Rafa: Gerrard can take his game to another level - Echo

Liverpool Echo, 13 Sept 2004
Rafa: Gerrard can take his game to another level
By Stuart Rayner, Liverpool Echo

RAFAEL BENITEZ has assured Liverpool fans that their captain, Steven
Gerrard, will be ready to kick-off the Reds' Champions League campaign on
Wednesday.

Gerrard opened the scoring in Saturday's 3-0 win at home to West Brom, but
appeared to be moving uncomfortably towards the end of the first half.

That prompted fears that the inspirational midfielder had suffered a
recurrence of the groin problems that have blighted his career and could be
forced to miss this week's Champions League clash at home to Monaco.

Manager Benitez appeared to give credence to those fears when he withdrew
Gerrard shortly after Luis Garcia confirmed victory with his first
Liverpool goal, the third of the game.

But afterwards Benitez insisted he had simply been looking at the bigger
picture.

"Sometimes when a player plays well it is good that the supporters clap
him," the Spaniard explained. "For the team it is good that all the players
play and we won more time to prepare him for Wednesday."

Benitez explained that the problem lay with Harry Kewell, who was withdrawn
two minutes later, and that this was the groin injury substitute Milan
Baros was communicating to the bench as he warmed up.

And although Gerrard appears to be taking his game to new levels with every
appearance - as highlighted by the fact that Saturday's strike was already
the midfielder's fifth of the season for club and country - Benitez is
convinced he can get more out of his captain.

"I think Gerrard will improve because we are working with all the team to
think about all the things that happen in a game," he said. "He is
intelligent and wants to improve his level (of performance).

"I think he understood the idea and tried to play with more intelligence.

"He understands the game well and with good players around like Dietmar
Hamann and Xabi Alonso you always improve."

But the most impressive performance of the day came from Garcia.

Having been denied a first Liverpool goal by a linesman's flag at the
Reebok Stadium two weeks earlier, he was able to break his duck on his
Anfield debut.

It capped an impressive display from the Spaniard, who had earlier played
the one-two which laid on Gerrard's goal and was one half of what was
arguably the first real partnership the Reds have had up front this season.

"It is important for the team that he scored," Benitez said of his new
signing. "He played well as a second centre-forward."

After back-to-back defeats in Liverpool's last two games, Benitez declared
himself pleased with what he called "a little step forward," adding: "We
still have a lot of steps to make. But you can say nothing (negative) if
you win 3-0.

"We played with very good movement in attack and we had lots of
opportunities. It was a good game for Liverpool."