As Chelsea finally wrapped up the Premier League title by beating Crystal Palace last weekend, they will greeted with the Guard of Honour by Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool side.
As Steven Gerrard prepares to bow out of the Premier League, doing the Guard of Honour for a club he could have signed for simply sums up his final season.
After last season’s heartache for Liverpool, coming so close to securing their first top flight title for 24 years, you would wonder why Steven Gerrard didn’t bow out then. Going out very nearly on top would have been somewhat better than bowing out as they scramble to secure a Champions League spot for next season.
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As with many teams this season – most sides aside from Chelsea – one of Liverpool’s big problems has been inconsistency. Losing points against some of the sides they should have been able to defeat, like Aston Villa and Newcastle, has cost them in the long run.
In Steven Gerrard’s final Merseyside derbies, a fixture that is usually one to look forward to, they were somewhat stalemate. In the home fixture for Liverpool, it was Gerrard who opened the scoring in the second half. But, in the 90th minute, Phil Jagielka’s late equaliser stole a point off the Reds. In the fixture at Goodison Park, it was goalless, and considered one of the more boring games of the season.
Liverpool’s other bitter rivalry is of course Manchester United. Steven Gerrard may have found the net at Old Trafford last season along with former teammate Luis Suarez, but he was not as fortunate this time around.
Even worse for Gerrard, though, was when he was brought on as a substitute against Manchester United at home, only to be sent off almost immediately. His straight red card then earned him a three match ban.
The fact that Steven Gerrard did not start against Manchester United said a lot for the situation between the player and his manager. It seems that benching Steven Gerrard more often than expected this season is almost punishment for leaving to go onto the MLS.
But after last season, you can’t blame Gerrard for wanted to get out and move on from his so near, yet so far, title hopes.
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