Preston NE 0, Liverpool 2: Captain's classic overshadows controversy

Jan 5 2009 by Nick Smith, Daily Post

FERNANDO TORRES capped his comeback by getting on the scoresheet for the first time in three months – but things had returned to normal a long time before then.

And it was the provider of the goal that finished off Preston’s admirable challenge in Saturday’s FA Cup third round tie who saw to that, Steven Gerrard emphatically answering the questions that surrounded how the past week would affect his performance.

And in the process he proved he still has the ability to spring surprises even a decade into his Anfield playing days.

The cloud hanging over the Liverpool captain is darker than any other during his career and will follow him round with nagging intensity in the next few weeks. But in order to ignore it come 5.25pm on Saturday he had to show if his character and qualities as a captain could stand up to such unprecedented circumstances.

What followed was a display of such focus, professionalism and utter dominance that it has to be the ultimate proof that nothing will faze Gerrard. His natural instinct for the game he is playing will always overshadow what’s playing on his mind, even one weighed down with the controversy of the most traumatic start to the new year imaginable.

But in reality, there was never any suggestion that the 28-year-old would respond any differently. Yes, he looked troubled as he performed his captain’s ritual in the centre circle prior to kick-off, but then he always does before a game.

However, he never plays with such cares. In fact, he bounced around Deepdale as if he didn’t have one in the world.

Which, of course, is not the case, but the need for Gerrard to get his thoughts back on football, particularly at the start of what could be a historic year for Liverpool, had exactly the effect Rafael Benitez hoped it would.

And now the manager can be satisfied that Gerrard is making headlines for the reason he usually does – although they could have been even more prominent had he not been so unselfish in laying on the simplest goal of the many Torres has scored for the club, when he could easily have scored himself.