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For all the debate over where Steven Gerrard plays out his days at Liverpool, I do not see his role as anything other than a holding midfielder.
Playing in that No10 playmaker role can be very difficult once you are in your thirties. There is always a danger that things can pass you by, especially if the midfield behind you are not at the very top of their game.
In my days playing off the striker at Manchester United, I had Nicky Butt and Roy Keane behind me controlling the game and making sure I was on the ball a lot of the time.
Gerrard is Liverpool’s best passer from deep and capable of linking the play. Lucas Leiva has his strengths but you could see in the game against Leicester that he struggles to get attacks moving when he is taking the ball from his own defence.
As for Gerrard, I would not be surprised if he is still suffering a hangover from the World Cup and the disappointment of last season. It takes a long time to get that out of your system.
There were signs on Tuesday night that he looks a bit sharper and he will get better as the season goes on.
It seems natural to me that Gerrard would stay at Liverpool for the rest of his career.
The time to move, if ever, was a decade ago when he would have had a better chance of winning a League title elsewhere, most likely Chelsea.
He decided against that and now I imagine in his hometown, with his children that bit older, a move would be more of a wrench for the family.
He might not win that League title but he still has another two years in him at Liverpool.
