Give Gerrard a break

This whole Steven Gerrard incident sickens me.

Not the fact that a previously impeccably behaved, model professional let his grasp on common sense slip for one stupid moment. That happens to the very best of us.

No, what is really eating away at me are the moral crusaders who have jumped on the anti-Gerrard bandwagon like a collection of sporting Mother Teresas.

"He should be sent to prison", "They should ban him from playing for England" and "He should never be allowed to wear a Liverpool shirt again" are just some of the ludicrous, over-the-top reactions I have heard and read over the last few days.

Yes, it appears that the lad made a mistake. Several, in fact. As a professional sportsman he should not have been hanging around a nightclub at 2.30 a.m., even if he had his manager's permission. Also, he should have picked the company he was with a little more wisely. And, most certainly, he should have walked away from any scuffle rather than get involved, even if, as some are suggesting, he was merely standing shoulder-to-shoulder with some old school friends.

But, let's keep things in perspective.

This is the first time that Gerrard has been caught up in anything even remotely like this. He is not a 'bad boy of football'. The lad doesn't stumble from one incident to another, embarrassing himself, his club and his country. He's no O.J. Simpson. Heck, he's not even a Joey Barton.

Generally speaking, Gerrard is one of the good guys. He hasn't let fame and fortune go to his head, he doesn't take part in orgies with his teammates like some players I could mention, and he doesn't spend his free time drinking and looking for trouble.

On the pitch, he is a model professional and a natural leader. Off the pitch, he is a dedicated family man. In fact, up until this week, the only problem with Gerrard that I am aware of was his overly-Scouse accent. But that's not a crime, just an absolute nightmare to understand.

What worries me now is that the authorities may decide to make an example of him. If they listen to the moral do-gooders who like to think they are the world's conscience, then Gerrard could be facing time behind bars.

How often in the past have we seen famous people from all walks of life made examples of? Muscians, actors, sportsmen, and politicians have all had the book thrown at them on the flawed basis that it will act as a deterrent to others.

There has even been some talk of Gerrard facing up to five years in prison which, if true, would make a mockery out of the English legal system.

The exact nature of his crimes are yet to be determined. Did he throw a bottle, a glass, a punch, or was he just part of the crowd that did? Was he the ring-leader or just someone caught up in the action? Was it an accident or was it meant with malice?

All those things will no doubt come out when the case goes to court. But, even if it turns out he was the mastermind behind this incident, I don't think anything more than a fine and possibly, just possibly, a little bit of community service would be in order.

Gerrard will no doubt be sitting at home now kicking himself. Although I don't know him personally, everyone who does insists this is behaviour entirely out of character and something he will be regretting immensely.

There are, of course, other implications to this incident. Namely, those on his club. Although it is unlikely he will miss many, if any, important games unless a stupid jail term is handed down, the truth is the whole affair will have an unsettling effect on Gerrard's on-pitch mentality.

And that couldn't have come at a worse time for Liverpool who, sitting top of the Premier League, need their inspirational captain at his uncluttered best if they are to end their years of title hunt.

Ironically, the nightclub brawl came just hours after Gerrard led his team to their most convincing win of the season - if not the decade - 5-1 at Newcastle. A game in which Gerrard led from the front and scored two goals himself.

After the match he said publicly this current Liverpool team was the best he had ever played for. And I would have to agree with him that it probably is.

He knows he has let that team down. And he also knows the mental demons his moment of madness have created may mean he is not be able to inspire it over the next few months. At least not in the same way he has so far this season.

And that's punishment enough. So lay off the lad.

Wenger must spend now

The transfer window is open but, to be honest, I can't say I am expecting too much excitement from it.

Manchester United won't be doing too much, Sir Alex has already made that clear, and I don't see Liverpool or Chelsea splashing too much cash either at this stage. A little tinkering maybe, but nothing to really get the pulse racing.

The obvious big spenders will be Manchester City, not because they necessarily need to buy, but because they have upwards of a £100 million burning a hole in their pocket.

For me, though, there is one club that really needs to grab this transfer window by the scruff of the neck and give the chequebook a really good seeing to. And that's Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger's reluctance to splash the cash in recent years has started to take a major toll on his side's title aspirations. He can deny it all he wants but his reliance on youth - no matter how brilliant it may be - is simply not working.

And the problem has been accentuated by injuries to key players like Fabregas and Walcott. Injuries that have forced even younger players to be thrust into the first team ahead of schedule. Younger players that are struggling.

I have a lot of admiration for Wenger. It's hard not to admire a manager who gets his team (mostly) playing spectacularly attractive football.

But if the club is to really start challenging at the top of the game again, they need to spend some serious cash this month. A good central defender has to be at the top of the list, as does a ball-winning midfielder to replace the hugely underrated Mathew Flamini.

With these bought Arsenal might be able to think about mounting a belated title challenge during the second half of the season.

Fail to invest now, however, and they can kiss goodbye to any hopes and aspirations they may have of adding to their trophy cabinet for another year at least.

And that could well be it for Wenger at Arsenal - a truly sad way to end what has otherwise been a truly magnificent reign.

Your say

M. Portelli writes:
"It is hard to say what Michael Owen should do. But considering what Newcastle and their fans have done for him, if I were him, I'd stick around and try to lift the club as much as possible.

"He is a talented player and if he were to play the same way he used to during his time at Liverpool, which I seriously doubt due to his injuries, he could give Newcastle a push to lift the FA Cup and/or the Carling Cup.

"Of course, with this decision, Owen can forget winning the Champions league and the Premier League as there is no way Newcastle can compete with the top three. It is a hard decision but I'd choose to stay if I were him.

"As regards Beckham, I think that it was a bad move by Milan. With a number of stars already in the squad, another 'fashion superstar' would probably cause trouble in the dressing room, rather then improve the team. But of course, where there's money there's a way."

sportscolumnist@timesofmalta.com