Gerrard's grateful for derby heroics

Gerrard's grateful for derby heroics'

Mar 27 2006

By Ian Doyle Daily Post Staff

STEVEN GERRARD hailed his "heroic" Liverpool team-mates after admitting he had been "stupid" to be sent off at Anfield on Saturday.

Rafael Benitez's side clinched the 203rd Merseyside derby by beating Everton 3-1, despite playing 72 minutes with only 10 men after Gerrard was needlessly dismissed early on.

The Liverpool skipper was cautioned by referee Phil Dowd in the 17th minute for kicking the ball away, and was then shown a second yellow card and a subsequent red less than a minute later following a poor challenge on Kevin Kil-bane.

Gerrard was forced to watch on a television monitor outside the dressing room his outnumbered colleagues battled to a third successive derby victory, although Everton were also reduced to 10 men on 73 minutes when Andy van der Meyde was sent off for elbowing Xabi Alonso.

And Gerrard said: "The lads were all heroic, every one of them. I didn't want to get them in trouble, but they were brilliant.

"You wouldn't have known we had 10 men for so long. I can't praise them enough. They certainly made me feel better about things at the end."

Of his sending-off, Gerrard said: "I'm more disappointed with the first booking than the second one.

"The first one was just stupid on my part but for the second one I thought he was going to strike the ball and I just went into the tackle. Those challenges are part and parcel of derbies.

"It is not very often that I am the villain and I ended up watching the rest of the game on a TV monitor outside the dressing room because you are not allowed back outside when you have been sent off."

Benitez has called for people not to overreact following Gerrard's dismissal, which was his second in a Merseyside derby after being red-carded in Liverpool's last home defeat to Everton in September 1999.

And the Spaniard believes the skipper - who had only been booked three times in 45 previous appearance for Liverpool this season - can learn from his first sending-off since the final game of the season at Chelsea in May 2003.

"I'd spoken to everyone in the past about the need to stay calm and use their brains," said Benitez. "In this case, with Steven, it's not easy.

"The first (booking) was a mis-take and we can learn about that for the future. He knows what he's done. He understands. I don't think it's a case of mental burnout.

"The team was under pressure and he tried to tackle for the second. In this case, it was a disciplinary mistake, then the other one was a technical mistake. Different things.

"He's a player who's scored 19 times for his team. People should not overreact. For me, the most important thing is to realise that this is a situation we can learn from in the future so it doesn't happen again."

Benitez added: "Having won this game, maybe the best thing is that we can now show the players that they have to be careful. These mistakes can hurt you.

"If we'd played in the FA Cup, a one-off game, you have to be careful because you can see what happens. You have to be in control.

"Stevie has so much energy. These things can be good for him in the future.

"Perhaps he can learn from this experience (in big games, like a World Cup match), and the best news from this is that we have won."

Gerrard will now serve a one-match suspension, which rules him out of Liverpool's game at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.