Gerrard left wanting more
Sep 26 2005
By Chris Bascombe, Liverpool Echo
LIVERPOOL skipper Steven Gerrard accepts the Reds will only be taken seriously as title contenders when they convert away draws into wins.
The point against Birmingham on Saturday was Liverpool's third encouraging away draw of the season, but the captain was left unhappy a chance to claim victory went begging.
"I am disappointed, to be honest," he said. "These are the places where you have got to come and take maximum points. I thought we did enough. A couple of mistakes have cost us.
"I think it is a good sign that we are disappointed because a couple of years ago we might have come to places like Birmingham and have been happy with a point. I'm not happy with a point.
"I think it is the mentality that the manager has brought in. We are coming to places like Middlesbrough, Tottenham and Birmingham and we have taken points but we want more. We want maximum points.
"To break the so called top three you have got to come to places like this and take maximum points. We are a bit disappointed but there are still positives to take from the performance.
"At 2-1 down in the second half we completely dominated. We were the ones who looked like we were going to win the game. Their chances came from our mistakes. We created our chances and played the better football."
Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse had a strong impact as substitute, scoring from the penalty spot. But he accepted he ought to have sealed victory with a chance in the closing stages.
"It's not a bad result but we could have won it at the end when Steven put me through with a great ball," said Cisse.
"I think it was a case of when you come on as a sub you are trying too hard to impress, but I should have scored."
All thoughts are now directed towards the visit of Chelsea in the Champions League, and Cisse is one of many relieved the in-form
Gerrard is playing for, rather than against, the Reds on Wednesday.
"Steven is our key player. He is so important to us, not just out there on the pitch but off it as well because he is a leader," said Cisse.
"Losing him, particularly to a rival team like Chelsea, would have been the last thing we needed.
"But he chose to stay and that's fantastic news for everyone connected with the club. To my mind there is not a better mid-field player in Europe and he is without doubt one of the best in the world.
"We go into the two games with Chelsea in a confident way. We know what we can do and Chelsea know what we are capable of. We are confident of our quality.
"There is a feeling in the camp that we can do it. Steven is such an influential player that how he plays against Chelsea will have a big bearing on how the matches go."
As for Gerrard, he knows a win in midweek will put Liverpool in the driving seat to qualify for the knockout stage.
"The game against Chelsea is mbuttive," added Gerrard. "You don't have to get any of the lads up for that. We know how important the two games are but we've got to think about the European match first.
"If we can get a good result in that one, it will put us in the driving seat in the group.
"I will relish the challenge. Big games like this are what you want to play in. They don't come bigger than Liverpool versus Chelsea in the Champions League.
"I think the pressure is on us to get a result. You've got to take points at home. We've got to put in a good performance or we will get turned over."
