Xabi Alonso: Never say die attitude saw Liverpool through

Dec 27 2007

XABI ALONSO today insisted Liverpool's never say die attitude was behind their last-gasp win at Derby.

After going a goal up in the first half, Liverpool were pegged back by rock bottom Derby and looked set to drop two vital points.

But Steven Gerrard popped up in the 90th minute to give them a hard earned victory which keeps them in touch with the Premiership leaders.

And though disappointed with Liverpool's second half performance, Alonso was delighted with their fighting spirit and their refusal to accept a draw which would have left their title hopes hanging by a thread.

"We never gave up hope," he said. "Whether it was Stevie or whoever we knew that we could win the game.

"We kept going forward and pushing and time was running out but we got the goal.

"We had had chances before that though and it is important that we do not put ourselves in that position again by taking our chances.

"It was a great effort by Stevie and it was very important for the team and now we have to look forward to the next game."

Alonso was at a loss to explain Liverpool's Jekyll and Hyde performance which saw them dominate the opening 45 minutes only to then struggle to impose themselves on the second half.

But he believes one of the main reasons was their failure to keep possession as much as they would have liked.

He said: "The first half was a good one in terms of the football we played and we probably should have scored more goals and killed the game.

"But in the second half we struggled a bit. We should have kept the ball a bit more and we conceded a bad goal."

Alonso was one of the Reds’ star performers on his return to Premier League action after a metatarsal injury.

"It has been frustrating for me to be sat in the directors box watching games instead of taking part, but now I am happy to be involved again and I am looking forward to the next few games."

Reds boss Rafa Benitez now faces a worrying wait to see if Sami Hyypia recovers from a twisted ankle in time to return for the trip to Man City on Sunday.

Hyypia limped off in the second half and should he be ruled out Benitez will only have two centre backs, Jamie Carragher and teenager Jack Hobbs, at his disposal.