Gerrard: Hicks and Gillett will make us a great team

Jul 7 2007

Steven Gerrard (200)

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard believes the club is heading in a new direction and the finances made available by American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks can make the Reds “a great team”.

Manager Rafael Benitez completed a club record £20million transfer for striker Fernando Torres from Atletico Madrid this week and is targeting further signings as he seeks to break the Premier League stranglehold of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.

Gerrard praised Gillett and Hicks for backing Benitez financially, believing they have set the club on the way to restoring former glories.

The England midfielder described the American duo as “classy guys with sharp business minds”.

“>fr 1,8fr 3,8< the finance to strengthen, we can go from a good team to a great team,” Gerrard writes in the paperback update of his autobiography out next week, reports the Daily Telegraph.

The 27-year-old also hailed Benitez as an “outstanding” manager, although he admitted he was surprised by some of his tactical decisions in the 2-1 Champions League final defeat to AC Milan in Athens - not least leaving it late to bring on striker Peter Crouch.

“Rafa came up with the right game-plan in Athens,” said Gerrard, referring to the manager’s decision to swamp Milan’s midfield with a 4-5-1 formation.

“In the second half (with Liverpool losing 1-0), I expected some subs sharpish.

“I trust Rafa. The manager clearly had belief in the players who were on, but I was surprised Crouchy did not come on earlier. Not just Crouchy, any sub. We needed something different.”