Liverpool Transfer News: Steven Gerrard Loan Ruled Out, Latest Reds Rumours

Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Steven Gerrard will not be leaving the club on loan during the Major League Soccer offseason, despite previously being linked with a temporary switch back to former club Liverpool.

As reported by Simon Mullock of the Daily Mirror earlier this year, Gerrard did hint he’d be keen on a move back to Liverpool should the chance arise. However, Galaxy boss Bruce Arena has suggested there is no chance of this materialising, responding with a bullish “no” when quizzed on the prospect of Gerrard or Robbie Keane leaving the club, per Adam Serrano of LAGalaxy.com.

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Galaxy’s season is over after they were eliminated from the MLS Cup in midweek, losing 3-2 to rivals Seattle Sounders at CenturyLink Field in what was another poor away display.

As noted by commentator Ian Darke, the former Liverpool man wasn’t at his best as the reigning champions meekly surrendered their crown:

Galaxy are used to making a deep run into the MLS Cup, meaning their players will have a little more time off than usual. Still, although the likes of David Beckham, Landon Donovan and Keane have left the club over the winter months previously, it seems very unlikely that’ll happen this season, scuppering any chance of a romantic reunion with the Reds for Gerrard.

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It’s not a deal that would make much sense anyway. After all, as we can see here courtesy of WhoScored.com, Gerrard hasn’t been pulling up trees in MLS:

He struggled badly in his final season for the Reds too. With another year on the clock and a lack of top-level football under his belt, that’s unlikely to change if he was brought back by Jurgen Klopp for a brief stint.

There are undeniable qualities Gerrard would add, most notably his leadership and experience. But on the field he is a faded force and would only be blemishing his legacy should he come back for a second spell at Anfield.

Klopp Needs a Plan B, Says Chris Waddle

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Former England international Chris Waddle has advised Liverpool manager Klopp that the implementation of his high-octane system may not be enough for him to succeed at Anfield and has advised the German he needs his teams to show more flexibility.

One of the key differences since Klopp took the top job at Anfield has been the tenacity of the Reds in their off-the-ball endeavours, shutting down opposition attacks quickly and preventing teams from building any momentum in matches. Waddle has been impressed by what he’s seen, but he doesn’t feel as though it can be maintained for 90 minutes, per Alex Harris of the Daily Star:

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For 20 minutes against Tottenham they looked a very good outfit. The difference is in the Bundesliga, Dortmund are a bit like Bayern, they dominate football matches. Teams sit back and try to slow the game down and let Dortmund do what they want. If you want to play that pace of football that he's on about you might get half an hour but you're not going to get 90 minutes.

He's got to work on other ways. He's got to think, 'I can't get my players to press for 90 minutes'. No team in the world can do it. The English league is end-to-end, it's physical and it's going to take its toll on you so he's got to devise a way to press in the right areas at the right time.

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Waddle is spot on in his assessment. Liverpool have started matches well and with bags of intensity, but in the first three games under Klopp they looked a little jaded late in the contests. 

Naturally, it’s something the players in the squad will have to become accustomed to, but there were better signs in Klopp’s fourth match in charge, his first win against Bournemouth in the League Cup, that the team was coping better with these physical demands:

It goes without saying that in football, teams need attacking variety and that’s something Klopp will look to instil as he gets further into his tenure as manager. But given his managerial principles, it’s no surprise he’s trying to implement more intensity to the team’s play as a foundation for future gains.

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Liverpool have plenty of quality attacking options in Roberto Firmino, Philippe Coutinho, Daniel Sturridge and Christian Benteke, all who bring different traits to the starting XI. It’s going to be intriguing to see just how Klopp seeks to accentuate their respective attributes in the months to come, but it seems very unlikely the team will be short of offensive versatility.