The old saying ‘you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone’ has been highlighted at Liverpool in our last three matches.
We struggled to overcome Sparta Prague on Thursday, ground out a deadly dull goalless draw in Prague last week and were held at home by Wigan a few days earlier.
And for me it was no coincidence that Steven Gerrard was missing from all three with a groin injury.
I took my 12-year-old grandson Matthew to Anfield with his pal on Thursday and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so quiet!
There was very little to excite him and while I don’t subscribe to the theory that Liverpool are a one man team, we’re certainly a less potent team with Steven Gerrard sat in the stands.
Ultimately we got the job done without him – and it was an important victory.
I firmly believe that with Stevie back playing regularly and Andy Carroll available for selection we have a very good chance of winning the Europa League – or UEFA Cup as I still prefer to call it!
We are still slowly climbing out of a deep hole of two Texans’ making, but we are climbing out, slowly but surely.
A run to the latter stages of this competition would confirm that Liverpool is a club on the rise once again.
In that event a 1-0 home win over Sparta Prague would be quickly forgotten, but it could prove to be a pretty significant result in the long term.
What Thursday’s game did underline, however, is that we don’t have the men currently available in the squad who can have the same impact on a match that our skipper has.
Lucas is clearly not the same type of player, while Christian Poulsen, I’m afraid, has nothing like the same class or quality.
His passing on Thursday was very disappointing.
The message is clear.
Steven Gerrard, get well soon!
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