Steven Gerrard name-drops Liverpool signing that summed up terrible recruitment
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I'll give you one example.Read more football news"We had the chance to sign Nicolas Anelka or El Hadji Diouf. I don't know who made the final decision."That's one example of us as a club getting it wrong because that is one of the biggest mismatches you could debate, El Hadji Diouf or Nicolas Anelka."Why were Liverpool convinced to sign Diouf and how did his Anfield career pan out?Diouf joined Liverpool in June 2002 after a stellar World Cup for Senegal.At the tournament, Diouf delivered a man of the match display for the Lions of Teranga in their shock 1-0 win over France, who went into that World Cup as the defending champions.Senegal made it all the way to the quarter-finals, where they were eventually knocked out by Turkey.The run to the final eight remains Senegal's greatest performance at a World Cup.3Diouf failed to score a single goal in 33 games for Liverpool during his second and last season at the clubCredit: AFP via GettyDespite his brilliance at the World Cup, Diouf failed to replicate his form for Liverpool as he scored just six goals from 80 appearances across all competitions.
That was one example, I'll give you, where I couldn't believe what was happening."Gerrard and Liverpool could have done with a player of Anelka's mentality and ilk in the 2013/14 Premier League season.The Reds came agonisingly close to winning the top flight for the first time in the Premier League era but fell short by two points as Manchester City took home the spoils.How Liverpool finished in the Premier League during Steven Gerrard's career at Anfield1998/99: 7th1999/00: 4th2000/01: 3rd2001/02: 2nd2002/03: 5th2003/04: 4th2004/05: 5th2005/06: 3rd2006/07: 3rd2007/08: 4th2008/09: 2nd2009/10: 7th2010/11: 6th2011/12: 8th2012/13: 7th2013/14: 2nd2014/15: 6thWhat made Liverpool's fall at the final hurdle all the more soul-crushing was the fact they were in pole position with three games remaining.But a 2-0 loss to Chelsea - a match made famous for Gerrard's slip that allowed Demba Ba to steal the ball and score - coupled with a 3-3 draw against Crystal Palace having led 3-0 up until the 79th minute meant Liverpool's agonising wait for a maiden Premier League title rumbled on.Gerrard speaks out on how he felt after the infamous slip against ChelseaUnfortunately for Gerrard, he had long departed Anfield as a player when Liverpool won the Premier League title in the 2019/20 season, but the infamous slip against Chelsea still haunts him to this day."I feel good speaking about the good stuff," Gerrard said."Istanbul, Olympiacos, the FA Cup, England... anyway, you feel great."And when I do interviews or I see a clip on the telly and I see a s*** back pass I gave away for England, or I underperformed for England, missed a penalty for England, I feel s***.3Gerrard's slip lives long in the memory of Liverpool fans for all the wrong reasonsCredit: Sky Sports"The Chelsea thing is exactly the same. Yeah, I can't change it."Gerrard added: "I hate underachieving.
Not just that year, every single year I competed in it."Because I felt at Liverpool Football Club, being the captain, I should have delivered that. But they do come in and out of my thoughts because, I suppose, I'm human."Listen to the full interview with Steven Gerrard on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast here.