Volume 1: Males Come and Go, People Pay Attention Chapter 311 Thank You, Jamie (Second Update, Please Vote for Me)
Chapter 311 Thank you, Jamie (Second update, please vote for me)
Everyone was gathered around the TV to marvel at this spectacular scene, but Gerrard was sitting alone on the outside.
In the last tactical meeting before the game last night, head coach Martin O'Neill announced the starting lineup, and as the team's captain Gerrard was not among them.
Not only was he surprised, but the other teammates were also surprised.
In the last game, Gerrard came on as a substitute and had no physical problems, which proved that his body was capable of playing the game.
But O'Neal still put him on the bench.
In such an important game, as the captain of the team, he was unable to start. This was a very heavy blow to Gerrard. Why did he work so hard to come back? Isn't it just to catch up with the final against Manchester United?
This season they will give the league title to vice-captain Carragher as his parting gift. At the same time, he himself is very eager for this championship. So in such an important game, he didn't want to miss it.
Now he was placed on the bench by the head coach.
After the tactical meeting, he wanted to talk to the head coach. He hoped to get a reasonable explanation. Unexpectedly, O'Neal came to him first.
O'Neal told Gerrard everything that was on his mind.
Letting Gerrard come on as a substitute was not because he was worried about Gerrard's health, but it was an act of "pretending to be a pig and eating the tiger".
He wants Manchester United to further lower their vigilance. Chen Yingxiong is "in bad shape." If he, as captain, sits on the bench again, Manchester United may underestimate the enemy even more.
In the second half, when the time is right, Gerrard will be sent on the field to take advantage of Manchester United's unpreparedness and give the opponent a fatal blow!
This is what Martin O'Neill thinks.
This reason is reasonable. From a strategic point of view, his appearance in the second half can not only ensure sufficient physical strength, but also be unexpected.
Gerald accepted the boss's explanation, but there was always an idea in his mind that he couldn't let go of, and he is still thinking about it now.
That is, at the most critical moment for the team, he seems to have gradually lost his role. What the team needs now is no longer him, but Chen Yingxiong...
I think every time Liverpool encountered danger and reached the cliff, who stood up and turned the tide?
It's Steve Gerrard.
In Istanbul in 2005, he scored the first goal for Liverpool in that huge reversal, sounding the clarion call for Liverpool's counterattack.
In the 2006 FA Cup final, with West Ham United trailing by two goals, Gerrard stepped up and helped the team equalize the score twice. Especially when the game entered the 90th minute, everyone thought that West Ham United could win the FA Cup and go home, but Gerrard equalized the score with a stunning long-range shot from nearly 40 meters in front of the goal.
In the end, Liverpool defeated an already mentally broken West Ham United in a penalty shootout.
One thing these two games have in common is that Liverpool were once behind by two or three goals, and then completed the feat of equalizing the score and dragging the game into overtime and penalty shootouts, while none of Liverpool's opponents The exceptions were mental breakdowns in the penalty shootout.
Liverpool's spirit has always been a characteristic they are proud of, and Gerrard is the spokesperson of this spirit. He has saved the team in crisis several times.
But now, the team no longer needs his rescue, and the team has a new savior.
Although Gerald had been psychologically prepared to accept this reality a long time ago - no matter how powerful he is, he will grow old. He will change from an absolute core player to a player who can be rotated, and then from a player who can be rotated to a substitute, and finally from a substitute to retirement... If he is unwilling to accept this arrangement, he can only choose to be a substitute before he becomes a substitute. Just retire.
As for leaving Liverpool and looking elsewhere? Such thoughts never occurred to him again after he won the fifth Champions League trophy for the team. He will definitely retire at Liverpool.
But when this reality really began to unfold in front of him little by little, Gerald felt that he was not as strong as he thought, and he could not accept this result calmly.
He felt lost. For the first time, he felt that the team no longer needed him and that he had become a redundant person...
After being the core of Liverpool for more than ten years, he suddenly couldn't accept this reality.
He felt a little depressed.
But he is the captain, and he can't talk to people everywhere. That will damage his image in the minds of his teammates and make his captain weak. In this case, when the team needs him, his teammates may not trust him as much as before.
At the same time, before such an important game, he could not let go of his low mood, let alone have a big fight with the head coach. Internal strife was the most terrible disaster. This is why he agreed to be a substitute without saying a word after listening to the head coach's explanation yesterday.
The interests of the team are higher than personal interests, and the name on the chest of the jersey is always more important than the name on the back.
Gerrard is a traditional English player and he understands this very well.
Now he can only sit alone on the outside without anyone disturbing him.
At this moment, there was suddenly someone beside him.
Jamie Carragher sat down next to him.
"When the hero told me that he was going to give me a league championship, I thought he was just comforting me, not wanting to make me, an old guy, too sad, so that I could go easier. Now it seems that I was wrong. He I really intend to win a league championship." After sitting down, Carragher looked at his teammates who were looking up at the TV and said that Chen Yingxiong was very conspicuous among them.
"Heroes have this ability, Jamie." Seeing someone coming, Gerald quickly adjusted his emotions and put a smile on his face. "We knew that when he first came to Liverpool, didn't we? Why else would the King want to keep him at all costs?"
"I really hope he can stay here until he retires...let him take over from you." Carragher turned to look at his old partner.
"Isn't he doing this?" Gerrard asked, not avoiding Carragher's gaze.
Carragher turned his head back, looked at Chen Yingxiong, and then sighed: "I am really old. Sometimes I have to admit that my body is really no longer what it used to be..."
"But you did a great job this half of the season, Jamie. You exceeded your goals and accomplished the job."
"I know my own body well, Stephen. In fact, retirement is nothing to me. Isn't it just that I don't continue to play football? What's the big deal? I will continue to work at Liverpool Football Club. Manager Niang has promised that I will To help me arrange a position in the coaching staff, I plan to start as a youth coach at the most basic level. If you miss me then, you can go to the youth team to find me, ha!" Carragher said and laughed.
Gerald did not laugh with him, and there seemed to be a sudden silence between the two of them.
Carragher spoke again, this time in a slightly lower voice: "When I decided to retire, it took me less than half a game, but I struggled in my heart. I kept repeating Ask yourself, if I don't retire and I continue to persevere, what contribution can I make to the team next season and the next season? Most of the time I sit on the bench and occasionally play. I think I am more The focus of my work may no longer be on the football field, but in the locker room. I felt very unwilling to do so. I thought I should still be able to persist for a few more years... But then I figured it out, everyone has that stage. There is nothing to be unwilling to do. When I entered the first team, I was a kid who didn’t understand anything. Later, we also took away the positions of those team bosses... like Paul Ince and Little Redker. Knapp. Do you remember Rush? The season I was promoted to the first team was his last season at Liverpool. In fact, Rush, who was omnipotent several seasons ago, could no longer score goals. I still remember In 1992, he only played sixteen league games due to injury and scored two goals... In the last season, he played like twenty league games? He only scored five goals... If I remember correctly. That one At that time, I was thinking that such a great player could not withstand the invasion of time. I felt that my ending must be worse than him..."
At this point, Carragher paused: "But thank you to the heroes and them, and thank you, Stephen. My last season turned out to be so brilliant and successful. I am much luckier than Rush, and you..." He turned He looked at Gerald. "I believe you are luckier than me, Stephen."
After saying that, he stopped saying anything, just turned around and raised his head, looking through the standing teammates and onto the TV screen.
After a while, he heard Gerald next to him say: "Thank you, Jamie."
Him: "Yeah."
※ ※ ※
When it was time to board the bus, Steven Gerrard was the first to stand up and clapped his hands to remind his teammates.
"Let's go! Let's go! Guys, what's the point of just watching in front of the TV? Go live!"
Everyone turned to look at him when they heard the captain's voice full of energy and fighting spirit.
Martin O'Neill was also attracted by Gerrard's voice. He knew that Gerrard was actually dissatisfied after being assigned as a substitute, but for the overall interests of the team and focusing on the overall situation, he endured it. It's just that the mood has never been high.
Looking at him now, does he still look a little bit depressed?
O'Neal didn't know what happened, but the result was something he was happy to see.
If Gerrard is emotionally unstable, it will inevitably bring instability to the team.
In such a crucial game, no instability is allowed, because it is like a time bomb that has malfunctioned and no one knows when it will explode.
…