Among the Champions' League quarter-finalists there can be no such thing as a one-man team. Yet to hear the levels of respect for Steven Gerrard emanating from Chelsea in the last few days was to wonder whether Guus Hiddink might need to start talking him down rather than up.
In his capacity as manager of Russia, Hiddink himself is already on record as having voted for Liverpool's captain as the world's best player. "My focus was that Gerrard was a team player and on top of that he's very determined and decisive in what he's doing," he explained on Friday.
Since being employed at Stamford Bridge, of course, Hiddink feels obliged to throw in a couple of Chelsea names as well when describing players who act as an inspiration to their team-mates: "Most players become legends when they stop. When you talk about Gerrard, Frank Lampard, John Terry, they're an example to English football. They're very important as role models, the way they play and also the way they are as people. They're terrific models for the upcoming generation of young English footballers."
Leave aside the occasional off-field incident and you take the point. What was more startling was to hear the indomitable Terry admit to a shade of apprehension about the prospect of returning to Anfield for Wednesday's first leg: "I'm sort of dreading going there to play Stevie because he is different class. With the backbone Liverpool have got – Reina, Carragher, Stevie G and Torres – what a spine that is. Steve is the heartbeat of the team just like Frank is with Chelsea."
It is, as Lampard says, "like Groundhog Day". By the time these two legs are resolved, there will have been 24 meetings in five seasons, only five of which so far have been decided by more than a single goal – none of them in the eight European encounters. At the knockout stage of those ties it can be crucial whether the goal is scored at home or away. In last season's semi-final, the turning point was right at the end of the first leg when, with Liverpool heading for another Anfield 1-0 win, John Arne Riise nudged Salomon Kalou's cross into his own net; despite having played poorly, Chelsea were suddenly set up perfectly for the return, an unusually expansive 3-2 success that took them to the delayed heartbreak of the final.
Neither side will therefore need reminding about the importance of an away goal. What they may not realise is how much of an expert Hiddink is on the subject. When he led PSV Eindhoven to the greatest triumph in their history, the 1988 European Cup, they won both the quarter-final and semi-final with a scoring draw on the opponents' ground in the first leg, followed by a goalless draw at home. But nor will he ever forget that it should have been PSV, not Milan, facing Liverpool in the epic Istanbul final of 2005; the Dutch side were 3-2 ahead on aggregate going into added time of the semi-final, only to concede an away goal in the last minute and allow the Italians through.
Belatedly then, he catches up with Liverpool, having taken a Holland team to Anfield twice but not a club side. "The atmosphere is threatening to any team that does not have control of their nerves," he said. "When you get there the first time you can shiver a bit. I hope our players have the experience. It's a beautiful atmosphere, no violence, there's a good intimidating atmosphere, which is normal in football." How much they dislike Chelsea up there, he is about to discover.
So just stop Gerrard, to silence the crowd and stop Liverpool? "That's important, of course, but beside that they have now a very balanced team. It's not just him, though he will be very determined at Anfield. If he's not having his day there are other very skilful players who can be decisive as well."
