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| Gerrard: Mac has made me better. | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Sep 11 2007, 07:57 AM (26 Views) | |
Papa Lazarou
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Sep 11 2007, 07:57 AM Post #1 |
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Always business,never personal.
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"Gerrard: Mac has made me better by Tom Adams, 11 September 2007 Steven Gerrard has praised Steve McClaren for giving him the freedom to flourish for England, especially since the ‘watershed’ 3-0 win over Andorra in March. The Liverpool captain was often used in a more withdrawn midfield role under previous manager Sven Goran Eriksson, and has also been shifted around by club boss Rafa Benitez despite excelling in a central role. Now Gerrard - who will play alongside Gareth Barry against Russia on Wednesday - feels comfortable after being unleashed by McClaren and believes the England coach has made him into a better player. "Against Andorra was the first time I'd been given my favoured midfield role for the national team," said Gerrard. "Under the previous manager I'd been moved around an awful lot and it was difficult to find a consistency for myself personally. "But the manager's been great with me. Since he's taken over he's had a lot of belief in me and wants me to express myself in the way I do for Liverpool and I feel my performances have improved under Steve." Gerrard scored twice against Andorra in March to help alleviate the pressure on McClaren in a game where the England supporters reacted furiously to a disappointing performance. Since then the coach has repaired his reputation somewhat, especially following Saturday’s 3-0 win over Israel, and Gerrard believes the tumultuous night in Barcelona was a crucial turning point for the team. "I think the Andorra game was one of my hardest internationals to play in,” Gerrard added. “The crowd were right on our backs early doors and the team wasn't playing well. "We were finding it hard to break down a team we should, with all respect to them, be walking all over. It was a really difficult time. "But there was a coming together at half-time. There was a big rallying call from the manager but also from the leading players in there as well. "It was a difficult time at half-time. It was a big three points we needed. But teams need to go through situations like that to improve and to move forward. "We are definitely a lot stronger from that rallying cry. It was a watershed game." Hmmmmmm...I reckon that should read "Rafa's made me a better player by making me play RW for 2 seasons and turning me into the complete all-round midfielder" |
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Berethorn
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Sep 11 2007, 09:58 AM Post #2 |
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Mister B-man
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Or perhaps: "Lampard has made me a better player after being injured for England" |
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Papa Lazarou
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Sep 11 2007, 02:29 PM Post #3 |
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Always business,never personal.
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"McClaren looks to Gerrard for inspiration Last updated at 15:16pm on 11th September 2007 Steven Gerrard led England out of a Barcelona hell-hole six months ago - now Steve McClaren is looking for his midfield talisman to head a march to Euro 2008. It seems barely credible that just three matches after he suffered some of the worst abuse ever directed at an England coach McClaren is on the brink of qualifying for next summer's European Championships. If victory over Russia can be achieved at Wembley tomorrow, a place at the finals in Austria and Switzerland will be in touching distance, with only five points required to take the side through - as long as one of those comes in Moscow next month. Although there have been a couple of high-profile friendlies and a B international mixed in with qualifying victories over Estonia and Israel, the swing in fortunes - and mood - has been dramatic. Even McClaren struggles to pinpoint the exact reasons behind the change. But he is sure Gerrard's inspired second-half performance against Andorra, when England headed into half-time in Barcelona's Olympic Stadium level, humiliated and berated by their own fans, was a major factor. "It is hard to say what has changed but sometimes in adversity, you see the characters, who steps forward and who wants to," he said. "I always reflect back on the performance of Steven Gerrard in that Andorra game. "We often see him as an inspiration for Liverpool and he has done it for England in the past. But that night he was special and everyone followed. "In the dressing room afterwards there was a great determination and a great togetherness. Despite all the criticism that was flying about, there was a renewed vigour among everyone because we knew it was up to us to do something about it" |
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Lord Gonzo
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Sep 11 2007, 04:26 PM Post #4 |
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Hang em first. Question em later.
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If he's relying on Gerrard to inspire the team to a win then maybe he should be a team captain :chin: :whistle: |
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8:22 AM Jul 11