Gerrard pulling some rank.
See it for what it is and all the rest is history.

It went along the lines of  Stevie must have felt  let down at not starting his last game against real and BR should have took him to one side and said he won't start every game but will start all the big ones

What's a big game? Aren't they all supposed to count the same?

Of course he doesn't want to be a squad player, but he's 35 years old soon, and he's been used sparingly for his own good. Whether he likes to or not, he has to accept that, get on with getting behind the team, and making an impact when called upon whether he plays from the first minute or the eighty-first.

Finally, we come to the crux of the issue which is not, not wanting to be a squad player, nor wanting new experiences. It's simply down to the fact that we are where we are in the table and look well out of the title race in the immediate and near future. I guarantee you that if we were fighting it out with Chelsea and City for the end to the famine, there'd be none of this nonsense. But it looks like we won't be, so he's decided to give up the ghost now. As Carra did, as Torres did, and as Suarez wanted to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttvOh_H9u8U