Losing Steven Gerrard means that a hole will be left in our side that will be almost impossible to fill. The charismatic, talismanic man he has been on the pitch since his debut in 1998 means that finding another one is like trying to find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.
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As no-one quite earmarked the 34-year-old before his career began as the player he would become, Brendan Rodgers is better off looking for leadership in other ways, rather than forcing the mantle upon shoulders nowhere near strong enough to handle it.
The Liverpool Echo have produced a list of six players that could become leaders in the dressing room, but would they actually be up to the job?
Petr Cech (Chelsea)
The Echo suggest that he would provide stern competition for Simon Mignolet, and thus, should be signed. However, Sky Sports suggested in March that the reason that he wishes to leave Stamford Bridge is the lack of opportunities that have come his way since Thibaut Courtois was brought into the first-team fold at the start of the season. Rodgers would probably have to assure the 32-year-old that his place in our side would not be sitting on the bench, should he wish to sign him.
If that was the case, Cech’s first role as a leader would be to rebalance the equilibrium that he would upset by taking the place of Simon Mignolet.
What kind of message does that send out if the Czech international is brought in and given the starting spot ahead of Mignolet? The Belgian is in contention for the golden glove award in the Premier League, an incredible feat given the pressure he spent much of the campaign under.
James Milner (Manchester City)
The Daily Mirror reported last week that we look set to complete a deal for the England international at the end of the season. And, of course he would be a shrewd signing based on the fact that he would be available on a free, has bags of experience, and can play in the role that Gerrard will vacate.
But, he is the not the player that has led the stars at Manchester City, in fact, he has been in the background. We need a player that can galvanise any egos in the squad and get them singing off the same hymn sheet.
One reason to agree with the Echo is their assertion that he is a leader, is the way he conducts himself. His job has been about doing things with little fuss. He is not a flair player, but, he is willing to do any job if it helps the team produce three points. He may not be the shout in your face, and produce a rousing teamtalk style of leader, but he will lead by example.
Esteban Cambiasso (Leicester City)
His signing for Leicester City last summer appeared destined to end up like Edgar Davids’ trip to Barnet or Socrates’ delve into non-league, i.e. badly. No disrespect to the Foxes but they hardly represented the glamorous sides that the midfielder has previously played for, the likes of Real Madrid, Inter Milan, and Argentina. However, he has been their player of the season, and guided them to safety in the Premier League. The Echo point out that his signing could be like that of Gary McAllister in 2000, should we go for him.
On reflection, the parallels are uncanny. Both players have been two of the finest technical players of their eras, and now, heading into their twilights, they’ve spent time trying to help a team at the lower end of the table. Like Leicester, we have plenty of young players that could do with his guidance. He’s been up to the task at the King Power, why would Anfield be that different for a man that has played in the Bernabeu and San Siro?
He has proved he has the quality, the motivation, and the desire to still play at the highest level for another couple of years. He has adapted his game in same way that Scottish playmaker did 15 years ago. Signing the 34-year-old would be short-term, but McAllister won five trophies in two seasons. We’d take that.
Pedro (Barcelona)
The Echo suggest that by offering more game time, we may be able to persuade the winger to come to Merseyside, having struggled to get into the Barcelona team since the arrival of Luis Suarez. He has skill in abundance, and can score some wonderful goals – which is something that Rodgers would be foolish not to consider – but is he a leader?
Like Milner, but on a slightly more glamorous scale, his efforts go largely under the radar, with the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar ahead of him. And like Milner therefore, his influence would be leading by example. He brings a wealth of experience of working with some of the world’s biggest names every single day at La Masia. He is not the kind of leader that will be wearing the armband, but he could lead some of our players to the top of their game.
Lucas Biglia (Lazio)
The Argentinian international has experience being the captain of a side, so would probably find it the easiest of anyone on the list to adapt should Rodgers bestow that honour upon him. He also could go straight into the role that Gerrard leaves behind.
Our main concern however, is whether he would like a move to Anfield at this current time. His Lazio side are probably going to take a place in next season’s Champions League group-stage, so it may be difficult to persuade him that Merseyside is the right move for him. If we could bring him in, he is the kind of player that would make the transition to the post-Gerrard era as seamless as possible.
Carlos Tevez (Juventus)
The Echo admit that the chances of being able to bring the former West Ham man to the club are slim, such is Juventus’ dominance in Serie A, where they have just clinched their fourth consecutive Scudetto. With the exception of Manchester United, he has been a leader at every club since his move to Europe. He led the Hammers to safety in his first season in the Premier League, before beckoning in the era of success at Manchester City, and being the lynchpin of the side that has reached the Champions League final this year, as well as claiming all those league titles.
The 31-year-old may not be keen as, like Biglia, he has a spot in next season’s Champions League awaiting, however, he is one of the very few players – alongside maybe Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer – that is able to be a leader of the side while playing up front, and thus, involved in so little of the action.