What is up with our Captain ?

I'm probably going to ruffle a few feathers here, however I feel its a question that needs to be asked.

Now exactly what Is up with our Captain ?

Is it match fitness/form ?

Is it the fact that we are out of the Champions league ?

Is it the fact that we are reliant on teams around us to drop points to have the remotest chance of fulfilling his title ambitions ?

Is he disillusioned by the departure of Alonso ?, an interview he did do said he was gutted by Alonso's departure.

Is he more focused on the World Cup now that in his eyes the big trophies have passed him by this season ?

Is he frustrated by the lack of quality in the squad ?

Has the weight of our being our talismanic skipper become such a weight on his shoulders ?

Has the nightclub incident had some strange effect on him ?

Has his head been turned in seeking to fulfill his ambitions elsewhere ?

Is it a culmination of all/some of these having an effect on Gerrard ?

What ever the reasons our Skipper, seems to be going through the motions in games and is not displaying the influential  leadership qualities we all know he is capable of, Instead he is moping around the pitch with a face like a smacked arse looking totally disillusioned with life at Anfield.

Now I'm going to court controversy here and suggest our Skipper needs stripping of the captaincy as If he can't find it within himself to motivate himself, then how is ever going to influence and motivate others around him ?, It may also give Stevie the kick up his arse he needs to raise his game and regain his focus.

Discuss.

I can't really tell what it is because he's been playing rubbish from the start of the season. People are very quick to blame kuyt, Lucas and whoever else for playing rubbish, but if our captain is virtually non-existance (and by that I mean he's nowhere near as much involved or as influental in a game as he should be), then there is a massive problem. He needs to sort it out because everytime he plays and we play crap, I'm going to blame him and no-one else.

I think the pennys dropped he will never win a title winners medel with this manager and these averge players , dont be shocked if he goes in the summer . 

I'm going to blame him and no-one else.

Thats a little extreme mate as there is 11 players cross the line onto the pitch, my main gripe in that is when Stevie is on the field it his role primarily to lead by example and inspire the lads when things are going against us, he looks deflated for some reason and lacks the inspiration he has shown us over the years to do just that and therefore in my opinion one way or the other the role has become a burden on him.

Thats a little extreme mate as there is 11 players cross the line onto the pitch, my main gripe in that is when Stevie is on the field it his role primarily to lead by example and inspire the lads when things are going against us, he looks deflated for some reason and lacks the inspiration he has shown us over the years to do just that and therefore in my opinion one way or the other the role has become a burden on him.

I was a bit quick with that. What I really mean is I'll blame him and rafa. Reason is because they are responsible for driving the team, giving them inspiration and sorting out any of the problems we had in the previous matches, but every week Gerrard looks uninspiring and rafa plays the same tactics and same football without fixing any of the faults.
I can't really blame anyone else when our best player is not up to it.

Dont think he ll ever forget that kiss from Xabi on their special night in Istanbul.
To see him running around enjoying his football in Madrid must be hard for him.
Mrs Gerrard probably has a terrible time getting him away from the tv when la liga is on

Well he's not fit that's the main reason

He currently looks as though he is carrying all the clubs problems on his shoulders.I wouldn't be surprised if he has been tapped up about a summer move,and has this decision to make also.

I think the pennys dropped he will never win a title winners medel with this manager and these averge players , dont be shocked if he goes in the summer .  

And a Happy New Year to you to!

I should probably add here I don't believe for a second that Stevie will ever be stripped of the captaincy and I really hope he finds his form and the belief in himself and the others around him in the second part of the season, I'm just of the thinking It may just give Stevie the kick up the arse he needs to find his focus if it was to happen.

I'd say all of the above.

Hopefully he get's it sorted and F***ing quick.

We have half a season still to play and if he gets his sh*t together anything could happen.

I'd say all of the above.

Hopefully he get's it sorted and f**king quick.

We have half a season still to play and if he gets his sh*t together anything could happen.

Agree.

Here is another angle.... Read his book recently, and in it he mentioned that when he had family problems a few years ago (back in Houllier's day) his form suffered badly.

Not wishing to pry, and not living locally, I wonder if there is some family issues in the background which is causing this.

Bottomline though, he has not had a good season so far, and if he doesnt sort it out, I would give the armband to Pepe, whom I think has been outstanding (again) this year.

He is hardly on poor form, 2 goals in 3/4(?) games, the blame is obviously on Lucas, Kuyt etc because unfortunately they are not good enough. For to long now people on here have been accepting, even embracing Lucas and Kuyts negativee style of play, never have these two players consistently produced decisive plays in a match, both prefering to leave it to somebody else, if it were up to Lucas and Kuyt we'd be playing side to side throughout the entire match. This is due to lack on confidence caused by fans picking up on their lack of quality, but what are we supposed to do, revel in the negativity?

The problem is, and as always been that we are to reliant on Gerrard, it seems that the entire team is looking to find Gerrard then hope he produces the killer ball to Torres or the killer goal, and because Gerrard has to play the killer balls then obviously his pass completeion is going to be below that of Lucas, because Gerrard has to play the much more difficult pass.

Lets not forget, Gerrard is 30, he isn't as young as he once was, maybe having to make up for the incompetence around him is taking its tole. Saying he is walking on to the field and sulking is way off the mark, he might be hurting, but that is not to be confused with sulking.

But yeah, key goals against Wolves and Reading, yet he is having questions asked about his attitude and commitment, a less comitted player would have left 5 years ago, and my biggest fear for him is that he will not win the premierleague but stay at Liverpool, and neither will he have our full respect by the end of his career.

I would finally like to say that of all the knee-jerk threads on here that people so hate, this is by far the top of the pile. (or has been made into one by the responses) Forget the ones calling for Rafas head, this is tops. Half way through an injury effected season, on decent form and people calling for his armband to be removed and as I stated before questioning his attiude and commitment to Liverpool pretty much sums up the psyche of some people.

As Aussie Red said mate, it's a combination of all the possibilities you've mentioned in your opening post. His fitness is a major contribution as when he is firing on all cylinders he is the best in the world at what he does. As for missing Xabi? Of course he does, he had a telepathic understanding of Alonso, they both knew what each other were going to do and they were a lethal pairing. His frustration this season is plain to see, that link has been broken and Lucas is light years behind Gerrard in terms of game intelligence. How many times this season have you seen Gerrard play a one-two, thread a ball through, flick it with the back of a heel, produce a defence splitting moment of sheer brilliance, only to see nobody running onto it?

The players around him are so far behind in terms of ability and form that he must be tearing his hair out. I really feel for Gerrard, i really do. He's not getting any younger and as each year passes by, his frustrations grow. After last seasons assault he must surely have thought that this would be the year he would lift the Holy Grail. He could have gone anywhere else and he would have racked up a living room full of medals, but he loves this club with a passion that can only be rivalled by that of Jamie Carragher. I personally don't think he'll leave in the summer, he just loves this club too much. If he did leave, i wouldn't blame him, he would go with my blessing. He deserves to be playing with top quality players and if he were never to lift the EPL trophy then it would be a gross injustice of mammoth proportions.

The truth of the matter is that the players around him are not good enough and that must be killing him inside. The same thing happened with Cristiano Ronaldo last season, though it all started the season before, he was looking around at his team mates and thinking to himself, "Why am i playing with this shower of sh*t?". The only difference between the two is that Ronaldo wasn't a born and bred Manc. Stevie is a pure blood Scouser, that is the only reason he is still here.

We need 2 top quality players this month, and by top quality i mean £20 miliion plus players. Are we going to get them? I seriously F***ing doubt it. Would Hicks and Gillett be tempted by an 'alleged' 40million euro bid from Inter Milan? Well, it would keep RBS off their backs for a while. This transfer window will define our season. The owners have to back Rafa to the hilt this month, Champions League qualification is crucial to this club's income, we need to strengthen the squad if we are to entertain any hopes of a bright future.
 
Ask yourself this question. Would you be playing with a big F***ing grin on your face if you were under the pressure that Stevie is? If you had to play with sub-standard team mates week in week out regardless of how sh*te their performances were, would you be content? If new owners came in and started stripping the club of its prize assets, would you be happy? If you knew that the club you loved were slowly being destroyed by a pair of useless cu*ts, would you be calm and relaxed?

I would finally like to say that of all the knee-jerk threads on here that people so hate, this is by far the top of the pile. (or has been made into one by the responses) Forget the ones calling for Rafas head, this is tops. Half way through an injury effected season, on decent form and people calling for his armband to be removed and as I stated before questioning his attiude and commitment to Liverpool pretty much sums up the psyche of some people.

Its nothing to do with the pysche of some people at all mate, the thing is Gerrard looks to be carrying a hefty weight on his shoulders, now if some of that weight is removed it may just help him up his game and find the form we all know he is capable of, alleviate the pressure and let Gerrard do what he does best, Its not calling for him to be dropped from the side just to shake things up a bit and reinstall the fire in the belly's of our players.

In no particular order.

Fitness
Family issues
Title and CL gone
Eyes on the World Cup

Whatever it is I hope he not only returns to the form he is capable of, but I also hope he remembers his huge responsibility as club captain and starts to act like it on the pitch.

My thoughts on the matter can be found here:

Yeah Stevie's out of sorts but i believe it's more down to the mediocrity that is allowed to thrive around him than his skill as a footballer. If we want to see him play to his best then play proper footballers along side him. Players he can play the ball to and move in front of for a return ball.

We should understand his frustration and needs.

The truth of the matter is that the players around him are not good enough and that must be killing him inside....
 
......Ask yourself this question. Would you be playing with a big F***ing grin on your face if you were under the pressure that Stevie is? If you had to play with sub-standard team mates week in week out regardless of how sh*te their performances were, would you be content?

Exactly!  

If Stevie has personal family problems or any other problems at all, then it is up to the players around him to raise their games. The only other players who have so far this season have been Torres and Masch. That's just not good enough. Gerrard isn't the problem here. Kuyt, Insua and Lucas should be the ones under scrutiny, and more importantly, why is Rafa persisting with them?. Are we Liverpool Football Club or Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres Football Club?

If Stevie has personal family problems or any other problems at all, then it is up to the players around him to raise their games.

Disagree.  Steven Gerrard gets paid enough to put personal issues in a box labelled 'Personal Issues'.  I don't think we're asking too much of him to put maximum effort and concentration in to 90 minutes a week for Liverpool Football Club and the millions of fans around the world.

He is the club captain.  I can accept captain's going through a bad spell in form - it happens to every player. What I won't accept is any Liverpool captain seeing a team underperform and waltzing around the pitch providing little motivation to the rest of the players.

If Stevie has personal family problems or any other problems at all, then it is up to the players around him to raise their games. The only other players who have so far this season have been Torres and Masch. That's just not good enough. Gerrard isn't the problem here. Kuyt, Insua and Lucas should be the ones under scrutiny, and more importantly, why is Rafa persisting with them?. Are we Liverpool Football Club or Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres Football Club?

I don't disagree mate, but with Stevie as our leader/captain should it not be up to him to motivate these players to up their games ?

Don't get me wrong I love Gerrard to bits I think he's the proverbial "Dogs Bollocks" when he's firing on all cylinders, and I certainly agree with the mediocrity surrounding him issue, how ever if he can not motivate/inspire the players on the park perhaps its best to take the responsibility from his shoulders.

Lets be honest Stevie has never been the most Vocal captain perhaps that is what you need when you are going through a difficult period ?

He is hardly on poor form, 2 goals in 3/4(?) games, the blame is obviously on Lucas, Kuyt etc because unfortunately they are not good enough.

Stop blaming Lucas ffs. He has been one of our most consistent performers this season and one of the better players. Kuyt has been awful though, I'll give you that.

As JD said, it's up to Steven Gerrard to raise his own game and put off the field issues to one side and have the concentration to help this team back to where it belongs.

My problem with Stevie at the minute is not the fact that hes below par every player in the world plays below par every now and then. My problem is the attitude he seems to be carrying onto the pitch. He looks as if he his not 100% committed at the minute. He looks a bit down, probably due to the fact the champions league is gone as most likely is the league. But he is the captain of LFC. Liverpool always has been and always will be bigger greater and more important then the individuals who pass through it.

He needs to get his head together and show the leadership qualities that that side needs right now. Some here rate him as the one to knock King Kenny from the perch as best ever well I know Kenny wouldnt play with an almost sulky attitude if things werent going his way. He wouldn't be brilliant every game but he'd always give 100% effort and there is were Stevie needs to look at himself, as do his teammates before Im attacked for placing our poor form soley on Stevie 

Disagree.  Steven Gerrard gets paid enough to put personal issues in a box labelled 'Personal Issues'.  I don't think we're asking too much of him to put maximum effort and concentration in to 90 minutes a week for Liverpool Football Club and the millions of fans around the world.

He is the club captain.  I can accept captain's going through a bad spell in form - it happens to every player. What I won't accept is any Liverpool captain seeing a team underperform and waltzing around the pitch providing little motivation to the rest of the players.

I have to disagree with you there too. He is having to go through a vast amount of mental torture at the moment. He is playing with sub-standard players at best and that in itself is just not good enough mate. Gerrard cannot win every game by himself, it is totally impossible. Gerrard linked up well with Alonso and Torres last season, they had no problem reading his game. Lucas is light years behind Gerrard, that link between midfield and forwards has been severed this season and that is painfully obvious to see. The problem is not Gerrard here, it is the players around him.

Why isn't there a 'Lucas has no creativity' thread? Oh yeah, because if anyone has the tenacity to criticise Lucas they get lambasted and the thread gets merged with the 'Let's Bash Lucas' thread. And why do we persist with Kuyt? He had a one off season last year and all of a sudden he is beyond reproach? Seems to me that Stevie is getting it in the neck because in reality he is one of only 4 players we have that are 'world class'. If we persist with these players we will win nothing.