In horse racing every jockey will tell you that when you are riding a finish on something with a chance of winning all pain, tiredness, hunger etc. is gone. You don't feel a thing, you just get every last ounce from yourself and your horse to get to the line first. But when the race is long gone from you and you have to compete to just get the horse over the line it is one of the hardest things to do. Every struggle is intensified, your muscles ache, your head pounds. With every stride you feel every niggling injury, every breath is harder to draw.
And I think this is where Steven is at right now. Last season was one big adrenaline ride for him. Nothing could stop him. He knew every step took him closer to his holy grail. He would have played 100 games without stopping last year because the carrot was dangling in front of him. But this year, it was apparent very early on that we were no where near title contenders and now everything looks laboured for him. It takes so much more effort. It's like the adrenaline has worn off and he's crashing. Last season he felt invincible, this season he looks like hes feeling every day of his 34 years!
Surely it is plain for all to see what Man City are getting out of Lampard with the way they are utilising him. And surely Gerrard can be just as (if not more) effective at that job for us. We've quite clearly seen that the team can play very well without him as a constant figure!
No one can take away what this man has done for this club, but he still has more to offer. It's just a small adjustment...
Logged