Steven Gerrard's Liverpool slip 'must be difficult to live with', says Demba Ba
Monday 27 April 2020 18:10, UK
Demba Ba says Steven Gerrard must find it "difficult to live with" the slip that allowed the former Chelsea striker to score at Anfield in a defeat that dismantled Liverpool's 2013-14 Premier League title hopes.
Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool were on an 11-game winning streak as they hosted Chelsea knowing that seven points (two wins and a draw) from their final three fixtures would secure a first Premier League crown.
However, Gerrard's calamitous fall allowed Ba to give Chelsea the lead in first-half stoppage time before Willian later sealed a 2-0 victory in a Jose Mourinho defensive masterclass, which enabled Manchester City to go on and win the title.
Asked for how he feels towards Gerrard, who retired in 2016 without having claimed a Premier League winner's medal, Ba told Sky Sports News: "I think it must be difficult to live with."
"You know if I put myself in his shoes, which I really didn't up until now, but it must be terrible for a player that played so long for one team and that has played so great for one team, basically losing a title on a mistake that he has done.
"Of course (I have) a degree of sympathy, yeah maybe. I'm not really thinking about it too much."
Ba thought Terry would beat Lampard to Chelsea job
The Anfield strike was the final goal of Ba's 18-month spell at Stamford Bridge, with the Senegalese forward having since moved between China and Turkey, where he now plays for Istanbul Basaksehir.
During his stint at Chelsea, Ba played alongside Frank Lampard and John Terry, and admits he was surprised by the former beating the latter to becoming the boss at Stamford Bridge.
Lampard was appointed head coach last summer after an impressive debut coaching campaign in the Championship with Derby, while Terry is assistant to Dean Smith at fellow Premier League side Aston Villa.
"To be honest, I was seeing more - at the time - John taking over (rather) than Frank," Ba said.
"Then when I saw the job he was doing at Derby, I was like 'wow, I haven't seen this.'
"It's funny because I was speaking with Gael Clichy, who played with him (Lampard) at (Manchester) City, and he told me that when he came, straight away he saw that he is going to be a manager - and a great manager."
Despite having been unable to sign any players in his first transfer window in charge as the club completed a transfer ban, Lampard had guided Chelsea to fourth in the Premier League when the season was suspended in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Ba has not been surprised by Lampard's willingness to promote youngsters such as Reece James and Billy Gilmour, players that have brought great excitement to a Chelsea fanbase that has long wanted to see the fruits of an academy that has experienced great success at youth level.
"Something for sure that I've seen in him is that he helps youngsters," Ba said.
"He gives them a lot of confidence and I'm not surprised by what the youngsters are doing in Chelsea right now, because he is really good at that."
