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Showing posts with label Steven Gerrard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Steven Gerrard. Show all posts
Peter Anderson ⚽ With the international break nearly finished, all eyes will return to the EPL for next weekend's round of fixtures.

While Liverpool v Arsenal may top the bill, there will be a lot of attention paid to the Villa v Brighton game after Villa's appointment of Stevie Gerrard to replace the sacked Dean Smith. Smith did a great job of getting Villa back where they belong but a recent slump now has Villa looking down the table rather than up and the nervous board wielded the axe. 

Gerrard jumped at the chance to leave the Scottish backwater behind him and mix it at a big club in the world's best league. I really can't blame Gerrard. Scottish football is in a terrible place, with falling gates and the continuing spectre of sectarianism hanging over the game. I don't watch Scottish football. I can't remember the last time I watched 90 minutes. I do flick over to watch 5 or 10 minutes here and there and it is not pretty. The last time I watched a bit of a Rangers match the fans were singing UVF songs, and the last time I watched a bit of a Celtic game the Celtic fans were disrespecting Dundee's minutes silence for the war dead. Sad stuff indeed. The subsequent football was rubbish too, a lot of kick and run, park the bus stuff. 

But Gerrard had turned Rangers around and stopped Celtic's 10 in a row. He got the Gers playing some decent stuff and looking like a coherent team for the most part, but can he do it at Villa? I sincerely hope so. It seems inconceivable that he never won the league at Anfield, and though he never says it publicly, the desire to win the league as Liverpool manager must burn deep. But first he must succeed at Villa. No easy task, the EPL is unforgiving. The difference between success and failure can be paper thin. He inherits a decent enough squad with Mings, Matty Cash, Buendia and El Ghazi all underperforming this season. If he can lift those players and restore some form and momentum, he may have a chance. He also needs Danny Ings back from injury as soon as possible, along with Trezeguet and Douglas Luiz. After selling Grealish for £100m, there is cash in the kitty. 

I'm sure Gerrard would love to fish in his old Rangers team for some of his better performers, with Ryan Kent a possible target in January. Whatever happens they will be eager to add to the squad in January, because if they don't get a Gerrard bounce relegation is a real possibility. Newcastle are expected to pull away from the bottom and Burnley have finally found some form, while Watford have a new manager and a great attacking set of players. So, it is more than likely that some teams at the bottom will get themselves clear over the winter period. If Villa don't do the same, they are deep in trouble. First up is high flying Brighton at 3 o'clock on Saturday, it will be intriguing to see how this one goes. 

Good luck Stevie G.

Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports.

Now This For Stevie G

Peter Anderson in the latest from his run of soccer pieces, explores the future options for current Ranger boss Steven Gerrard.

Steven Gerrard is getting a lot of press this weather. With his success at Rangers and the rumours of Klopp's imminent departure from Anfield, the press is touting Gerrard as the next Liverpool manager. 

I'm having none of it. I can't see Klopp wanting to leave Liverpool under such a cloud. I believe he will stay and next season we'll see Liverpool back to their best. But it still throws up the question of what is next for Stevie G.

You don't have to support the Scousers to appreciate what a player Gerrard was. He really was like something out of Roy of the Rovers. Who can forget his last-minute winners in the Champions League and FA cup final against West Ham, or his headed goal that started the comeback against Milan in the CL final? In his prime he was the ultimate bow-to-box midfielder. His link up play with Fernando Torres was terrific and a joy to watch. 

At Liverpool he won the Community Shield, the FA cup, the League cup, the UEFA cup and the Champons League, the only thing he didn't win was the one he wanted most: the Premier League. And in the cruellest of sporting ironies, it was his slip against Chelsea that cost Liverpool the prize they craved so much. In 2014 Liverpool were 4 points clear at the top with 3 games left, the league looked all but over, until Gerrard slipped and gifted the ball to Demba Ba who duly scored. Liverpool lost and the collapse started. Even though my team, Man City, benefitted and won the league that year I really would have liked Gerrard to crown his career with the league trophy.

Now Gerrard is setting the Scottish league on fire with his brilliant management of Rangers. The league was all but won in January. While I'm not much of a fan of Scottish footy it has been great watching the Green Brigaders melting down on Twitter as their nailed on 10 in a row turns to dust. Cheers for that Stevie! But his success north of the border throws up the question of when to move south and to whom. He didn't win the Premier League as a player so obviously it's his number one target as a manager. He will have watched as his former England colleague Frank Lampard failed at Chelsea after moving from Derby too soon. So, if Klopp was to leave now and Gerrard is offered the job, he would have to take it lest he never gets offered it again, but you can't help thinking that it is maybe a year or two too soon. 

I think the best scenario for Gerrard is that he gets another season or two at Rangers, some more titles and a decent dig in Europe, then gets offered the Liverpool job. If he doesn't get the Liverpool job I am pretty sure one of the top English clubs will take him as he seems to be a serial winner. Whatever he does I will be watching on with great interest and hoping that he finally wins his first premier league title.

Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports.

So What Next For Stevie G?

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