IN his role as talismanic skipper, Steven Gerrard has grown accustomed to carrying a heavy burden throughout his Anfield career.

But there has been a greater weight than ever resting on his shoulders in recent months as Liverpool’s spluttering campaign has lurched from one disappointment to the next.

So often the figurehead of Rafael Benitez’s tenure, Gerrard has found himself curiously unable to answer the usual call to arms as his team-mates have looked for inspiration.

Hampered by having yet to fully regain full fitness following a niggling groin problem has only exacerbated the player’s frustration at the general malaise around him.

It was enough to prompt Benitez into issuing a series of pep talks in an attempt to cajole the captain back towards his best form and resuscitate an ailing Liverpool team.

The results were immediate, Gerrard ending his personal goal-scoring drought to send the Anfield outfit on their way to a belated but much-needed Christmas present of three precious points against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

His first goal from open play in more than three months, small wonder the mixture of delight and relief as the Liverpool skipper wheeled away in front of the Kop after thundering a header beyond goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann.

Benitez must now hope that not only does Gerrard take confidence from his strike, but that the rest of the team once again follow the example of the England man, who even before his game-defining contribution had been launching into tackles and spraying the ball around with more conviction than of late.

Half an hour into Saturday’s match, a sublime pass from Gerrard to release Fernando Torres was matched by the exquisite finish of the Spaniard to lift the ball over Hahnemann into the empty goal.

A sight Liverpool fans might have expected to see more often this season, that it was disallowed for a marginal offside decision was typical of how the partnership has rarely been allowed to prosper.

But while Gerrard will believe the corner has been turned, Torres continues to toil with the similar issue of a lack of fitness thwarting his efforts to rediscover peak form and propel Liverpool back into the hallowed ground of the top four.

As at Portsmouth last week, the striker gradually became discouraged after being subjected to some serious buffeting from no-nonsense defenders during the opening exchanges, close attention that was missed by referee Andre Marriner, whose eyesight would also be called into question later in the game.

Even when clearly compromised by injury, Torres has the capability of fashioning a chance out of nothing as typified by one mazy run and shot that bamboozled Wolves’ right-back Richard Stearman before bringing the best out of Hahnemann.

But the Spaniard is clearly not happy, although he might well expect a better standard of service than has been provided from his team-mates of late.

While the doom-merchants will almost certainly dwell on the five-minute period midway through the half in which Wolves had three chances to score, the rest of the game was effectively controlled by Liverpool.

However, it was only when the visitors were reduced to 10 men following the 53rd-minute dismissal of visiting left-back Stephen Ward that Benitez’s side were given the space to turn that territorial domination into clear-cut chances. Without that numerical advantage, a lacklustre Liverpool had not overly troubled a well-organised Wolves defence.

With Javier Mascherano sidelined through injury and suspension, Benitez could no longer protect Alberto Aquilani from a first Premier League start following his near-£20million arrival from Roma in the summer.

As in his previous fleeting appearances, the Italian central midfielder appeared comfortable in possession, can clearly spot a pass and showed glimpses of striking up an understanding with his team-mates.

But the manner in which he faded badly during the second half, looking very much the player who has missed much of the calendar year through injury, illustrated why Benitez has been so cautious to ease him into the fray.

Needs must, however, and Aquilani can expect a crash-course in English football in the coming weeks, and may even be risked for tomorrow’s pivotal visit to fellow top-four aspirants Aston Villa.

Certainly, Benitez will look to his creativity during the second half of the campaign.