Has anyone seen any ‘stunned England fans’ today? Nobody? I saw some supporters of the national team earlier, but they just seemed to be having a laugh, one of them was puzzling over why Wayne Rooney has performed so badly in a white shirt recently. Even so, one particular newspaper has claimed that, like a cow leaning against an electric fence, fans are stunned at this latest Liverpool revelation.
Perhaps it would be more accurate for The Sun to suggest that England fans are ‘hardly surprised’ by the news that Steven Gerrard is making a big old recovery from his groin operation. It appears as though the Reds captain, along with Fernando Torres, may yet play a part against Manchester United. This would at least make it an even contest!
He said: “Gerrard is still progressing, so you never know. The key is the fitness of the player — it makes a massive difference if he has confidence.”
Hitman Fernando Torres could also play after suffering a hamstring injury 10 days ago.
Benitez added: “It is better to avoid saying whether Gerrard and Fernando Torres can be available. It’s difficult to say.”
One thing is clear. Gerrard needed an operation and if the national team are really any good, surely they can manage without the midfielder for a couple of matches? It seems clear that Benitez had identified the past week as an opportunity for the player to have an operation, but what was he supposed to do? Coincide it with Liverpool’s Champions League qualifier against Liege and risk getting the sack if they went out?