Gerrard has won the Champions League, the FA Cup and the League
Cup in a glittering career, but it would be a crying shame if a player of his
calibre was to finish without claiming the ultimate prize.
If you ask any professional footballer, they will tell you
that a league title is the bread and butter and while it will not be Steven's
swan song this season, because I fully expect him to keep playing for a number
of years, this is the one he has been waiting for.
You could see at the end what the win over Manchester City
on Sunday meant to him and he got it absolutely spot on with his comments after
the game.
You have never won the title until you have the medal in
your hand and that is a mentality that has served Liverpool
so well during this run of 10 league wins in a row.
Now he is on course to play a major part in guiding
Liverpool to their first title since 1990 and the game against Chelsea in a fortnight is set up beautifully.
It promises to be one of the most important afternoons of his career.
Think of all the historic moments that Steven has
experienced over the years - the inspirational performance in the final in Istanbul, the FA Cup
final against West Ham and the goal against Olympiakos in 2004.
He has carried the club for so many years, through the highs
and lows, and could easily have gone to Chelsea
in 2005, but stayed loyal to go down as one of the legendary figures in Liverpool folklore.
If it was not for Luis Suarez, I firmly believe Steven would
be in contention for the footballer of the year award. Suarez has been
sensational this season and obviously cannot be ignored, but Gerrard has
reinvented himself in a new position and been an inspiration.
When he played further forward he used to rush from A to B
to C and then back to A again, but now he has taken a more disciplined role,
sitting in the hole in a similar position to the one where Graeme Souness
played so well.
Liverpool are so potent on the counter-attack now, with so
much explosive pace, that in all honesty it would be very difficult to
accommodate Steven in the old, more advanced role, but this new position is
perfect for him.
I remember watching him in a game against West Bromwich
Albion last season and he was attempting to do the things he was doing 12 years
ago. You were left wondering if he could still do it, but this season has been
a revelation.
His range of passing has always been fantastic and he is
very underrated in the air and as a tackler so now he is the full package and
remains indispensable.
He was outstanding against Manchester
City and if I was a betting man I
would say Liverpool are now going to win the
title.
Against City it was the first time in this run that they
have been asked questions and for a long period in the second half it looked as
if they would lose it. But they survived some real scares to hit City at the
other end, and to come back and win was a measure of what they are about.
This was a huge statement of intent.
Chelsea will arrive at
Anfield in a fortnight still in the Champions League, but I do not buy into
this argument that Liverpool will be less
tired.
As a professional there is nothing better at this stage of
the season than if you are going for both the title and the Champions League.
I am sure if you were to ask Brendan Rodgers and Gerrard
about competing in both they would bite your hand off.
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