Jose Mourinho Jokes About Steven Gerrard Chelsea Loan After Liverpool Cup Tie
Jose Mourinho has taken a sly dig at Liverpool for letting Steven Gerrard leave.
The Reds captain, who put in a decent performance during Tuesday's 1-1 Capital One Cup semi-final first leg against Chelsea, recently inked a contract to join MLS side Los Angeles Galaxy at the end of the season. Mourinho was asked about potentially signing the Englishman after the game, a question he responded to in a typically cheeky manner.
"Or perhaps to take him on loan? I'm not happy he leaves, I would love the Premier League to keep hold of the best players and I think he has more than those qualities to play in the Premier League," Mourinho told BBC Radio 5 Live, as reported by Dominic King of the Daily Mail.
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Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre recently suggested "it's conceivable" Gerrard could return to Anfield on a temporary deal during the American offseason, as reported by City Talk's John Keith, per Neil Jones of the Liverpool Echo. This could be seen as something of a half-measure for the club who simultaneously won't want their skipper to leave but cannot guarantee his ageing legs an endless run in the first team.
Mourinho previously admitted he "did everything" to sign Gerrard for Chelsea back in 2005, as reported by Sky Sports. He has been keen to highlight his respect for the midfielder in recent times and also made an effort to shake his hand after the 34-year-old was substituted on Tuesday.
His suggestion that Liverpool should have done more to keep their talisman is perhaps rooted in experience. Mourinho allowed Frank Lampard to sign for New York City FC last summer, but in an odd twist of fate, he ended up joining Manchester City for the entire 2014-15 season. Although Chelsea are now five points clear of Manuel Pellegrini's side, Lampard scored an equaliser against them in September.
Gerrard's decision was pushed along by his dwindling number of starts at Anfield, not to mention the slowness of a new deal being offered, with the player telling the Liverpool Echo (h/t King), "If a contract had been put in front of me in pre-season I'd have signed it."
He played in an advanced role against the Blues, sitting just behind goalscorer Raheem Sterling. Gerrard fizzed a stinging shot at Thibaut Courtois' gloves in the opening exchanges before hitting a post with a simple opportunity prior to his substitution with 20 minutes to go, per WhoScored.com. He continues to influence the side, however, scoring nine and assisting one across 29 appearances this season.
The fans certainly appreciate his contribution, highlighted on Tuesday, per Sky Sports:
It's fair to say last season's run to second was his last realistic chance of winning the Premier League with Liverpool. Gerrard's slip during the defeat to Chelsea remains the memorable moment of last year and is something he'll no doubt try to overcome during next week's second leg tie.
Liverpool will have a major gap to fill during the summer. Leaders like Gerrard don't come around too often, meaning Brendan Rodgers' side are likely to feel more than just the on-pitch ramifications when he exits. Mourinho's jab is hardly surprising—he's made a career of passively mocking the opposition—but it does underline the quality of a player who can still perform at the top level.
