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Amid the lancinating disappointment of wretched defeat by Aston Villa at the weekend, the form of Steven Gerrard went largely unrecorded.



The Liverpool skipper has found himself at the centre of an increasingly fractious debate this season, which has questioned his role within the new system introduced by Brendan Rodgers, and his effectiveness as a result of it.



He has been criticised for his form, his lack of goals and a seeming lack of influence on a young side, and the bare facts superficially support those who aim those barbs his way.



Yet a closer analysis of his display against Villa offers a different perspective, and his statistics of an admittedly unconvincing season for Liverpool so far tell a very different story.



Already, the most vicious - and hysterical - of Gerrard's detractors are muttering about him being past it, on the downward curve and no longer a world class player. The more considered view though, is his effectiveness has been reduced by a system that doesn't suit him, and that he is being played out of position.



Yet his performance against Villa was neither that of a man on a downward spiral, nor one rendered ineffective by the choking restraint of a suffocating system. On another day, with even a modicum of fortune, he would have proved a devastating match-winner.



But for a couple of uncharacteristically wayward passes from Luis Suarez, he would have added to the impressive finish that served late in the game to provide minor consolation, and underline his quality.



(Image: Andrew Powell)



Even though he barely got a passing mention, as well as a fine goal there were dynamic runs, breathtaking passes, some wonderful combination play with Suarez, and had any one of the four or five opportunities to play him in during a vibrant first half from the home side, there would also surely have been the victory his performance deserved.



In fact, the only wrong note from Gerrard's point of view came when he chose to pass to Suarez in front of goal, but that wasn't necessarily a sign of waning powers or even diminished confidence, but more likely an acute awareness of team responsibility.



Take a look at some of his stats, and the goals tally aside, there is no reduction of his role at Anfield, despite the sniping aimed in the direction of his manager Brendan Rodgers.



The suggestion is that Joe Allen has been given a central role, while Gerrard has been shuffled to the periphery of this Liverpool side, but the stats tell a very different tale.

(Image: Getty)





The skipper has created more chances than anyone bar Leighton Baines in the Premier League, and is also in the top five for both passes and touches, which is something given the dominance the likes of City and United enjoy compared to Liverpool's struggles so far.



Most revealingly, Gerrard heads Allen in both those columns, meaning he has made more passes than his team-mate, and been on the ball longer...which makes a mockery of the suggestion he is being marginalised.



In fact, he is up there alongside the likes of the Premier League's most influential players Santi Carzola and David Silva in terms of effectiveness on the ball, and heads both those in the amount of chances he's created.



It is only the goals tally that is different... but interestingly, no where near as different as so many people automatically assume.



In the league last season, he managed just three goals after the turn of the year, and all those contained in a spectacular hat trick against Everton that has gone down in derby folklore.

(Image: Empics)





Gerrard was injured for the first part of the season, but after Christmas made 14 appearances from 19 played by his team. Yet he managed to score in just one of those games.



The question is, why? This is a player with a healthy goalscoring ratio from midfield, yet under Kenny Dalglish, in a system apparently designed for him, he scored in one game from 14 after the turn of the year.



No doubt his critics will argue it has something to do with waning powers, but a far simpler explanation is that Liverpool were woeful after Christmas last season, and didn't have the quality going forward required to create the chances for their skipper.



They took just 18 points from a possible 57 - which over the course of a season would have got them relegated. Gerrard is a fine player, but in a team under-performing so badly, even he can't perform miracles.



This season they have struggled - at times - once more, as they slowly incorporate new players and a new style, and Gerrard has three league goals so far, which is on par with last season's tally. It is wrong, and unfair, though, to say he has been a victim of that system, or indeed that he has played badly.



(Image: Getty)



The stats clearly show he is without question one of the most influential midfielders in the Premier League, and - more pertinently, because statistics don't always tell the full story - his dynamic performance at the weekend underlined that.



Liverpool will get better in the second half of the season, and Gerrard will score more goals. But he has not underperformed, far from it. If anything, he has taken on a selfless role on behalf of the team, where his passing and movement has perhaps become more intelligent than ever. He just hasn't had the credit he deserves.