Steven Gerrard pays high price for starting his farewell tour so early

Liverpool captain’s decision to announce in January his move to LA Galaxy put him under additional pressure and, against Manchester United, he cracked

• United’s midfield supremacy causes Gerrard to lose his head

A list of Steven Gerrard’s red cards reveals a player whose rare flashes of indiscipline almost always come in the most heated circumstances. Seven times he has been sent off while representing Liverpool: twice in the Merseyside derby, twice against Manchester United, and once in the final minute of a crucial season-ending match against Chelsea in 2003 with Champions League qualification at stake and slipping from his side’s grasp. On all but one of those seven occasions, his side was already losing when he departed.

It is difficult to argue that a player whose career highlights include a stunning, stoppage-time FA Cup final equaliser in 2006 and a man-of-the-match performance as Liverpool came from 3-0 down to win the 2005 Champions League reacts badly to adversity. Occasionally, Sunday being the most recent example,, however, we witness the villainous yin to the heroic yang.

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via Football | The Guardian http://ift.tt/1CiUOeG