QPR must pressure Liverpool ace on Super Sunday
Friday 17 October 2014 19:38, UK
As Steven Gerrard marks 11 years as Liverpool captain, Jamie Redknapp labels the midfielder one of Britain's best ever - and considers how QPR can combat his deeper role on Super Sunday...
Steven Gerrard marked 11 years as Liverpool captain this week – and, for me, he’s one of the great British players of all time.
I remember the first time I ever saw him play, it was in a training session at Melwood. They brought a kid over, a young right back, and Steven had come over, by all accounts, just to keep him company.
I passed the ball to Steven and instead of setting it back to me for me to hit a pass, like most young players would have done, he turned and hit a 30-yard ball. I went: ‘wow!’
I remember the first time I saw Gerrard play, it was in a training session at Melwood. Straight away you knew you were in the presence of someone incredibly special.
I went over to him and said, ‘cor, you can play’ and he just looked at me and smiled. I said to Gerard Houllier afterwards, ‘what a good player he is’, and Houllier said ‘which one?’ He thought I was talking about the right back!
But straight away, if you had half an idea about football, you knew you were in the presence of someone incredibly special. That’s exactly what Steven was – and still is.
When he first got in the team he played right-back, right-midfield, defensive-midfield, centre-midfield, up front, off the striker... and over the years he’s been Roy of the Rovers for Liverpool.
Rafa Benitez got a lot of credit for winning trophies at Liverpool but Steven Gerrard was the one who pulled big moments out of the fire. Think about the Champions League final against AC Milan, or the FA Cup final when Steven was cramping up but hit that volley when they were going to get beaten by an average West Ham side.
He’s been an incredible captain and leader. He’s not the most demonstrative or the biggest talker in the world and at times he looks like he’s got the weight of the world on his shoulders but he’s one of the best players I’ve ever played with and I enjoy watching him, the goals he’s scored and the big moments he’s created. He’s been a very special footballer in the Premier League and will go down as one of the greats.
Some people are born with it, with a desire, a will, a want to learn and practise every day, while other players look around and wait for somebody else to run around. Gerrard is definitely in that first group. First and foremost in football you have to work as hard as you can, and I don’t think some players get that.
Unfortunately for Steven, at the moment teams have figured out the deeper role he’s playing and they’re pushing men on to him. Aston Villa did it and other teams have looked at Gerrard and put him under pressure. And that’s what QPR have got to do on Sunday.
You can’t let Gerrard pick passes out. He’s had a nice two week break and he should be really fresh but QPR have to go and put him under pressure and make it difficult for him. Whether you’re 24 or 34 no one wants to play football under pressure, everyone wants time. If you get under a player’s skin and stop them playing it’s a totally different game.
It’s up to QPR to do that – but they haven’t shown they’re capable of doing that in the last three or four games.
They’ve had a lot of time to stew on that West Ham result, where they were very disappointing. After a loss like that you want to get back on the horse as quickly as possible but they’ve got to get on with it now. They’ve got to fight and show some spirit because people are questioning the team, the players and the manager.
I’ve been through it, when every pass seems hard and you’re lacking belief, but you have to show character – and I include my dad in that. He’s got to show that he’s up for the fight and I’m sure he will.
This is a big game for QPR but it’s also a big game for Liverpool. If either side loses the pressure will be on. It’s also a tough game to call because you look at Liverpool this year without Luis Suarez and they are a different animal.
Defensively they’ve surprised me because I thought Dejan Lovren would be a colossus for them and he hasn’t been yet, and he’s out this weekend. It’s a good time to play Liverpool, too, because they’ve conceded a lot of goals, but Liverpool will be aware QPR are a little shaky. If Liverpool score early, the Loftus Road crowd might turn on the home team.
Whoever concedes first has to keep their heads. It’s a fascinating game because these are two sides who aren’t full of confidence at the moment.
I’m going to sit on the fence and call it a draw. We’re guaranteed goals because I don’t think either team is defending great and I’m going for 2-2.
Watch QPR v Liverpool live on Super Sunday from 12.30pm on Sky Sports 1
