Will a weight have been relieved from this Liverpool man’s shoulders?

It has long been argued if Steven Gerrard is indeed, the greatest midfielder ever to grace the Premier League. His records and achievements over the course of his long and illustrious career speak for themselves. Often known for his leadership qualities, Steven Gerrard has been Liverpool’s saviour on many occasions over the past 13 years of his career. His attitude towards the game and hunger for success truly make him one of the greatest players in the club’s famous history.

Since kick-starting his Liverpool career back in ’98, Steven Gerrard has played an amazing total of 556 games for his club, finding the back of the net 140 times. He was awarded MBE in 2007 and went on to add countless number of trophies and personal accolades to his name.

However, for many years Steven Gerrard remained the highlight of the team – and at times, the only one. He was often burdened by the weight of expectation but never did he surrender. Most Liverpool fans looked to him to be their savior, sometimes the players too. Gerrard was Liverpool’s only GO-TO man. He often became frustrated at the lack of big names in Liverpool’s squad of yesteryears which in turn resulted in their inability to compete at the highest levels. Gerrard always walked out onto the pitch with a level of expectancy only a few could handle, and yet he played his heart out week in, week out.

When Fernando Torres joined Liverpool in the summer of ’07, he instantly forged a threatening partnership with Steven Gerrard. With Torres’ arrival, Gerrard found in him a player who thrived on pressure and willfully shared some of his burden. Soon both players began to gel. In 08/09, Steven Gerrard scored 24 goals finishing as Liverpool’s top goal scorer. That season, the world saw a new Steven Gerrard – his attacking partnership with Torres being the prime factor.

Consequently, Fernando Torres was sold in the January transferwindow of 10/11 and the 50 million pounds Liverpool received were instantly invested in highly rated Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez. Moreover, FSG and Liverpool’s rich owner John Henry splashed heavy cash in the summer on other mercurial talent such as Charlie Adam, Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing. To sum it up, Liverpool FC now has the financial backing to bring in quality players to help Steven Gerrard lift this club to dizzying heights.

To put it into perspective, Gerrard is no longer the only highlight of the team – nor is he Liverpool’s only GO-TO man. He will thrive on the huge skill capacity of Luis Suarez and his ability to bamboozle defenders at will, along with the physical presence of Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing’s ball-crossing attributes. Dirk Kuyt looks to have finally found his goal scoring boots following his move to the English Premier league from the Dutch Eredivisie after failing to make an impact on the scoring charts in the Premier League during his initial years at the club. However, Charlie Adam’s arrival at Anfield will perhaps be the signing which will benefit Gerrard the most. His vision and eye for goal is unquestionable – and as Sir Alex Ferguson said, his set-piece deliveries alone are worth 10 million pounds. Adam can fill the gaping hole left by Xabi Alonso’s departure, a feat many have failed to achieve before.

As a result, Gerrard can now play with fewer burdens on his aging shoulders. He will have the support of Downing, Kuyt and Adam in midfield and will be able to feed Suarez and Andy Carroll to devastating effect. Provided he stays fit, Gerrard will be able to play with less pressure on his mind and could very well turn out to be a high scoring season for Liverpool’s Talisman.

Hence, it is safe to say Liverpool now has a team full of match-winners – players who can share responsibilities and form a team capable of challenging for top honours. With the squad Liverpool now possess, they will pose a menacing threat to all Premier League teams and a rejuvenated Steven Gerrard could very well be the man to look out for!

Article is courtesy of Waleed Ahmed at Live4Liverpool

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