There have been several players in the past who perform admirably for their club, but look all at sea whenever they pull on the national shirt. John Barnes was one such player for England, despite turning on the style for Liverpool week-in week-out. It appears as though another Anfield favourite is feeling the pressure after a disappointing display at Wembley on Saturday.
There are few that can argue with Steven Gerrard’s world-class credentials, with the Liverpool skipper being the heartbeat of the side at club level. However, the Daily Mail reports that he’s aware of the pressure on him to start performing for England, with the age-old debate of whether he and Lampard can play in the same team continuing to rage on.
‘The next challenge for me is to stay in this starting XI and produce as consistently for England as I do for Liverpool,’ said Gerrard.
‘I feel under more pressure now. Everyone is under pressure here. The manager has shown he is prepared to make changes.’
As the debate rages over whether he can play effectively alongside Frank Lampard, Gerrard said: ‘If the manager decides to go with Frank and not with me, I will work hard to get back into the team.’
It’s admittedly refreshing to see Capello not having favourites in the team, and picking the players on merit. However, surely England aren’t so good as to have Steven Gerrard on the sidelines, especially if the player continues to churn out quality performances for Liverpool. What do the supporters think is the problem here? Is Stevie G being asked to play in a more defensive position, which stilts his play accordingly?
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