10 Things Steven Gerrard Wants Liverpool Fans To Forget

5. The First Half In Istanbul

When Gerrard looks back on his career, he'll probably remember the evening of May 25th 2005 with more fondness than possibly any other. Having trailed Italian giants AC Milan 0-3 at half time, Liverpool rallied, recovered and regrouped to win the Champions League on penalties. Gerrard himself heralded as the man who inspired the monumental comeback. While history (and probably Gerrard himself) will merely remember the fightback and the role he played in it, anyone who remembers the game with clarity recalls the opening 45 minutes and his pitiful attempts to live with either Gatusso, Pirlo or Kaka. They robbed him of the ball, moved away from him at will, left him chasing shadows, and forced him into the mistakes that led directly to the third goal. The halftime introduction of Dietmar Hamman shifted Gerrard out wide where Milan couldn't expose him, and Liverpool instantly won control of midfield. Gerrard scored one, earned a penalty, and took all the glory at the end, but for 45 minutes he proved he wasn't in the same league as Milan's midfielders.