Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Things will never be Red again!

“You always remember your first. But no one ever talks about their last. The last time you lace up your boots. The last time you walk out the tunnel. The last time you celebrate with your fans. I’ve always given everything. Every season. Every game. Every minute. I’ll do that one last time.”

It’s a day that everyone knew was coming. But no one quite knew how to prepare for it. Of course there was the traditional celebration planned - the guard of honour, enormous banners, colossal posters, strategic synchronization of placards, etc. But nothing could give justice when it came to commemorating the career of a staunch superstar.

Nothing could come even remotely close.

After 17 years, 708 games, 185 goals and 10 trophies, Steven Gerrard was set to make his 354th and final Anfield appearance. Tears would flow. Emotions would flare. And of course, a crucial link between Liverpool and its past would be severed. A link so priceless that even the Koh-I-Noor diamond seemed insignificant in front of it.


As the players lined up in the tunnel before the match, one couldn’t help but notice that there wasn’t a speck of emotion on Gerrard’s face. The intensity in his eyes looked the same as any other week. Those eyes locked tightly on the wall in front and the mind tearing apart the game plan for the match. Whether it was an inconsequential Premier League match or the second leg of the Champions League semifinal, the vigour in those eyes never diminished.

Only today was the last time ever.

Today was Gerrard’s day. It was a day when the whole world would acknowledge his immense contributions to the club where he grew up to be a legend. But that surely did not mean that a compromise was in store when it came to beating Crystal Palace. Work came first. The club came first.

As always!

Both teams, sans Gerrard, made their way out to the field. Good ol’ Stevie stayed behind. Not because he wanted to, but because he was told to. He takes this time to click some final photos with his daughters in front of the Liverpool badge. Perhaps the last time at Anfield the girls would see their Dad in the full red suit of armour.

So red that it was hard to tell whether the colour was from the dye or from his heart bleeding.


Day in and day out Gerrard has bled the kind of red that epitomizes Liverpool Football Club and all that it stands for. You cut his veins and you won’t find the conventional red. You’ll find Liverpool red. The kind of red that radiates the essence of love and endearment towards the fans, the club and the game itself!

The announcer finally says those two magical words that send the crowd in frenzy. “Steven Gerrard!” Gerrard walks down the steps amidst roars of applause and while walking out touches the “This is Anfield” sign - a momentous gesture that means the world to him. Something he does every time he walks out. Something that has been ingrained in him like a flashy black tattoo on white skin!

Only today was the last time ever.

For close to two decades Gerrard has been a wizard living among less-blessed mortals. True that his final season in the Premier League hasn’t been  one to remember him by, but the Kop knows that he needs to be “judged” for the blood he’s shed for 17 years rather than just a couple of unfortunate seasons.

There have been numerous instances when it was Gerrard’s sheer tenacity to not accept defeat that lifted the Reds from the abyss of annihilation to the pinnacles of prestige. Olympiakos, Istanbul, West Ham to name a few! But instances like the infamous slip that cost Liverpool the Premier League title and the red card after just 38 seconds against Manchester United nonetheless have really dented his image.


Meanwhile, Gerrard walks out to the Anfield turf amid a guard of honour. Only last week was he giving one to champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. It must feel awkward to him to change sides in just a week’s time. His youngest daughter, in his arms, covers her ears with both hands to shield herself from the deafening roar that engulfs the stadium. A roar so loud that it would even give the mighty Super Bowl the blushes!

The fans always have something or the other to cheer about when it comes to Steven Gerrard. They always appreciate the precision that he demonstrates with his passing. They always applaud the aggression that he exhibits when playing rivals. They go ballistic when he scores those incredible screamers. And they always have found a suitable reason to make their captain courageous feel special.

Only today was the last time ever.

Gerrard’s life can be looked upon as a constant struggle to overcome obstacles and being prepared for whatever strange bounces life threw his way. He might not have been an emperor at Anfield, but during his time there he truly proved that he was without shadow of a doubt worthy of being called one.


He belongs to a rare clan of footballers who have proved that, despite the impediments, they have what it takes to get the job done. He has proved that not only does he thrive at every challenge thrown his way but that those challenges made him better than if he had never faced any adversity at all.

As the game progressed, nearly after 30 minutes of play, Adam Lallana’s eyes scanned the whole stadium. He knew what he was looking for; it’s just that he couldn’t find it. The ex-Southampton winger had just scored Liverpool’s opening goal and was now looking for Gerrard to celebrate it with. Probably doing his bit to honour a legend from whom he draws inspiration. Gerrard couldn’t be more jubilant.

For years Anfield has seen the influx and exodus of footballers who have played with Gerrard and have celebrated goals together. They know that he is never shy to celebrate a goal. He’s never under the pressure to think about the consequences of an erratic celebration. The camera-kiss at Old Trafford created quite a stir, but who cares. He’s always the first to celebrate with his teammates at Anfield.

Only today was the last time ever.

Gerrard might not be the greatest ever Red to have graced the footballing fraternity. But there truly was no one more passionate than him. He could have abandoned us for another team just for the sake of laurels and glory. But just like a true gentleman who never deserts her lady, Stevie chose otherwise.



When it came to hunger towards playing the game, there was no one better than him. When it came to undying dedication towards the club, there was no one better than him. Steven Gerrard was the heart of the team. He was the glue that held everything together. Things made sense when he was on the field. A match was never over until it was over when he was on the field. No one counted us out when he was on the field and no one, no matter how big, dared to write us off when he was on the field.

Things at Anfield will never be the same because Gerrard will never walk that tunnel again. Things abroad will never be the same because Gerrard will never deliver us from doom again. Things in the dressing room will never be the same because Gerrard will never give a pep talk again. Things at Melwood will never be the same because Gerrard will never train there again.

And lastly, but most importantly, it’s sad to come to terms with the fact that things at Liverpool Football Club will never be ‘Red’ going further because Steven Gerrard will never bleed his heart out for us again!

Friday, May 8, 2015

Man for All Teams, Man for All Seasons!

It’s a rowdy evening at the Stamford Bridge stadium where the clock has just stuck the 90-minute mark. The wind blows gently as Eden Hazard looks at the giant screen at the corner and sees 2 minutes come on as stoppage time. The Blues have been “boringly” shielding their 1-0 lead ever since half-time and it’s now just a matter of time before the club celebrates its fourth Premier League title in 11 years.

It was only logical that Hazard, Premier League’s best player this season, scored the winning goal that would gift Chelsea what would be termed by pundits as the dawn of a new “old era” under their prodigal son Jose Mourinho. The confetti is about to engulf the pitch. The same pitch that strived endlessly to see a league title celebration before the “special one” turned the club’s fortunes in 2004.


The crowd is going wilder by the second. The pre-party jollifications seem to have started quite some time before the final whistle has actually blown. Jose, in a move termed as “spite” by foes, chooses this moment to take Hazard off to a resounding ovation. It’s only natural! Hazard deserves every bit of it.

“Another ploy from Jose to waste time,” I think. “This is going to rob the Eagles those precious seconds to equalize,” adds the Liverpool freak in me. Maybe! But then again, who was I kidding? If not today, Chelsea would have won the title next week - the weekend when they play the Reds at home. I don’t think I had it in me to see Chelsea win “something” at our “slipping” expense two times in a row.

The truth is, however, Chelsea have had a solid season and downrightly deserve all the glory. They’ve led from start to finish and never showed even remote signs of slowing down. They’ve had starlets in every department and a skipper whose stellar persona is something that every club and fan envies.


Back at the Bridge, eyes were fixated more on the referee than on the action on the field. In this case referee Kevin Friend’s whistle is getting all the attention. In a move that some think to be ridiculously unpardonable, Friend teases the fans by taking the whistle to his mouth and then back down. He gives a smile to reiterate that while they might be winning the title, he’s still the law. Truly Webb-esque my Friend!

Chelsea’s legendary striker Didier Drogba can’t help but laugh thinking about the journey that he’s had with the club. After he grabbed them by the throat on a zealous May evening at the Allianz Arena and hoisted them to their first ever Champions League title, the striker just like the club has had an erratic journey. However, despite the ups and downs Drogba is back where he belongs – among winnings ways!

Finally Friend takes the whistle to his mouth. Even though it was just the one whistle whose “tweet” had the power to end the match, the fans had other ideas. In an act of staggering unison some 40,000 whistles tweet at the same time thereby ending a four-year wait for the prominent Premier League title.

All I could see next was a barrage of confetti covering the air above and a horde of players running amok on the ground below. It had finally happened. With three games left, the Blues had sealed the title. It was a time to celebrate. It was time to freak out. It was time to shut the critics up. And most importantly, it was time for “boring ol’ Chelsea” to party like compelling champions.

Only, one man had other ideas!


Amidst the entire hullabaloo, a reporter somehow manages to get hold of Chelsea skipper John Terry for a candid one-on-one. After the procedural questions and the diplomatic responses, Terry says something that might be etched in the hearts of every football fanatic for a long time to come.

“I would like, on behalf of myself and everyone at Chelsea, to send our condolences to Rio Ferdinand and his family.”

Almost immediately, in one of those impulsive spine-chilling moments, Terry managed to add yet another fruitful dimension to his glittery persona that makes him one those few stars that teams would pay millions to have in their ranks. Not just because of the immense talent that he possesses, but because of the manner in which he perceives the beautiful game and gives it his all in playing it.

For a team like Chelsea whose dominating presence can be “villainous” at times, John Terry is one of those few indispensable valiant knights who will always rescue the club from being inundated by undesirable mirages. Because no matter how much one hates Chelsea or loathes their Russian moolah, one just can’t hate a player like Terry who will embody true competitive spirit till the end of time.

Having the highest scoring defender in Premier League history in their ranks is without doubt a matter of great pride for Chelsea; however, to have a rugged stalwart like him, whose irrefutable dedication towards his club and job is the stuff that legends are made of, is truly what they can bet their fortunes on.

From literally taking a boot to the head in an FA Cup tie to making a silly penguin dive at the international circuit, Terry’s commitment when it comes to keeping the ball out of his keeper’s reach is a remarkable example of unquestionable diligence. Time and again Terry’s perseverance has been tested to the core, but his unequivocal ability to “fly mask” the trauma and play the game is what matters the most to him.


His passion to give it his best has driven him to play every minute of every game for Chelsea this season and has reaped valuable results as well. Come to think about it, John Terry is an epitome of “doing-what-you-love-and-let-the-results-do-the-talking” quite simply because of his impetuous instinct.       

Captaining a team to four Premier League titles not only consolidates his position as one of most influential players of all time, but also puts his critics in their place. What Rafael Benitez and I have in common, other than being Liverpool fans, is that we both thought Terry was done and dusted in 2013. However, from that time, Terry has roared back into the thick of things in unimpeachable manner and his prime touch makes him one of the greatest English defenders of all time to have surged out.

With the whole Anton Ferdinand saga and the Wayne Bridge fiasco under his belt, John Terry clearly does not have the best of images in the eyes of people. But it’s at times like these that a player should be judged for his knack and on-field performances rather than events that make for good theatrics.

Whether it’s those notorious chants against their own or that applaud that honours their special ones, the crowd at Stamford Bridge always has something or the other to cheer about. But the chant that will matter the most for times immemorial is the one cherishing the heart of their team. It’s the chant that signifies the heroics of their stoic leader. The chant that taunts the world that the man for all teams and the man for all seasons is and forever will be a “Blue Baron”.