Steven Gerrard: The making of a marvel

Last updated : 08 November 2002 By Chris Maddox

There is precious little that can be spoken of Steven Gerrard that hasn’t already been lauded. Suffice to say that the young Scouser is widely acclaimed as being the finest midfielder of his generation.

Liverpool teams of the future will be built around the almost limitless talent of this very lad from Whiston. He will be the nucleus, the bedrock of the side. The Midfielder supreme will eventually be entrusted with the Anfield and England Captaincy I’m sure.

His tireless legs enable him to motor up and down the pitch all day long if required, coupled with an unflappable Souness-asque command of the midfield – his territory.

At the very core of Gerrards game, once again like Souness, is his competitive and combative nature, precise robust tackling. Allied with his unique qualities of good vision and an exceptional array of passing at his disposal.

But, with all the highs and praise comes the lows and the criticism. And, during the initial stages of the current campaign, after his operation in the summer, it has been a talking point that Steven Gerrards form had dipped. That was out of sorts.

It is perhaps the ultimate compliment to the young man that his energetic, all-action midfield displays are of such a level, that when they fall below the standard he has unenviable set himself, to the level of lesser mortals, it stands out like an Everton shirt amongst a sea of red.

With this dip in form, many quarters have begun to point out supposed weaknesses in Gerrards game. That he has a tendency to go for a shot or a long raking pass to nobody, instead of going for the easier, perhaps more viable option of the simple ball.

To a certain degree I can see how this can be frustrating, certainly when the lad isn’t playing his best. But, to shackle the instinctive part of his game, his snap and long distance shots, long balls etc would be to stifle the talent that IS Steven Gerrard.

Gerrard of course, is still young, and like all young players, whoever they may be, there is an inevitable slump in their form as they are developing. It was experienced by Fowler, Owen, Murphy, Giggs and Duff to mention just a few.

Compared to the pay-bloated stars of today’s game, Gerrard's seemingly unquenchable appetite and desire for the game is a breath of fresh air. He has his head firmly screwed on being one of the most articulate and intelligent members of the squad. He can clearly demonstrate Houlliers claim that he wants his players to be ‘professors of football’ capable of thinking and talking about football intellectually.

Steven just needs to keep up the hard work. The God-like Gerrard that is the very heartbeat of this Liverpool side will soon return with imdomitable vengeance.