Does Steven Gerrard have a screw loose?

Am I alone in thinking this? I don't think so watching his wild celebrations after scoring at Spurs last weekend. It was a beautifully taken spot kick, but then the Reds hero lashed the ball at the crowd with all his might. Instead, it shuddered off the woodwork as he ran at the White Hart Lane faithful to gloat.

This is last season as Liverpool thumped Manchester United 4-1 in their own backyard. It's the famous kiss into the Sky Sports camera from the reverse angle (that's the term where football meets geometry).

Recall also Liverpool's emphatic 5-1 trouncing of Newcastle. His celebration struck me as slightly unhinged then. What happened later that night? He popped out for a quiet drink and punched the DJ in the gob.

As the old joke goes, "What do you call a Scouser in a suit? The accused!"

Gerrard will have to take a lot of abuse this season as any top player from opposition home ends does.

But especially now, as he demonstrated an achilles heel with events in Southpaw... er, I mean Southport.

I sense the temperature on the field of play is higher than it was. The financial pressure on players seems to have grabbed a hold of the mood. Have you noticed how there's more after match hugging between victorious managers and their coaches and players? The sense of relief at the end of a game is palpable. It doesn't look as much fun for the players anymore.

It's upto Gerrard to keep a lid on his feelings and let his football do the talking. Just like his England teammates, Wayne Rooney and David Beckham!

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