Sunday 17 May 2015 09:00, UK
We look back at the key talking points after Steven Gerrard’s final Anfield appearance ended with a 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace.
Adam Lallana’s first half opener suggested it could be a happy send-off for Gerrard, but the Reds were pegged back by Jason Puncheon’s free kick shortly before half-time.
Things went from bad to worse for Liverpool after the break, with substitute Wilfried Zaha scoring Palace’s second with his first touch before Glenn Murray added a third in injury time.
Steven Gerrard says goodbye
There was no fairy tale ending for Steven Gerrard at his spiritual home, but it was still a special occasion for Liverpool’s iconic captain. Despite the disappointment of their 11th league defeat of the season, Anfield remained jam-packed for Gerrard’s farewell speech and lap of honour as fans showed their appreciation for Gerrard’s 17 years of service.
The 34-year-old was unable to repeat past heroics on his 503rd Premier League appearance, but, for Liverpool, what happened during the 90 minutes was almost secondary to bidding farewell to their hero.
“It felt very strange,” he said afterwards. “I’ve been dreading this moment, the reason being because I’m going to miss it so much. I’ve loved every minute of it and I’m absolutely devastated that I’m never going to play in front of these supporters again.”
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher paid tribute to his former team-mate’s relationship with Liverpool fans. “That’s a bond that will never be broken,” the former centre-back said. “He’s had opportunities to move on and this club has had hard times but he’s stuck there. He’s basically been the fan on the pitch. Every boy growing up in Liverpool wants to be Steven Gerrard.”
Gerrard's Anfield love affair may have ended in defeat, but his legacy was not soured.
Who will the void?
As the dust settles on Gerrard’s Anfield goodbye, thoughts are already turning to the future. How do Liverpool replace Gerrard? It is a question Brendan Rodgers will be desperate to answer, but Carragher feels it’s an impossible task.
“I don’t think you can replace that,” he said. “I think Man Utd are still looking for the next (Roy) Keane, Arsenal are still looking for the next (Patrick) Vieira, you don’t replace that. That doesn’t mean you can’t go on and do well, but something like that is a one-off.”
Jordan Henderson has been tipped for the Liverpool captaincy having signed a new long-term contract earlier this season, but Carragher doubts any of the players currently at the club are capable of filling Gerrard’s shoes.
“You have to move on,” he added. “Some of those players now need to step up to the mantle. Sometimes when a big personality moves on, you find that someone else moves to the fore. We don’t quite know who that will be, and there are very few showing that at the moment.
“Looking at Liverpool today, they are a long way short. If you’re thinking about stepping up to the mantle of being the man for Liverpool, I think you’re going to struggle to find one in this squad.”
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp agreed. “Liverpool are going to have to work extremely hard in the market to bring some players in,” he said. “There’s a big re-building job to do.”
‘Wonderful’ Palace
As well as exposing Liverpool’s weaknesses, this result showed just how far Palace have come under Alan Pardew. The Eagles were by far the better side and the scoreline could have been a lot worse for the home side.
“I think you have to congratulate Crystal Palace,” said Redknapp. “It’s been difficult because it’s been the Steven Gerrard show but Palace were wonderful today. They played really well, they made it difficult for him and you have to congratulate them on a really good performance. They didn’t read the script, did they?”
Puncheon and Yannick Bolasie are two players who have come on leaps and bounds since Pardew’s appointment, and they terrorised Liverpool throughout. Puncheon’s free kick equaliser was brilliantly taken, while Liverpool simply couldn’t cope with the pace, power and trickery of Bolasie, who set up Zaha’s goal with a low cross from the right-hand side.
“Puncheon and Bolasie would walk into this Liverpool team, no doubt,” said Carragher. “We should give Palace a little mention, they battered Liverpool in the first game (at Selhurst Park) and they’ve done the same again.”
The win was Palace’s ninth in 17 games under Pardew and puts them on 45 points, level with last year’s tally with one game still to play. Having wrecked Liverpool's title hopes last season and ruined Gerrard's farewell this time around, the Reds will be glad to see the back of Palace until next year.
Liverpool desperately need more firepower
Liverpool’s struggles in front of goal have been apparent throughout the season, but they were magnified here. The Reds started without a recognised striker, and, despite having 18 shots on goal, they couldn’t add to Lallana’s first half strike.
“It’s been really tough for him,” Redknapp said of beleagured manager Rodgers. “People talk about Liverpool underachieving this year, but you’ve only got to look at Barcelona this year to see how well they’ve done with Luis Suarez. When you lose a player like that, it makes such a difference to the side. You’ve only had Daniel Sturridge for seven Premier League games this season, not enough, and Balotelli hasn’t worked.”
To make matters worse for the misfiring Reds, they are now losing Gerrard’s goals too. The 34-year-old’s powers have waned this season, but with 12 goals he is still their top scorer in all competitions. Raheem Sterling has netted 11, but his future also looks uncertain after their failure to qualify for the Champions League.
Daniel Sturridge, Balotelli and Rickie Lambert have netted a pitiful seven league goals between them all season, and Redknapp feels the only solution is to go out and spend big on a new striker. “They need to go and buy a first-class centre forward, but it’s not going to be easy because everyone else is looking to do the same thing.”
Gerrard return?
With Gerrard heading to the MLS, speculation has already begun as to whether he could return to Anfield on loan in the future, as Frank Lampard came back to the Premier League with Manchester City. Carragher, though, has urged his former team-mate to make a “clean break” from the club.
“I hope he doesn’t come back on loan. He is finished here at Anfield,” Carragher said. “Make a clean break from the football side of it, go away for a couple of years, get out of that Liverpool bubble.
“It will be good mentally to move away, and then come back in some role, but not in a playing capacity. Steven Gerrard is a figurehead for this city, not just the football club, and he has had to carry that.”
Redknapp also advised Gerrard against returning as manager, saying he could damage his legacy if things don’t go as planned.“I hope he doesn’t come back as manager here,” he said. “He is a hero. If he comes back and gets sacked his legacy will be ruined.”
