Likeable Liverpool lad Steve "Macca" McManaman believes the club will do just fine without their talismanic captain.
Liverpool fans were today rocked by the news that 'captain fantastic' Steven Gerrard had suffered a hamstring tear and would consequently be sidelined for three weeks.
It was a rare sight to see the Liverpool man be subbed off in the first half, in an away ground, to a round of raucous mock-applause, but that is precisely the reception that Evertonians gave the Red chief at Goodison Park.
Former Liverpool winger Steve McManaman - himself a tormentor of opposition defences, arriving in attack from midfield after no doubt embarking on a dazzling dribbling run - believes the club will not lament his absence for too long, and today wrote on his Setanta blog:
"Liverpool have dodged a bullet on Stevie Gerrard’s injury. It looks like he’ll only miss two games, which is a lot better than first feared – it could have been six, seven, eight weeks.
"I can see him being okay to face Real Madrid on February 25. Usually these predicted injury lay-offs err on the side of caution, so if they’ve said three weeks, it’ll be more like two weeks to 17 days. I can see him playing in such a big game in the Bernabeu," the former Real Madrid midfielder said.
"Any longer period would have been a huge blow. Liverpool certainly felt the loss when Stevie Gerrard went off at Everton - it was like a goal to the Everton fans – they knew what it meant, he’s the man who makes Fernando Torres tick."
If the injury means Gerrard is sidelined for longer than initially expected, Macca believes 'Pool could suffer, as they lack midfielders that manufacture attacks.
"Liverpool haven’t got an awful lot of creative players right now. All the fans are saying they need another right midfielder, another left midfielder...but certainly when Stevie G goes off – he’s the one real creative player they’ve got.
"Gerrard is Liverpool’s main man. You wonder if it would have been worse if Torres had got injured, but Liverpool have coped without Torres all season."
He continued by adding that he hopes that Liverpool do not crumble, after turning such a crucial corner with the last-gasp win over Chelsea.
"The main thing is they’re not playing United or Chelsea in those two weeks. They’ve got a crumbling Portsmouth team, and then they’ve got a home game against Manchester City.
"Portsmouth are slipping down the league and then, even without Gerrard, Liverpool will be favourites at home to City. The injury won’t help but I think they’ll be okay in those two fixtures," he concluded.
Liverpool fans were today rocked by the news that 'captain fantastic' Steven Gerrard had suffered a hamstring tear and would consequently be sidelined for three weeks.
It was a rare sight to see the Liverpool man be subbed off in the first half, in an away ground, to a round of raucous mock-applause, but that is precisely the reception that Evertonians gave the Red chief at Goodison Park.
Former Liverpool winger Steve McManaman - himself a tormentor of opposition defences, arriving in attack from midfield after no doubt embarking on a dazzling dribbling run - believes the club will not lament his absence for too long, and today wrote on his Setanta blog:
"Liverpool have dodged a bullet on Stevie Gerrard’s injury. It looks like he’ll only miss two games, which is a lot better than first feared – it could have been six, seven, eight weeks.
"I can see him being okay to face Real Madrid on February 25. Usually these predicted injury lay-offs err on the side of caution, so if they’ve said three weeks, it’ll be more like two weeks to 17 days. I can see him playing in such a big game in the Bernabeu," the former Real Madrid midfielder said.
"Any longer period would have been a huge blow. Liverpool certainly felt the loss when Stevie Gerrard went off at Everton - it was like a goal to the Everton fans – they knew what it meant, he’s the man who makes Fernando Torres tick."
If the injury means Gerrard is sidelined for longer than initially expected, Macca believes 'Pool could suffer, as they lack midfielders that manufacture attacks.
"Liverpool haven’t got an awful lot of creative players right now. All the fans are saying they need another right midfielder, another left midfielder...but certainly when Stevie G goes off – he’s the one real creative player they’ve got.
"Gerrard is Liverpool’s main man. You wonder if it would have been worse if Torres had got injured, but Liverpool have coped without Torres all season."
He continued by adding that he hopes that Liverpool do not crumble, after turning such a crucial corner with the last-gasp win over Chelsea.
"The main thing is they’re not playing United or Chelsea in those two weeks. They’ve got a crumbling Portsmouth team, and then they’ve got a home game against Manchester City.
"Portsmouth are slipping down the league and then, even without Gerrard, Liverpool will be favourites at home to City. The injury won’t help but I think they’ll be okay in those two fixtures," he concluded.
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