Liverpool’s captain Steven Gerrard met with manager Rafael Benitez and chief executive Rick Parry this afternoon as the Liverpool management attempted to put their side of the story across to the player.
Liverpool’s position publicly has always been that they want to keep their captain, and today’s talks were all about trying to convince Stevie that what they say in public is true. Liverpool have reportedly offered him exactly what he’s asked for in his contract, so the ball is now back in his court. The general feeling coming out of the meeting was that things had gone well.
Gerrard though has had his head turned by the stories he’s been fed in the last week or so. He’s been lied to, it’s obvious, but he’s got to decide who’s been lying to him.
There is also talk that Chelsea put another bid in for him today, and prior to the meeting Gerrard was already talking to team-mates about how a move to London seemed likely. Talk from elsewhere is that Real Madrid made Liverpool a substantial offer including a player and cash.
Gerrard needs time to think about his future, and if he takes the word of Benitez and Parry he perhaps needs to review who he uses as agents. Struan Marshall seems not to be the one that has been stirring up the trouble, but he works for SFX who have stirred things up repeatedly in the past.
Gerrard left Melwood tonight looking understandably worried.
A statement from SFX and Liverpool is expected in the morning, and it’s likely that this will be resolved one way or another before the week is out.