It was a poor match as expected at the Cherry Red Records Stadium, but Liverpool winning 2-1 against Wimbledon in the FA Cup and Steven Gerrard scoring twice for the second consecutive match can be taken as a sign of good things to come.
Last week the Liverpool captain announced, along with the club, that once his contract runs out at the end of the season, he’s off to somewhere else. Maybe there’s bad blood beneath the surface about not getting an extension or not agreeing to what was offered him, it doesn’t matter.
Gerrard doesn’t seem to be playing games or battling for pride and respect with the manager and the ownership. He’s going to give it his everything before the move to the MLS. His four goals in two matches and being in the lineup again is an example of what he still has to give, although it is misleading.
Liverpool are a flawed team, and maybe even a January splash like the one they had in 2013 can make something of this season. Philippe Coutinho and Lazar Markovic are wonderful players with awful finishing, the team has no striker until Sturridge returns, Jordan Henderson can’t be himself unless Gerrard is benched and the defense is devoid of any confidence or swagger.
But there’s quality on this team that’s worth more than their current position. And sometimes things that go beyond what we see on the pitch take effect. Gerrard playing for the last five months at the club he’s already a legend in sometimes means more than his regular ability. His influence might grow to be massive once more, for a short while. It might just be what makes this season, when it’s over and reviewed, worth remembering.