Those critics who believe Steven Gerrard has been in decline this season will have nodded sagely at the evidence.
There was the Liverpool skipper, statuesque in the middle of the Anfield turf and giving no impression of reproducing the lung-busting efforts and devastating thrusts that have been such a feature of his glittering career.
In fact, on closer inspection, Gerrard wasn’t even moving at all. And then the 29-year-old sauntered on to the field and all was explained.
Of course, the scene yesterday was the Liverpool captain coming face-to-face for the first time with a waxwork of himself to be displayed at Madame Tussauds Museum in London.
By his own admission, Gerrard has at times been a pale imitation of his spectacular best during a disappointing campaign for Rafael Benitez’s side.
But even in defeat at Arsenal on Wednesday, the signs were there once again that the fire is once again burning bright inside the England international after a campaign hampered by niggling injuries.
“I felt good about my performance, but I’d much rather we had got the victory,” says Gerrard.
“My fitness is very good now. I’ve trained well since I came back from the last injury. I was really happy with my performance against Bolton, and I felt good against Arsenal.
“I can’t take too much from that, though, because we didn’t win. But there is nothing we can do about this Arsenal result now.”
Liverpool’s seven-game unbeaten run came to a shuddering halt at the Emirates with Abou Diaby’s 72nd-minute header, with Gerrard berating the decision of Howard Webb not to award the visitors an injury-time penalty when his free-kick struck the flailing arm of Cesc Fabregas.
Benitez’s men remain in fourth place but have been joined on 44 points by Manchester City, with Tottenham Hotspur 43 points and Aston Villa a further point adrift.
City, though, have two games in hand, and with Liverpool’s next Premier League game coming at Eastlands on Sunday week, it is a game they dare not lose.
And Gerrard is upbeat. “We will reflect and be disappointed but we have got a very big league game up next at Manchester City, and if we play like we did against Arsenal then I fancy us to beat them,” he says.
“We have to aim for fourth place and we also have everything to play for in the Europa League. We need to play almost as if we’re in the title race – and we’re more than capable of doing that.
“We haven’t been good enough in the first half of this season and our position in the league tells you that.
“We’re too far behind in the title race and that’s because the consistency we need hasn’t been there this season. It’s as simple as that. There’s no point in saying we’ve been unlucky with injuries or whatever, because we just haven’t been good enough. No excuses.
“But if we show the consistency we did in that seven-game unbeaten run, then we’ll challenge to get in the Champions League place.
“I suppose everything comes down to confidence. You can have all the great players but with bad results comes a hit to your confidence and things spiral from there. It’s only in recent weeks that we’ve started to play like we can.”
As well as indifferent form, Gerrard has been forced to contend with rumours of discontent behind the scenes and a desire for a move away from Anfield.
But the skipper has once again dismissed such suggestions, and says: “There’s so much rubbish said about Liverpool that I can’t keep track! Maybe it’s done to try to drive a wedge or to upset things. It won’t work – we’re as committed as ever.
“I would be proud if I spent my entire career at Liverpool, so maybe I’ll quit playing when my current contract comes to an end. I’ll be 33 then and it might be a good moment to hang up the boots.
“For example, I don’t regret not leaving for Chelsea. I did think about it when the chance was there in 2005, but Liverpool has always been my club and it just wouldn’t have felt the same playing somewhere else.
“You’re often faced with temptations in this game and Chelsea was one, but I’m glad it never happened.”
There was the Liverpool skipper, statuesque in the middle of the Anfield turf and giving no impression of reproducing the lung-busting efforts and devastating thrusts that have been such a feature of his glittering career.
In fact, on closer inspection, Gerrard wasn’t even moving at all. And then the 29-year-old sauntered on to the field and all was explained.
Of course, the scene yesterday was the Liverpool captain coming face-to-face for the first time with a waxwork of himself to be displayed at Madame Tussauds Museum in London.
By his own admission, Gerrard has at times been a pale imitation of his spectacular best during a disappointing campaign for Rafael Benitez’s side.
But even in defeat at Arsenal on Wednesday, the signs were there once again that the fire is once again burning bright inside the England international after a campaign hampered by niggling injuries.
“I felt good about my performance, but I’d much rather we had got the victory,” says Gerrard.
“My fitness is very good now. I’ve trained well since I came back from the last injury. I was really happy with my performance against Bolton, and I felt good against Arsenal.
“I can’t take too much from that, though, because we didn’t win. But there is nothing we can do about this Arsenal result now.”
Liverpool’s seven-game unbeaten run came to a shuddering halt at the Emirates with Abou Diaby’s 72nd-minute header, with Gerrard berating the decision of Howard Webb not to award the visitors an injury-time penalty when his free-kick struck the flailing arm of Cesc Fabregas.
Benitez’s men remain in fourth place but have been joined on 44 points by Manchester City, with Tottenham Hotspur 43 points and Aston Villa a further point adrift.
City, though, have two games in hand, and with Liverpool’s next Premier League game coming at Eastlands on Sunday week, it is a game they dare not lose.
And Gerrard is upbeat. “We will reflect and be disappointed but we have got a very big league game up next at Manchester City, and if we play like we did against Arsenal then I fancy us to beat them,” he says.
“We have to aim for fourth place and we also have everything to play for in the Europa League. We need to play almost as if we’re in the title race – and we’re more than capable of doing that.
“We haven’t been good enough in the first half of this season and our position in the league tells you that.
“We’re too far behind in the title race and that’s because the consistency we need hasn’t been there this season. It’s as simple as that. There’s no point in saying we’ve been unlucky with injuries or whatever, because we just haven’t been good enough. No excuses.
“But if we show the consistency we did in that seven-game unbeaten run, then we’ll challenge to get in the Champions League place.
“I suppose everything comes down to confidence. You can have all the great players but with bad results comes a hit to your confidence and things spiral from there. It’s only in recent weeks that we’ve started to play like we can.”
As well as indifferent form, Gerrard has been forced to contend with rumours of discontent behind the scenes and a desire for a move away from Anfield.
But the skipper has once again dismissed such suggestions, and says: “There’s so much rubbish said about Liverpool that I can’t keep track! Maybe it’s done to try to drive a wedge or to upset things. It won’t work – we’re as committed as ever.
“I would be proud if I spent my entire career at Liverpool, so maybe I’ll quit playing when my current contract comes to an end. I’ll be 33 then and it might be a good moment to hang up the boots.
“For example, I don’t regret not leaving for Chelsea. I did think about it when the chance was there in 2005, but Liverpool has always been my club and it just wouldn’t have felt the same playing somewhere else.
“You’re often faced with temptations in this game and Chelsea was one, but I’m glad it never happened.”
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