Why Steven Gerrard's Anfield Farewell for Liverpool Drew Disdain from Other Fans
Steven Gerrard's Anfield farewell didn't quite pan out as the Liverpool captain would have hoped, with the Reds losing 3-1 to Crystal Palace on Saturday, and while this on-field misery was countered by adulation for the midfielder from the stands, it was also somewhat cherished by rival fans.
"Vieira last kick for us was 2 win us the FA cup. Gerrard last kick ends in defeat. The difference between a legend and a bang average player
— JournoGunnerHenry (@GangsterGooner) May 16, 2015"
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"Gerrard's leaving #LFC because he didn't get offered a contract. He's not dying, @SkyFootball. Don't remember this fuss over Giggs/Scholes?
— Liam (@OffsideLiam) May 16, 2015"
Limping out against an Alan Pardew-helmed Palace isn't the most graceful of exits, but Gerrard should be considered one of the Premier League's all-time great players, regardless of the colours you pin to your mast.
So why does his impending departure, and Saturday's Anfield farewell, draw so much disdain from rival supporters?
A Dismal Performance
Firstly, the manner of Saturday's defeat can't have helped.
Rodgers' 3-4-2-1 tactical setup seemed an inspired one before the first whistle, and the combined attacking talents of first goalscorer Adam Lallana and Philippe Coutinho, along with the trademark endeavour of Gerrard in midfield, did look to prove this.
However, a rampant Yannick Bolasie, an increasingly cultured Jason Puncheon and a resolute Scott Dann had other things in mind.
Bolasie tormented the hapless Dejan Lovren throughout, while Puncheon pulled the strings in a drifting role.
Meanwhile, Dann effectively marshalled a worryingly peripheral Raheem Sterling out of the game, with the 20-year-old utilised as a lone striker in Rodgers' attacking system.
With little to play for, for either side, the stage was set for the Reds to perform to their maximum capability purely to honour their departing captain. But instead, with few exceptions, the entirety of Rodgers' side let Gerrard down with lifeless performances in front of the growing misery of the Kop.
Rodgers told reporters of his bittersweet feeling on Gerrard's Anfield farewell and his side's performance, as told by the club's official website.
"Steven got a wonderful send-off and gave everything right to the very end. He was the one that was driving forward in the game to try to get us the goals.
The support he got was absolutely brilliant and probably what he would expect, having been a wonderful player here and given his all for the club. In terms of that, it was fantastic for him and his family, and a special day for him.
In terms of the result and the performance, it was disappointing.
"
The way in which Liverpool limped out of Anfield, to a side sitting firmly in the bottom half of the Premier League table, wasn't fitting of the captain's career on Merseyside.
In that respect, the level of disdain from other supporters can perhaps be understood—it wasn't exactly the showcase performance that Liverpool supporters, Sky Sports and, likely, Gerrard himself had hoped for.
A Disappointing End?
In many ways, Liverpool's performance on Saturday was emblematic of a miserable decline in quality in Gerrard over the past two or three seasons.
That it came, again, at the hands of Crystal Palace is rather fitting.
November's 3-1 defeat at the hands of the Eagles, then at Selhurst Park, was described by Rodgers as his side's "turning point," when speaking to talkSPORT (h/t This is Anfield) back in March.
"The Crystal Palace defeat was a defining moment in our season," Rodgers said. "Palace were excellent on the day.
"I needed to come away from that and really look at the team. We were certainly nowhere near the level we’d been in the last 18 months. That was a turning point."
One of Rodgers' biggest takeaways from that defeat was surely Gerrard's inability to perform in the holding-midfield role. Mile Jedinak and Joe Ledley exploited his immobility throughout, as he floundered and struggled to adapt to a high-tempo affair.
For a long stretch after that, Gerrard was utilised only as a No. 10.
That Rodgers reverted to using his captain at the base of midfield at Anfield on Sunday is another matter to debate—the salient point here is that in the manager having to marginalise his role in the squad, this highlights a diminished quality in Gerrard.
Gerrard's Anfield farewell coincided miserably with this notion, and it is now easy to forget just how dominant he was in his prime, as one of few genuinely world-class midfielders in the Premier League and the toast of Europe.
A player of the quality of 2014/15 Gerrard would not be deserving of such fanfare, and perhaps this is why his final Anfield bow attracted such disdain from rival supporters.
Of course, it could run deeper than that, but it shouldn't have to.
A Unique Affinity
The main criticism of Gerrard stemming from rival supporters is that the Liverpool captain has not enjoyed the tangible success of those from their respective sides.
Gerrard hasn't won a Premier League, while Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard, Patrick Vieira, John Terry and Co. all have. He arguably hasn't played in a consistently performing side from season to season in his Reds career.
But beyond that, Gerrard has a unique affinity with Liverpool supporters that transcends this group of all-conquering Premier League greats.
Rodgers summed this up nicely ahead of the game, as relayed by Phil Philbin of the Liverpool Echo:
"The word I would describe him with is 'Liverpool'. Not just Liverpool as a football club or Liverpool and the supporters, but Liverpool the city.
This is a guy who is very much about looking after his people. He loves his city. He's had a number of opportunities to move from here to prestigious clubs, but Liverpool is his home. This is his place, these are the people he loves. He grew up around the corner and went on to play for the club he supported.
What he has given to this city, politicians haven't given to this city. Local hospitals, the charities, all the work he does, it's unheralded.
So when describing Steven, I would say 'Liverpool'.
He is a wonderful symbol for the people here and an incredible, incredible icon of the club.
"
This is a player who means so much to the club, the city and its supporters, and that the feeling is mutual—with Gerrard very much one of their own—is what compounds this affinity.
It is likely that no other player will give as much to one club ever again in the Premier League.
It would be disappointing for this to boil down to a primitive, "my club's better than your club" tribalism, as that is not how these players should be regarded.
A player of the quality and the vitality of Gerrard should be lauded roundly as one of the great football players.
Rational Liverpool supporters should be able to acknowledge the stature of players like Giggs and Scholes despite their ties with a rival club—Giggs' contribution to United's Premier League dominance under Sir Alex Ferguson is unparalleled; Scholes' dramatic, surprise return from retirement ahead of United's 3-2 win away to Manchester City in January 2012 remains one of the most iconic moments in Premier League history.
Likewise, United, Arsenal and Chelsea supporters should be able to acknowledge Gerrard's loyalty and virtue.
In the transient world of modern football, these legendary, club-synonymous players will be few and far between, and Gerrard will likely be followed by Terry in due course—who is left beyond that?
This should be the primary concern for fans of Premier League football and its culture, not how much you hate Gerrard because he plays for a different club.
A bittersweet finale for Gerrard at Anfield provided a fitting backdrop for rival supporters' disdain for the long-serving Liverpool captain, but it shouldn't be that way.
Gerrard should be regarded as not only a Liverpool legend, but a Premier League legend too.
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