Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has revealed that Steven Gerrard has expressed concern about his own form during the team’s disappointing season.
England midfielder Gerrard was in the form of his life this time last season and had 11 goals to his name as Benitez’s side went into the festive program on top of the table.
Yet the Liverpool captain has looked out-of-sorts during a frustrating campaign disrupted by injury. Gerrard has managed just four goals so far for his club, who start this Christmas in eighth spot, 14 points adrift of leaders Chelsea.
“Steven knows that he has to improve, but that for me is very positive,” said Benitez, ahead of Liverpool’s home game with Wolverhampton Wanderers today.
“He realizes he is a very important player for us and we were analyzing his stats and he was doing much better. The last game he wasn’t at the same level but that can happen in one game,” he said. “He knows he is improving physically and the main thing now is confidence.”
Gerrard has struggled since returning to action after an adductor problem.
He has not scored in his last eight outings while his milestone 500th appearance for the club earlier this month ended in anti-climax, a 0-0 stalemate against Blackburn.
But Benitez is confident that he will quickly rediscover the type of form that saw him score 25 times for club and country last season.
“I feel that he wants to give more,” Benitez said. “I am 100 percent sure that he wants to give more. He is the captain and he is very important for the team and the club. He is someone who is pushing now and wants to improve.”
“Have I had a meeting with him about it? We have a lot of corridors here and we bump into one another. We don’t need to organize a proper meeting,” he said.
“I have a lot of conversations not just with Steven but a lot of players and they know they want to improve. Sometimes they try too hard,” the Spaniard said.
With Liverpool marooned in mid-table, Benitez is testing the patience of the club’s supporters and failure to defeat lowly Wolves would only add to the pressure.
“Our fans are really important to us and we will try to do our best for them on Saturday and for the rest of the season,” Benitez said, who is without suspended Argentine midfielder Javier Mascherano.
“They are always supporting the team and the players know they will be with them against Wolves,” he said. “We had an early kick-off at Portsmouth but we could hear our fans singing at half-time. We were really disappointed with the result and we have to do more for them.”
“To play too many games over Christmas is not the best because of the weather, but the game on Saturday is a good experience and we want to win it for our supporters,” Benitez said.
With Mascherano starting a four-match ban following his dismissal against Portsmouth, injury-plagued Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani could make his first league start for the club since his £20 million (US$32 million) arrival from Roma.
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