Here we go again

Even though the Premier League season is a month in, the guy has been playing his high energy game since early July FFS !

He's recovering from an injury and has played four games in 11 days and has a key match on Sunday with our biggest rivals, the man best placed to judge his fitness and form (a European Champion manager at that) gives the guy a rest and his team still wins............

BUT OH NO !! There must be something more sinister that that............

Tired excuses raise fears over Gerrard By Rick Broadbent FOR a man whose insatiable will and super-caffeinated style epitomised the "Miracle of Istanbul", the omission of Steven Gerrard from the Liverpool team because of tiredness will have caused raised eyebrows and furrowed brows all the way from Merseyside to Soho Square.

Rafael Ben'tez's explanation for leaving Gerrard on the sidelines until the 73rd minute as Liverpool began their European Cup defence proper with a 2-1 win against Real Betis on Tuesday opened a new can of worms and raised fresh questions about both player and manager. That Gerrard needed a rest only a month into the domestic season makes one wonder what he will be like come the World Cup, while Ben'tez's tactical gamble was high-stakes fare given that Chelsea are next on Liverpool's European agenda.

Nobody had predicted that Ben'tez would leave out Gerrard and recall Florent Sinama Pongolle in Seville and some wondered whether the manager had suffered another "Harry Kewell moment", akin to the one he had in Istanbul, when he ditched a system that had taken Liverpool to the Champions League final to accommodate a player last seen playing well in a Leeds United shirt.

On both occasions the result freed Ben'tez from a difficult post mortem and he is adamant that he will continue to use a rotation policy, whether his players like it or not.

"We tried to protect Steven and there were a few players in the same condition," Ben'tez said. "I felt we needed fresh legs for a very difficult match. Some people were tired, including Steven.

"Of course some of the players don't like not playing, I expect that, but there is no way they can play in every match. It is not possible. Everybody will be used and players will be given breaks. I will make decisions for the benefit of the entire squad."

It was Gerrard's fourth match in 11 days for club and country and Ben'tez no doubt had one eye on Sunday's Barclays Premiership match against Manchester United, but it was still a bold move to remove the emotional heartbeat of the team. Gerrard, who had a fortnight's break because of a calf problem before the recent international matches, put on a pragmatic front as he faced up to no longer being indispensable.

"After my injury I hadn't had much training and I was really tired after the two England games in such a short space of time," he said. "I think the idea was to use all of the squad and I have no problem with that. It is not about me. We have got a big squad of fantastic players and I think you will see the manager use them throughout the season."

Nevertheless, the romantic pull of that night in Turkey, when Gerrard headed a goal, won a penalty, lifted the European Cup and then slept with it, was part of Liverpool's bargaining power as they managed to see off Chelsea's interest this summer.

Gerrard may have felt that his eleventh-hour about-turn would at least have guaranteed him a place in the European Cup defence, but Tuesday night showed that, where many viewed last season's success as the captain's personal crusade, Benitez wants this to be a more rounded effort. With Mohamed Sissoko and Xabi Alonso forming a nicely balanced central midfield partnership, Gerrard may also find himself employed in a more advanced role this season.

For the watching Sven-Gsran Eriksson, who flew to Seville to monitor Peter Crouch's form, the sight of Gerrard on the bench will have sparked mixed emotions. With Frank Lampard having to defend himself against allegations of a slow start to the season, England's top two midfield players are betraying signs of weariness. Gerrard played 49 matches last season, Lampard 67. As one theory on Greece's triumph at Euro 2004 was that their players' easier club schedules meant that they were fresher when it mattered most, the national head coach should be concerned.

Ben'tez pointed out that the likes of Steve Finnan, Stephen Warnock and Djibril CissZ, who have all had international call-ups, also started on the bench. However, none of those has the stature of Gerrard.

Widely regarded as one of the best in the world, it was intriguing that Ben'tez was happy to do without him in such a pivotal match. With Chelsea and Anderlecht respectively the expected winners and whipping boys of group G, the two games against Betis could effectively decide the second qualification place.

Gerrard may be happy enough at the moment, but the nagging fear of Liverpool fans is that he may quickly come to the conclusion that a change is as good as a rest.