Brendan Rodgers believes Steven Gerrard can exert the same influence as Andrea Pirlo or Javier Zanetti in a deeper midfield role and insisted the shift is not simply to prolong the Liverpool captain's career.
Gerrard’s increasing deployment as a holding midfielder was illustrated perfectly in the win at Stoke City last weekend, when the 33-year-old operated in front of the Liverpool defence at the expense of his characteristic forays forward.
The Liverpool manager views the conversion as the inevitable next step for the England captain and a long-term move. But, while admitting the tactical tweak should help extend Gerrard’s playing days, Rodgers insists the decision was taken for the benefit of Liverpool’s Champions League pursuit rather than to accommodate his captain.
“It is a position that I know excites Stevie,” said Rodgers, who has midfielder Joe Allen back from injury for today’s home game against Aston Villa. “I always look at every player not only in terms of their favourite position but where else can we prolong them? That applies especially to older players.”
The Liverpool manager believes Gerrard should flourish in a deeper position, similarly to 34-year-old Pirlo at Juventus and the remarkable Zanetti, now 40 and still performing for Internazionale.
Reads the game
"Everything about his game fits with that controlling player; from how he co-ordinates a team with the ball, his range of passing, which is still at a top level, he is a world-class dead-ball specialist and physically, in that role where you need to move from side
to side to block spaces, he has got that as well,” he added.
“Tactically, once he does more work on when to become the third man dropping in or pushing on, he’s got a great chance of playing that role to the level of a Pirlo or a Zanetti. They did it until late in their 30s and because of the way Stevie looks after himself that is a position he can play.”
Gerrard said only at the start of this season that he was not ready to cease incursions into the final third. However Rodgers believes the Liverpool captain has come to accept the evolution into a deeper role. His decision, the manager explains, was not shaped by the ageing process.
Less reliant on Gerrard
In fact it was the realisation that Liverpool are no longer as reliant on the midfielder’s goals with Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge in attack.
“He’s a world-class operator at the top end of the field,” insisted Rodgers. “What we have seen is the evolution of the team. In my work the reliance isn’t just on one player, it’s on the team,” said Rodgers.
“Obviously top players will make that work better and I think he’s seen that, where his role was about creating goals and scoring goals, he has seen the development of the team in terms of goals scored and there is not the reliance on him for that . . . You will still get that flurry from him where he can go on and shoot.”
Guardian Service
