With his LA Galaxy career likely over, Steven Gerrard’s MLS adventure falls flat

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The former Liverpool midfielder’s Galaxy contract is set to expire at the end of the year following a disappointing 18-month stint in the USA.

The LA Galaxy’s 2016 campaign came to a disappointing conclusion on Sunday when they were knocked out of the MLS Cup Playoffs by the Colorado Rapids on penalties in the Western Conference semi-finals following a 1-1 aggregate draw after extra-time.

Having fallen short of expectations for a second straight year, the club now have plenty of questions to answer heading into the offseason, with the situation surrounding Steven Gerrard’s future among the burning issues to be addressed.

When he first announced he was ending his long association with Liverpool back in January 2015 to join the Galaxy that summer, there was overwhelming excitement among MLS circles about what Gerrard could offer the league’s most successful franchise. After all, this was a player who was one of the most recognisable faces in world football and, despite falling in his bid to win an elusive Premier League title, had enjoyed significant success during his 17-year career at Anfield. A lacklustre final season in England clearly showed that his best days were long behind him, but many believed that the former Champions League winner would still be able to conjure plenty of moments of magic for the then-MLS Cup holders.

Fast-forward nearly 18 months since his arrival in LA, though, and it’s fair to say that Gerrard has failed significantly to live up to his billing. During the second half of the 2015 campaign, the 36-year-old midfielder’s presence in the Galaxy line-up noticeably upset their system as they went on to win to just one of their final seven regular season games and dropped out of Supporters’ Shield contention to fifth in the West. Looking horrendously off the pace throughout the playoff run-in, his laboured performances left Bruce Arena’s side far too exposed through the middle and, despite all their star power, proved a key reason why their hopes of securing an unprecedented fourth MLS Cup title in five seasons ultimately ended at the first hurdle with a 3-2 defeat at the Seattle Sounders in the Knockout Round.

As disappointing as his debut campaign had been, though, Gerrard’s first full year in MLS was supposed to be different. This time, the ex-England captain would have the benefit of a proper preseason under his belt and would be far better adjusted to the league’s demanding travel schedule. After all, big-name summer signings in the past like Tim Cahill had struggled in their first season before coming into their own, and the hope was that the Galaxy’s high-priced Designated Player would follow a similar path – especially with Nigel de Jong arriving from AC Milan to take on much of the legwork in midfield.

Unfortunately, things simply did not go to plan – and not just because De Jong only lasted six months in LA before leaving for Galatasaray. Instead of thriving in a more advanced role alongside Giovani dos Santos and former Liverpool teammate Robbie Keane, Gerrard again struggled to find his place in Arena’s side and was struck by several calf injuries throughout the campaign that limited him to just 18 starts in 21 regular season appearances. A solid set of displays over the summer did see him register six of his 11 assists on the year to go along with three goals, but that run of form was an outlier in what was an otherwise vastly underwhelming season. With his fitness proving a huge problem, he was able to start just two of the final 10 regular season games and only made one 44-minute substitute appearance in the playoffs in the second leg at Colorado as LA bowed out with a whimper. Whether he could have made a difference to the result at 100 percent strength is up for debate, but a converted penalty in the shootout was about the only positive contribution he offered on the day.

With his contract expiring at the end of December, what the future now holds for Gerrard remains to be seen. Given his £4.8 million-per-year salary, it’s unlikely that the Galaxy will be in a rush to offer him an extension based on his recent performances, while numerous reports have suggested that he could be set to hang up his boots to return to Liverpool as a member of Jurgen Klopp’s backroom staff. It’s certainly hard to imagine him being able to make an impact in the Premier League, or even in another top European league like David Beckham briefly did with Paris Saint-Germain after finishing his Galaxy career, leaving his options fairly limited outside retirement.

It would be a disappointing way to bow out for a player who remains so highly respected in the game, but his spell in the States suggests that it’s a decision he perhaps should have made 18 months ago.