BRENDAN Rodgers has defended Steven Gerrard’s form and fitness, insisting the veteran Liverpool captain does not need to be rested more often.
Gerrard, 34, has played every minute so far this season, including three games in a week that saw Liverpool lose to Aston Villa and West Ham in the Premier League while stumbling to a Champions League win over the Bulgarian outsiders from Ludogorets when he scored a last-minute penalty.
Rodgers and his coaching staff are understood to be concerned that in both league games Gabriel Agbonlahor and Stewart Downing were successfully deployed to stifle Gerrard and stop him distributing the ball from deep.
As a result, the former England skipper misplaced 11 passes in the West Ham half on Saturday and gave away possession 14 times.
Asked about his captain’s form on Monday, he said: “There are no concerns. He is a brilliant player for us. It was a team performance that was not up to scratch. We have managed his recovery really well in the last two seasons even when Steven was playing international football. If you look at his numbers and games it has been as good as ever.
“He is at the age where we need to treat him individually. We want him to be involved in the big games because of his experience and we will always taper that recovery to allow him to be the best he can be.
“We will let you know if he will be rested. Some young players will be involved in the squad.”
Liverpool’s run of three defeats from five Premier League games is their second worst start to a top-flight season in 77 years. And Rodgers, who made nine signings this summer, accepts that some of them are struggling to come to terms with playing for a club like Liverpool.
‘What people probably don’t get is the pressure of playing for such a big club,” he added.
“The weight of the jersey here is heavy for most players. Once you adapt to playing for Liverpool you become clearer in your thinking. It’s a young group and that adjustment takes a bit of time. When you have that transition there are little bumps along the way.
“It’s not a great start by any means but that will improve and my team will get better in the second half of the season.
“When I first came in here we had a lot of new players coming in and at that time there was a new manager as well. We got to where we wanted to be.
“Of course it’s not all smiles, it’s not a feeling we’ve been used to. But you have to refocus and move on. You have to be able to recover quickly at this level. It’s my job to ensure confidence is retained.
“We want to win a trophy this season, that is still a key objective for us and this competition gives us an opportunity.” Daily Mail