Why is it that supporters in today’s game expect loyalty only when it’s convenient to them? Obviously as a supporter myself, I’m not pretending to be above it nor absolving myself from any of it. Occasionally, I suppose, I can be irrational.
When Brendan Rodgers was appointed, transfer rumours were flying. I didn’t want to see Jordan Henderson go, but, as an American, I did want to see Clint Dempsey arrive. Then an offer was accepted that would swap Henderson and Dempsey. Rodgers told Hendo that whilst he couldn’t guarantee him a spot in the first XI every week, he could guarantee he’d be a better player if he stayed. As it were, Henderson never left and Dempsey never arrived. Personally, I never blamed Henderson for not leaving, in fact I was happy he stayed, but I’m certain there were other American Reds who blamed him and his immaculate barnet. I put it down to the owners splitting hairs over transfer fee.
Inconsistent expectations of loyalty are the reason why you and I hated Fernando Torres, at least for a second (much more than a second for me), when he fled to Chelsea. And there’re some who still do hate El Nino. But then when Fabio Borini wanted to stay and refused to piss off, we hated him, too.
We love Daniel Agger but understood why he left. That’s fair, he didn’t force a move to another Premier League club when every single mid-table team would have loved him, and a few of the big boys too. Then too many people, admittedly myself included, thought Martin Skrtel just wasn’t good enough anymore, deemed him surplus and concluded he should be exported. I always loved the crazy bastard even though I wanted him replaced, which is why I’m happy to see him succeeding again. If football hadn’t worked out for the Slovakian, he’d be a fantastic candidate for the role of Eastern European arch-nemesis in any Liam Neeson movie.
Alas, employees of Liverpool Football Club didn’t share the same opinion (about football, can’t rule out their opinion of his acting prowess) that myself and the other supporters who thought they could do the job better, now everybody is crying that he’s banned for the next three matches. Such is life.
The question of loyalty is unfortunately relevant amid the wake of Sunday’s loss. Some idiots came out of the woodwork with “he’s why we didn’t win the title last year and now he’s why we won’t get fourth this year.” Seriously? Steven Gerrard? The immortal Stevie G? Makes me sick how quickly some people forget. He could have left for Chelsea, Real Madrid. Hell, he could have walked straight into any midfield in the world when he had Paul Konchesky at left back and Roy Hodgson on the sidelines, but he didn’t. He stuck through the dark times, for what? For some “supporters” to blame him for every misfortune the past two years?
Before I even get started on last year, just think about that game. The team in the first half without him were well on their way to losing and making United look like Barcelona the way they came to Anfield and were thoroughly dominating the game. As for the red, Men in Blazers’ Roger Bennett depicted it well. Even as an Everton fan, Rog pointed to the sequence of events that led to the dismissal. In less than a minute, he completed a few short passes, one huge, beautiful, Hollywood cross field ball then a bone crunching tackle on Juan Mata and he must have been feeling it. I know I was. If someone walked by me in the pub I would have tackled them, too. Then Ander Herrera slides in quite late, and Gerrard reacts poorly. To be honest, when it happened, the camera had panned away as I screamed ‘HOW LATE WAS THAT?!?!” Then Sky Sports cut back to referee Martin Atkinson pulling red out of his pocket, my first thought was Herrera had received his marching orders. Before I could even think to react to the possibility of Liverpool being up a man with Stevie G leading the conquest of Manchester United to take all three points, their moral and incite a post-match presser where Louis Van Gaal naturally makes an ass of himself, before that thought process could actually come to fruition, I realised the harrowing reality that it was Stevie G leading a solo conquest to the dressing room.
After the game ended, some supporters were raging about everyone else wasn’t mad nor blaming him for the loss, poor iPhone reception and all their personal problems. They were football hipsters with an unpopular opinion for the sheer fact that it was unpopular. This meant, in their mind, they must have been right and smarter than the rest. “If it were Joe Allen…” Yeah, and no offence to the Welshman who ends up being an innocent civilian casualty in this debate, but Joe Allen hasn’t been at the club since he was 9, isn’t the captain and hasn’t delivered innumerable moments of quality and jubilation.
Somehow, his dismissal on March 22, 2015 (my birthday, no less, what a downer…) led to blanket generalisations the way the 2013-14 season concluded. As if he was solely liable for not winning the title. As if they’d have been in that position without his 13 goals and 13 assists. As if they’d have been in that position without his leadership and drive. It makes me more mental than Mario Balotelli with how quickly people forget.
How quickly people forget Steven Gerrard’s 704 appearances for Liverpool, and 0 for anybody else.
How quickly people forget Steven Gerrard lifted the European Cup.
How quickly people forget he struck first in that final to lead the revolution.
I could go on and on here, but for the sake of the Redundancy School for the Redundant, hopefully you get the point.
Loyalty in football is a tricky topic. But if anyone, ANYONE, deserves blind, unconditional support and eternal gratitude in any sort of recent memory at Liverpool Football Club, it’s Steven Gerrard. And for the sake of my sanity, I hope this opinion is shared with other Liverpool fans.
