Brendan Rodgers is apparently contemplating resting his captain for a major Champions League match.
Liverpool are in Madrid getting ready to play Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday. That means we're going to get to see Steven Gerrard try to work his umpteen millionth moment of European magic, right?
Brendan Rodgers has admitted he's ready to rest Steven Gerrard for Liverpool's game against Real Madrid.
— Tony Barrett (@TonyBarretTimes) November 3, 2014
.... oh.
If we can be honest here for a second, Gerrard has not exactly been, shall we say, effective this season for Liverpool. In point of fact, Rodgers' continued insistence on force-feeding him in to Liverpool's lineup has too often left the side unbalanced and disjointed in midfield. Gerrard has been struggling defensively for a couple of years now, but now this season his attacking influence has faded as well.
Make no mistake: Gerrard is still and will always be a legend in Liverpool. But it's become clearer and clearer in the last year that the end of the captain's career is approaching, and quickly. If Rodgers does "rest" Gerrard tomorrow in one of the biggest matches of Liverpool's season, it will just be the loudest sign we've had yet that the end is nigh.
Rodgers will likely explain away the decision as "protecting" Gerrard for a vital league match this weekend against Chelsea, but the simple fact is that Gerrard may just not be good enough any more to have an effective influence as a starter against a club as talented as Real Madrid. He could still perhaps make an impact as a substitute, but that alone is a sign that Gerrard just doesn't have the magic in his right leg that he once did.
What Rodgers does in midfield tomorrow instead of starting Gerrard will be interesting. Jordan Henderson, who as vice-captain will be wearing the armband tomorrow, is seemingly the only guaranteed starter. Will Joe Allen start next to him to give Liverpool a more calming possessive touch, or will Lucas Leiva be tapped as a more defensive presence? And who starts ahead of them? Neither Adam Lallana or Philippe Coutinho have been especially consistent this season, but both have had sufficient moments of brilliance at times to start one and hope they can pull something out.
No matter what else happens, if Gerrard is indeed benched tomorrow, it signals the end of an era at Liverpool. No longer is Gerrard the all-conquering hero of Anfield. Now the search for his spiritual successor is well and truly on.
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