Topic: Steven Gerrard: Oh, the Okey-Cokey-Cokey

[Paul Tomkins]

I'm not sure if overseas readers are familiar with the Okey-Cokey-Cokey (is it a worldwide phenomenon?), but I can assure that it is not related to Bolivian marching powder. It involves putting your leg 'in', taking it 'out', and putting it in again. And, predictably, taking it out once more.

Basically, it's a dance that involves a lot of indecision. And it's a rather annoying dance at that.

Ninety minutes: the length of one football match, and all it took for Steven Gerrard to make redundant my article, published at 1pm yesterday, on why he should either sign up, or ship out. Turned out he was doing the latter.

Then at 9am this morning, just as I was about to publish my follow-up piece on how the club can move forward in his absence, given the dramatic change of events, he goes and changes his mind. Again. And dramatically.

I pride myself on trying to commentate on the major events surrounding the club (the quality of these commentaries is open to debate), but I'm struggling to keep up with the changes in this saga.

So my piece yesterday, while still out of date, is partly relevant again: sign up, or ship out. Sign up, or ship out.

"He realises how much the club means to him," said Rick Parry, and a sense of déjà vu engulfed me. I had to check the date of the BBC article: was it from 2004?  While Parry did not confirm it, I had to wonder if it was all a bid to make fans burn their 'Gerrard' shirts and pay £40 for new ones.

Can we take our affections being played with anymore? Gerrard is coming across like a man trying desperately to leave his wife for a mistress, but ends up staying out of a sense of fear and misplaced loyalty. Alternatively, maybe it is only in the 'leaving' that he realises what his heart actually contains. If it's the former, trouble still awaits; if it's the latter, then there is still some hope. But frankly, I'm getting a little cynical.

Why does it take such extreme reactions to make Gerrard realise what the club means to him? Didn't lifting the freakin' European Cup six weeks ago mean anything? How did that get forgotten yesterday, and remembered today? That's where I'm struggling to keep up. What has changed?

Surely if his heart was 100% in the task, he'd not come so close to leaving in successive summers? Without wishing to state the obvious, either he wants to play for Liverpool, or he doesn't. What we don't need is what lies in between. We don't need 50% commitment to the club and the cause. We don't need Stev Rrard or Even Ger; we need Steven Gerrard.

I was looking forward to Rafa building a new side, full of players who want to play for Liverpool, be they from Bootle or Timbucktu. Now we have one sulky, confused malcontent throwing the manager's plans into disarray by the hour. Frankly, it's starting to seem far from good enough. It needs more than a press conference; it needs a big beaming smile from the club captain.

This was my thinking at 8.59 am this morning:

While he would never admit to wanting Gerrard gone, I feel Rafa will see the positives: a player who was outgrowing his boots, and who was unbalancing the club.

Benítez' problem was that, as the overseas coach, he would be on shaky ground if seen to force out a local icon. Of course, if Gerrard was 100% committed to Liverpool, and humble in all his actions, Benítez would have no desire to see the back of the player. The 'old' Gerrard (pre-summer 2004), who would never give leaving Liverpool a second thought (even when the team was stagnating), is not the player Benítez is losing.

He is losing a player who feels Liverpool is no longer good enough for him; that he is too good for Liverpool.

No manager wants a player he has to virtually beg to stay at the club: to ask his captain to 'please do us a favour' and stay to grace the team with his presence. It sets a bad tone for the entire club. Especially when that malcontent is being paid £100,000 a week  –– the wages of five good players –– to do the manager the 'favour' of staying and turning out for his team.

So while the news has changed, that's basically my position. And I guess it remains the same: stay, or go, just don't muck about. All this indecision is doing the club more harm than good. (I'll save the earlier article, just in case there is another dramatic, unexpected, surprising change of heart, and I'll have all bases covered, unless Gerrard states that all he wants to do is play for Marine on YTS wages.)

A Steven Gerrard who wants with all his heart to be at Liverpool is a massive asset; anything less, and we'd be better off with £40m. If he stays, it's up to him to show it's for the right reasons.

© Paul Tomkins 2005

"Golden Past, Red Future" is available from www.paultomkins.com, the HJC shop, and is FINALLY on Amazon with "Availability: usually dispatched within 24 hours."
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0954958020/qid%3D1118674487/202-5459723-9868624

[El Bos5]

Pretty much sums up my thoughts

[mercury]

Paul, same sentiments here.  I have made my feelings over this farce clearly in another thread.   He is disruptive influence to the Club.  It is in fact good management to say NO to his u-turn.

He stays only if Rafa wants him, on our terms.  With the right attitude and behaviour.

I also do not expect him to remain captain.

[WOOLTONIAN]

Great minds think alike ?

I claim 9.40am

altogether now......

Oh Oh the Okey Kokey,
He's out, he's in Ra ra ra

[Holiara]

I also do not expect him to remain captain.

He will remain captain, though I would rather see Carra have that position.

Nice article Paul!

[Paul Tomkins]

Great minds think alike ?

I claim 9.40am

Great minds, or two people who have been to too many OAP tea dances... 

At least you'll appreciate I was busy writing mine at the time, and not copying you!

[Filler.]

Great minds think alike ?

I claim 9.40am

you should have copyrighted it 

[7777]

I had to check the date of the BBC article: was it from 2004? 

I did the exact same thing with the "Gerrard's staying" thread. I thought someone had dug it up from last year. Bizarre.

[AngelNeo]

Excellent post, Paul.

[Jon G]

Feel much the same way. I'd already spent the 30 odd million too. Anyway I won't pass judgement until I here the 12 o'clock news, things could still change

[Andy-oh-six]

just back from an early shift. Stunned by the news. finally commit Steve and end all of this. It's not good for you and it far worse for the thing that really matters - our club.

[keadyboy]

Until he signs that bloody new contract I won't believe that he is staying.
It's bringing the clubs image down to the likes of Newcastle-'Fightclub'!

[rafathegaffa]

Great article Paul.

It seems that Stevie is one of those lads who sits at the bar, moaning about how crap things are in his one-horse-town and anyday now he's gonna leave and make a difference..... but never does.

The U-turn seems  to be more about fear than love, nostalgia rather than desire.
I hope this decision is good for Liverpool Football Club - I'll take a lot of convincing though.

[redpanic]

circus

35million pleae

[Mikie]

Am leaving the site for a few days... please ban me.   wake me up when we play TNS.

 

[Cassiel]

This is what happens when you try to decide and negotiate your future through media fora, rather than doing it all behind closed doors in the proper manner. Indecision, misunderstanding, bewliderment and, eventually, farce. There is a lot to be said for discretion, but it seems to be a forgotten attribute. Particularly where SG and his retinue are concerned.

Still, it's made a load of national newspapers look daft this morning, so it ain't all bad.

[paul the paul]

yeah pretty much agree with the article. hopefully now he will get his head down, be a good lad and we can concentrate on building a team that can win the premiership. all this half arsed shite has gone on long enough and it all needs putting to bed for everyone's sake.

[rob1966]

He had better look a hell of a lot happier this time around than he did at the press conference last season.He is so very close to losing the fans the way he is acting.There are plenty of Reds who don't idolise the players and can see through the "whoopee he's staying" shite and see the actual damage this will be doing to the team, to morale and to Rafa's plans to build for next season.

Gerrard has to accept that there were other players, Didi, Reina and Zenden etc who it was more important to get their contracts sorted first, before they came around to him.He's under contract and said he will stay, his wasn't the most pressing thing.

If all this has come about because of SFX (which most people suspect), then he should fuck them off, otherwise we are going to continually get this shit every 6 months.

Stop acting like a child and act like the Captain of Liverpool Football Club.

[RedMerseyMan]

Get behind our Captain and stop judging him.No one on here has any idea what it is like to be Steven Gerrard.Who knows what he has had to put up with of late?
I for one am ecstatic that he is staying.He has his faults,don't we all.
We are keeping one of the worlds best players so look to the future,onwards and upwards.

[theboyspen]

As much as I despise Duncan Fergusson I admire his stance with the Media.After all, he never looks stupid on telly or in the papers cos he doesn't talk to them.I think SG should take a leaf out of his book and shut the fuck up,cos he's embarassing not just himself but us the supporters and ultimately the club.

[applehead2k1]

A Steven Gerrard who wants with all his heart to be at Liverpool is a massive asset; anything less, and we'd be better off with £40m. If he stays, it's up to him to show it's for the right reasons.

That one paragraph sums up my feelings entirely and to be honest I can see teh same thing happening again next season so I think i'm actually in teh camp *(at the moment at least) that i'd have prefered him to go - though of course i'm more than willing to be proved wrong by having the Gerrard from 03/04 back for good

[OrionPax]

If he can show Rafa,the board,the staff, his fellow players and us that he's ready to knuckle down and put the club and the team first and starts behaving like an LFC Captain,we really must give him another chance,this is his club and we all want him to stay.
What an unbelievable few days,let's hope this really is the end of the saga.I've  never seen a Liverpool player,never mind Captain, behave in such a way as we've seen,read,heard these past few days.Such petulance from a Liverpool player,it's not right.Stevie has a lot of apologising to do,methinks.I hope he's man enough to do so

Silly,silly boy!Buck up Stevie,you are loved,adored,revered and idolised by thousands and thousands of fans throughout the world. We expect better,particularly from you!

[Andy-oh-six]

Has he now lost the fans forever? Last year was bad enough but this time around it is so much more out in the open and with old big ears back for good even more gauling. How did it get to this? Surely it was not over a slight delay in contract negoiations. It took that to think the club didn't want him - pathetic.

Liverpool has been dragged through the mud and that is something which is not done at this club - we're not Man utd, or fucking Aston Villa. This has to be the last time - or he will find he won't have a choice next time and no fan will blame the club in selling him.

I just hope that Rafa doesn't feel undermined here and the players will understand the situation and not feel that the Gerrard showboat is too much for them. What can they think to the whole debacle going on? I hope this has more positives than negatives. Surely the only thing he can do is sign the long term deal and apologise to the players and the manager (and the fans who idolised him!) for this.

Also:

Carra has to be given the captaincy but I'm sure he won't.

Rather than a fickle player, we need some solidity:

'he's scouse, he's sound
he'll twat you with a pound
Carragher, Carragher'

[Paul Tomkins]

Has he now lost the fans forever? Last year was bad enough but this time around it is so much more out in the open and with old big ears back for good even more gauling. How did it get to this? Surely it was not over a slight delay in contract negoiations. It took that to think the club didn't want him - pathetic.

Just so long as Gerrard isn't forcing the club to sell him - in which case he gets to keep his transfer bonus.

It'll all come out in the wash, as they say...

[Guz-kop]

I've been a big fan of Gerrard in the last 12 months but he has taken the biscuit recently. I'm sure, his agents, Chelsea, Real Madrid et al have had a large influence on matters but he had his own way yesterday and told the club he was going to leave, no point trying to spin it any other way today. Like most fans now, I just want him to keep his mouth shut, let Rafa manage the club and concentrate on his football. Almost rewind 4 or 5 years when he wasn't a sensational star but a young terrier in midfield trying to find his way into the Liverpool team that he loves. He needs to start playing with a smile on his face again and enjoying his football and his team-mates. A lot of bridges need to be re-built and imo, that can only be done with an apology to his team mates and supporters. He won't have lost the fans forever, a few good performances early in the season will set it right but long term he needs an excellent season. Hopefully we can put this all to bed but somehow I doubt it.

[Cassiel]

To respond to the biggest dilemma quoted in your piece, Paul, i.e whether the Okey-Cokey is a worldwide phenomenon, I can confirm it is. I was once on a river boat travelling down the Mekong (don't ask) with some Aussies, a few Yanks, a couple of Danes, other Scandies and some locals. Pissed on Laotian booze - Lao-Lao, think Paraffin with a rougher aftertaste - they asked us to sing a traditional English song. We started doing the Okey-Cokey. They all knew it and joined in. But all of them, locals excluded, to a man and woman sang 'Okey-POKEY!' That's what they'd been taught.

Scandalous it was.

[Paul Tomkins]

To respond to the biggest dilemma quoted in your piece, Paul, i.e whether the Okey-Cokey is a worldwide phenomenon, I can confirm it is. I was once on a river boat travelling down the Mekong (don't ask) with some Aussies, a few Yanks, a couple of Danes, other Scandies and some locals. Pissed on Laotian booze - Lao-Lao, think Paraffin with a rougher aftertaste - they asked us to sing a traditional English song. We started doing the Okey-Cokey. They all knew it and joined in. But all of them, locals excluded, to a man and woman sang 'Okey-POKEY!' That's what they'd been taught.

Scandalous it was.

 



As for Gerrard, I'm happy with his latest statement. Sounds 100% committed to me, and that's all I wanted to hear.

[Corki]

Totally agree with you Paul, but I don't think the lad caused all this because he wanted to upset the fans or the club, I just don't think he has the intelligence to understand the consequences of his words or his actions, it's as simple as that.
Carra for Captain!

[Tosh]

Down in NZ it's the Hokey Pokey.... scandalous! 

Good article Paul, nice to come on and find some intelligent comments about the whole Stevie G thing.

One question though, if Even Ger is available, shouldn't we make a bid for him? I heard he's quite good.

[baz]

Whatever has happened in the past few days, is almost as surreal as the final itself. Last year i didnt think he was going to leave. So i was surprised to see him cut such a sorry figure at the press conference. i chose to ignore it.

Every press conference turned into a circus, so stevies departure in that respect would have been a good thing.

This year i was left shocked that stevie would want to leave now. Paul has already summed up everything in GPRF (will read it later but i kind of know the gist). It has been an unbelievable year for everyone at Liverpool. Rafa had to contest with his nightmare injuries, yet still, somehow managed to win us the big one. And that after giving the mighty Milan a head start (i'm sure thats what Rafa was thinking )

And so on to the new season. It is so obvious that we will do so much better next year. So so much better. We already have new players, fabulous players in key positions. Welcome to Xabi Alonso, Cisse, Morientes, Reina, Zenden. Kewell even. Thats six new signings straight away, and i'm sure at least 4-5 of them would go straight into any first team in the league. Pongo isnt that bad either.

Add to that some interesting acquisitions elsewhere. And we already have so much to look forward to. So much. So how would Stevie want to leave after that. As i said elsewhere it would be fantastic if Rafa could unearth some more diamonds. There is something special about winning a competition without paying hundreds of millions of pounds for it.

I was left stunned with the events of the weekend. But even late as early morning today (4-5am) i thought that this change in mind was possible. I know Stevie G would have realised that he would lose a lot of credibility, but its not easy parting from something or someone youve genuinely loved for so long.

So onto my main point, the events of the past few days have left Rafas hand much, much stronger. He will do the best for Liverpool FC. I am sure of it. And if he accepts stevie gs climb-down, it will be on his and the clubs terms. Reading some of the things today there are already signs of that happening. And i get the feeling that any media type mentioning the C word will get more than a shrug. This is Liverpool. This is Rafael Benitez. The show has only begun. Without Stevie G i thought we would still have a fabulous chance to bring back the ever so elusive league title. With a fully committed, clear in his mind Stevie G, well let the games begin.

[Redwhiteandnotblue]

So, now he's decided to stay, has he?

The only upside that I can see to this sorry saga is the fact that it will mean less new personnel arriving at Anfield this summer. With Gerrard gone and £40m in the transfer kitty we could have expected to see between 8 and 11 new faces in the squad. Do not underestimate the disruption that bringing in that many new players causes to a squad. The dynamic of the whole squad would change with that many new faces. With Gerrard staying, assuming the club don't decide that enough's enough and sell him anyway (which to my mind would be the right response to the shenannigins of the past few years) we can expect only (!) 6 or 7, at least a couple of whom will be destined solely (in the short term) for the youth/reserve teams.

I am reminded of the "big time Charlie" Paul Ince, who never really wanted to leave Manchester United or Liverpool, but was shipped out by both Alex Ferguson and Gerard Houllier because he was a malign influence in the dressing room and on the pitch and was frankly too big for his boots. Steven Gerrard has become a liability  to Liverpool off the pitch - a disruptive influence with a media circus surrounding him, and a distracted and distractable figure on the pitch (e.g. during the Worthington Cup Final thanks to the speculation regarding his move to the opposition) and who has appeared out of touch with the positive attitude of his manager (especially when claiming that "We can't win the Champions League" around the time of the Dortmund tie)

I can not see this being the end of the thusfar endless speculation surrounding the man and his commitment (or lack of it) to the club. It is time that the club called his bluff and sold him to the highest bidder.

[Guz-kop]

I appreciate the last 12 months from SG have been far from right but something I don't get, if Gerrard was SUCH a disruptive influence to the club - Rafa would surely see that and sell him. Now which way is it? Either Gerrard isn't as bad to work with as people make out or Rafa and the club haven't got the bollocks to sell him.

[Lanrmort]

I think he's completely taken the piss out of the club. He wavered once - that can be forgiven. But twice! I'm sorry, but the lad has clearly got ideas way above his station.

I hope more than anything that he proves me wrong, but to extend Paul's metaphor about him wanting to run off with the mistress, I believe his wife will never be able to look at him in the same way again, no matter how much she might wish to.

[Darren Page1]

great read Paul and again--totallyagree--could never see Carra even think of leaving --and the mistress comment is spot on.
Anyway while i have hated Gerrard for all the shit he has caused the club, it would take a fool to think we arent better off with a 100% Stevie (although right now im talking mentally not physically).
Anyway, i guess mods can scrap my rant yesterday about how the hell im gonna have to explain tomy 8 year why his idol has left Liverpool, i plan to keep him in the dark about it all!!!!
But while were talking about idols, he has a new one too--your book came last week and when he saw it signed inside by "the man who wrote it" (quote) he about lost it like in Istanbul when we scored the second!!!!!!
Cheers for taking the time Paul--it made his day, he actually sleeps with the book right now as he doesnt have time to read it --well how could he? Dad paid for it, so dad reads it first!!!!

Oh BTW--damn good read too mate --again thanks

[TSC]

Well he's quoted on sky sports half hour ago as saying that he wants to sign asap, today preferably, and wants to commit to Liverpool long term, and end all speculation once and for all.  He also described as 'absolute nonsense' the reports of fall outs with Rafa.  He then says, "I thought the club didn't want me"

All a bit strange, and maybe things will come out in the wash over the next week or so, or maybe they'll be swept under the carpet.

Maybe it was all a big misunderstanding, but I'd doubt it.   I think there may well be mileage in some of the comments of Liverpool being tempted by the big pay day?  Maybe it's not all Gerrard's fault.

[Darren Page1]

i think maybe he tried to use what he considered power in deal making and Liverpool said "fuck you, you can go" he makes a sky sports 'exclusive' saying hes defo off and then Parry backs it up saying "yup hes going-dont think itll change now"

he obviousley sat at homethinking "shit, what have i done" and called Parry to smooth things over
Obviously thats what i think and people who know me know i talk shit

[Walshy nMe®]

At least you'll appreciate I was busy writing mine at the time, and not copying you!

Is that what you told the publishers when they kicked out the lad from Southport who's book about Liverpool's 04/05 season didn't include the Euro Cup Final? 

[swiftylad]

I dont know you Darren , I think you have got it dead right there is no shit in your post mate.  YNWA

[Red-juvenated]

I had said yesterday when the talks seem to have broken down, that there seems to be a misunderstanding on the intentions between Rafa and Gerrard and this would be clarified and resolved quickly. Then I was utterly shocked to hear his decision to LEAVE! I couldn’t believe it! We were all pulling in the same direction, so WTF happened?!

With Gerrard now having admitted that he was wrong, I'm sure he'd have apologised to Rafa and Parry. But I think he hasn't realised the hurt he's caused by mistrusting Rafa, of all people!. He'll have to prove himself all over again, and I believe we'll see the best of Gerrard this coming season.

[Paul Tomkins]

I'd like to publicly apologize for my comments yesterday regarding our captain. I am still pissed off with this saga has gone on and on, but I appreciate his decency to come out and make everything 100% clear.

It was precisely the statement I wanted to hear. It was actually more than I was expecting, but I guess he'd painted himself into a corner.

As I've said all along: a 100% committed Gerrard is a big bonus.