Steven Gerrard’s Groin Stays Home, and Other Tuesday Notes

By: Noel | October 3rd, 2011

Steven Gerrard’s groin is in the news again, Jonjo Shelvey’s already made an impact on loan for his new club, and your nearest Evertonian is still pissed about Jack Rodwell’s red card on Saturday. Plus we’ve got a bit of catching up to do, so we should probably get to it. Just watch out for abuse and improvised missiles raining down from the peanut gallery…

* Lost in the shuffle with the derby taking center stage over the weekend, not only has Jonjo Shelvey officially completed his move to Blackpool on a short-term loan, but he’s already made his debut for the Seasiders and scored a goal from a free kick.

He’s only there for three months to start, but if he remains a part of Ian Holloway’s plans moving forward and Liverpool isn’t hit by a rash of injuries in midfield, it wouldn’t be surprising to see that loan extended to the end of the season. No matter how long he ends up staying there in the end, it’s noteworthy that he claims to have approached Kenny Dalglish about the loan in an effort to get himself more playing time, as previously there had been rumours that both Shelvey and the still with Liverpool Danny Wilson had instead been the ones approached by the coaching staff and told to seek out new homes for the remainder of the season.

As for the goal he scored, whether one is inclined to hop on the bandwagon dubbing it a wonderstrike or if it seems more a fortuitous skip and some questionable ‘keeping, it’s good to see Shelvey getting off to a good start. Hopefully it leads to plenty of playing time for a young player who has himself become lost in the shuffle in recent months.

* It didn’t get as much initial coverage as Martin Atkinson’s erroneous red card on Saturday, but in the days since the derby the actions of some Everton supporters towards the end of the match have come in for their fair share, with the club releasing a statement (HT: Geza27) regarding the fans who threw empty bottles, coins, and bits of refuse at Luis Suarez and Craig Bellamy:

We are fully aware of the incidents which occurred during Saturday’s derby game.

We are currently working with Merseyside Police on collating and analysing all available CCTV footage of the incidents.

If we can identify any supporter who threw anything—and we mean anything—on to the pitch on Saturday we will take immediate firm and far-reaching action.

Given how little their actions appeared to effect Bellamy in particular, the biggest shame might be that Everton didn’t manage to work in the word “incidents” a few more times when talking about the incidents that took place. Incidents.

* For England, a draw when they visit Montenegro on Friday will be enough to guarantee a spot in next Summer’s European Championships, but Liverpool fans will have been looking ahead to the game with a greater concern for Steven Gerrard and his newly recovered groin than England’s prospects. And on that front, it will be a huge sigh of relief today as, after the player stated he wasn’t yet fit enough to take part, Fabio Capello has this time left Liverpool’s captain off the squad after a rather spotty history of dragging a half-fit Gerrard along on international duty. No word on whether Capello woke up with a bloody horse groin in his bed, but no matter the reason it’s good to see him showing more caution than in the past when it comes to Gerrard’s long-term fitness.

* And elsewhere in catching up with things that got lost in the shuffle of the derby over the weekend, the Anfield Wrap recently cast their gaze towards the past to make their picks for the club’s five best central defenders of all time, a discussion that seems fitting with all the talk of Jamie Carragher and Liverpool’s uncertain future at center back in recent weeks.

They start things off with Phil Thompson, a Red from his days on the Kop to the European Cup to coaching under Hollier, before moving on to Sami Hyypia anchoring the treble winning side before playing 57 games in a row in Europe—including Istanbul in 2005—in fourth. Who did they pick at number one? And does Jamie Carragher make it into one of the three remaining spots? No matter how long you’ve been following the club, it’s worth the time to give it a read and find out if you haven’t already.

We’ll be back with more later on, but in the meantime, while you consider that even if Everton’s one red card was undeserved they might well have deserved three others, try not to let it—and the prospect of another extended international break—leave you feeling too bitter…

Some Related Liverpool Posts:

Category: Premier League, Team News, Transfer News

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Suarez from the car park...

well, with the references and links to songs, I'm going to post one for probably the best song ever written.

Perspective guys, perspective!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
Ryan

I could tell what this was from the thumbtail. It was only a matter of time before this was posted, an I'm surprised Noel didn't use it for any of our losses during the second half of last season.
Noel

Honestly, I'm shocked I somehow didn't get around to using that or Bright Side of Life last year.
Lis

"No word on whether Capello woke up with a bloody horse groin in his bed..." - damn, Noel, I just spat tea all over my keyboard, that line is hilarious.
Suarez from the car park...

I've woken up with that feeling - strangers in the night following a drunken night out at the wrong time of the month.
justin

Now that Jack Rodwell's got his red card rescinded, can we get some post-match red cards for Hibbert, Cahill and Fellaini?
ejbauer11

Assuming he can't play the full 90 (and definitely not worth risking it, in my mind), do y'all think Stevie gets the start on the 15th?

Lets pray everyone else comes back from the break in one piece.

In other news, announced today that groundshare w/ the toffs is a "dead issue" (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/n..., though that issue seemed DOA a long time ago.
Latortillablanca

so, re: best cb's - if carra wins the league before he hangs em up, does he push someone off that list?

the only one i actually have seen play from that list is hyppia, so im totally unqualified on this one...
Ed

People on Facebook love Steven Gerrard's groin.
Noel

Everybody loves Steven Gerrard's groin. But I think the times when we get an instant gigaboost in likes that seems a bit out of the blue it's down to being linked by the LFC Hong Kong supporters group. Or it might be somebody else, since I slapped the transfers news tag on this one and during January and August anything in that category had a 50-50 chance of being liked at a disproportionate rate, suggesting that tag often gets a story picked up by a transfer-centric group/listing/feed that's heavy on the Facebookery.

Either way, I wish we had decent tracking analytics.
NotTooXabi

Decent tracking analytics...is that what we're calling it these days?

*Damn kids and their hippy hoppy jargon*
Suarez from the car park...

tbh, I wouldn't have minded Stevie playing 25mins for Capello for match sharpness/fitness.

But Capello will be very wary after this time last year when he overplayed him and caused the injury that may or may not have happened at some point anyhow.

Too much risk of criticism incase of relapse - you see how fear governs decisions these days.

More fitness and training ground work will be good for Stevie anyhow, hopefully seasoning the muscle and toughening it up ready for a solid 45 against ManUre.

Really wish Pacheco, Jonjo and anyone else would go on loan in the EPL, but then it would probably restrict their playing time even if it was possible. Norwich could have used a finisher the other day.

While we're waiting painfully for Adam to develop his game, I can't help wonder what Jonjo could have done in that position.

It will be interesting to see him develop, in theory, given 2 years of development we could have Adam, Hendo and Shelvey all capable of performing midfield/mid-right roles. And if Adam doesn't develop his game, he might fall behind the other 2!!
Latortillablanca

adam apologies aside, having adam's development be in the same sentence as jonjo and hendo's - and not thinking twice about it, as i just did - says it all, doesn't it?
Suarez from the car park...

true, but it's not impossible given where he's played before. the mobility is an issue but things like positional sense can be taught I would have thought.

And I'm a poet and didn't know it!

But while he's never going to be an Alonso, some pretty straight forward changes could make a big difference.

Overall, there's something not clicking at the moment which leaves us open to attack and looking a little vulnerable. Leaves me groping around for development groundwork.
KC

I wonder why no one has taken the name Steven Gerrard's Groin to use here since there's been Charlie Adam's Buckteeth and Jose Enrique's Biceps.

He he I can't stop imagining Capello sleeping in bed, waking up and seeing this bloody horse head next to his and screaming till the cows come home
Suarez from the car park...

it's mine and I'm not bringing it out to play.
Tom Foolery

A few things:
Way to go Jonjo, but you still look like an alien.
I love Sami Hyypia.
I hate that song.
We're not the Red Sox.
And, I can stay home with Stevie's groin, just to give it words of encouragement and assurance.
Suarez from the car park...

song is great, if a bit 'modern'.
Lean man

I could not have said it better myself.

Cheers
Lean man
redtrev73

Tom, with you on the praise for alien-Jonjo and the love for Sami but can't hate that Verve song coz it's kinda emblematic of my heyday as a young carefree gadabout before a decade of nappies and mortgage payments made me all cynical and twisted. Tell Stevie's groin I said 'Hi'
tGryffin

It might be worth noting the effect the Red Sox non-existent post season might have on Liverpool. The fact that they splashed out a ton of money on Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez and still did not make it to the postseason, might make it difficult for them to continue justifying spending so heavily on both of their sports teams and not producing results.

Not to mention the fact that the Red Sox will miss a lot of post season revenue, from ticket sales, and the bandwagon fever of a typical American sport fan; merchandising. Plus you can consider the exposure they would have received from a national television audience.

Another side story to follow is the contract of Theo Epstein (the current GM, the "Damien Comolli" of the Red Sox). Earlier in the season it was mentioned throughout the league that a bidding war is going to insue on his services at the end of the season. The main contender being the rich and completely befuddled franchise of the Chicago Cubs. If Theo wants money and he leaves to work on a new team, who will take over as the new GM? Food for thought.
Guest

There was a quote by Henry that I'm too lazy to find/link to, but Henry said that the personnel acquisitions of the Red Sox and Liverpool would be dependent on the "discrete revenues" of each team. Which is to say that Red Sox revenue will be spent on the Red Sox and Liverpool money will be spent on Liverpool. Same ownership, yes, but two completely autonomous operations under the same umbrella. No robbing Peter to pay Paul with these owners of ours, which may have been the modus operandi of our previous owners...though they would just pocket everything from their various sports teams, wouldn't they?
NotTooXabi

Have to disagree with your sentiments, tGryffin. If there's one thing FSG have done with the Red Sox it's built a business model that does not entirely depend on post-season revenues (as big as they may be). From pink "B" caps to "Red Sox Nation", they will sell Heseky's-Ass-Sized amounts of merchandise and remain beyond valuable (more valuable than Barca, if I'm reading the reports correctly. Granted, I'm a schizophrenic lab rat).

I doubt the Red Sox collapse will impact LFC much beyond earlier-than-expected appearances by JHenry and his wife <-- She's not too xabi.
Latortillablanca

"and his wife <-- She's not too xabi." far and away best use of your shameless self promotion yet!
Jose Enrique's bicep

Not Damien Comolli, if that's what you're trying to imply lol
tGryffin

Theo Epstein may leave the Red Sox, how that was confusing I am not sure.
JPR

Henry should swoop in for Brian Cashman. He's a good Irish Catholic boy with an eye for baseball talent. It would devastate the Yankees and give the Sox a shot at the playoffs again. But, Mr. Enrique has a point, don't bring Comolli to Boston, that may turn out bad for both Henry's franchises. Maybe send Joe Cole to Boston permanently.
Latortillablanca

on the other hand, I reckon Scottish Ronaldino would make a Fantastic 1st Baseman...
JPR

Yes. That's what the MBA non-zero-sum game theory and chance statisitics nerds call a win win situation. Charlie in a Sox uniform makes them instant playoff contenders and Liverpool FC an instant automatic group CL lock. Quick, someone call wee Henry.