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Steven Gerrard Deserves More Than Another Season of Failure With Liverpool

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They say doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the very definition of insanity. By that very token, then, Liverpool‘s Steven Gerrard is, well, a quixotic mad man.

And that’s not to take away from what the 34-year-old midfield general has achieved during his time at Anfield, because he’s helped them achieve extraordinary levels of success, despite what his critics might suggest to the contrary. But as every man and his dog knows, he’s yet to win the Premier League and that remains a source of energy for the one-club star. Far be it for The Reds midfielder to get bogged down by his lack of domestic success over the years, as he’s shown a motivation and loyalty beyond compare by continuing to chase that elusive honor; and it’s been as much for the club as it’s been for himself. In short, he’s a rarity in the modern footballing sphere.

And while that’s also one of his biggest weaknesses, you get the impression that wouldn’t be the case if he moved away.

And with Manchester City snooping around in recent times, no doubt carefully monitoring his current situation, it’s definitely not beyond the realm of possibility to see the legendary skipper become a Citizen in time for the start of next season. Because while his current club can offer him another few seasons as a club figurehead and an opportunity to increase his stature yet more, what they cannot offer him is a league medal.

He’s evolved into a more cautious player, but Gerrard remains an effective one when used sparingly and only seems to have reached an all-time nadir because of the lack of quality around him. After all, there are only so many times he can save the club from mediocrity before he too gets sucked into it. And that’s what fans have witnessed since the new campaign began back in August.

Spoken of highly by Brendan Rodgers, it’s clear the Liverpool boss really believes he has so much left to offer — and he’s probably right, too. Sidelined at times this season, the skipper is being saved for the bigger matches, and it’s easy to see why as the former England international clearly isn’t the same rampaging force he once was. However, as outlined in a recent piece by yours truly, Rodgers has shown a capacity to be unafraid to make big, often times unpopular, changes.

And while a deal has been put forth by the club to keep Gerrard, it’s unlikely the Liverpool chief will feel all at sea if he does decide to depart. He’ll be busy spending his time scouring the market for a potential replacement in the meantime as his recent take on the matter, reported by Sky Sports, seemed to insinuate:

“One thing is clear, I love working with Steven Gerrard, he’s arguably the best player who’s ever played in the Premier League. I’ve enjoyed every single minute of working with him here and I hope that continues, but I need to give him the opportunity to think as long as it takes in order to decide what he wants to do next.”

At this stage, he owes the club nothing. He’s given everything to the cause and a whole lot more. And with the league title still high on his list of priorities, a move away considered as an act of treachery would be like trying to compare Mario Balotelli with Luis Suarez. It’s difficult to entertain the suggestion and, frankly, it’s nothing short of derisory.

Because while fans desperately want to cling to their most coveted player, staunch in their belief that he’s the glue that holds the side together, it’s also vital they remember he has career objectives to fulfill.

At the end of the day, if Gerrard’s fit into the the crumbling structures at Anfield serves only to stop them from total ruin, it’s difficult to see why he’d stay by design. After a decade as their heroic captain, pouring his heart and soul into every match combined with the unhappy culmination of last season, now really would be the best time for him to seek a move elsewhere.

After all, he deserves a genuine shot at claiming the league trophy, and there can’t be many — if any — real Liverpool fans who’d begrudge him the chance.

Trevor Murray is a soccer writer at www.RantSports.com. You can follow him on twitter @TrevorM90, ‘”like” him on Facebook or add him to your circles in Google+.

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