ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE RACE:JAMIE CARRAGHER has described Liverpool's meeting with Blackburn Rovers at Anfield this lunchtime as the most important league match he has been involved in since he signed professional terms 13 years ago. The central defender believes the fixture carries huge significance because of Liverpool's opportunity to return to the top of the table before Manchester United kick off against Sunderland, and at a time when the season is reaching a critical juncture.
Liverpool, for whom Steven Gerrard is expected to start on the substitutes’ bench because of fears that he could exacerbate the groin injury that hampered him against Chelsea on Wednesday night, will move two points ahead of Alex Ferguson’s side with a victory, albeit having played two games more.
It is, according to Carragher, a “massive chance” which has to be seized as Liverpool seek to rediscover the momentum that was checked by the 3-1 Champions League defeat.
“I’m not just saying this because of what happened against Chelsea the other night but the league has always been the priority for everyone at the club,” said Carragher. “In the 13 years I have been involved in the first team this will be the biggest league game I’ve played in – it really is that important. If we win we can go top of the league with just six games to go and if someone would have told us that we would be in this position when the season started, we would have all been delighted.
“This is a massive chance for everyone at the club and I’m sure the fans will create a great atmosphere because they know what is at stake. The incentive is there for us to go back on top of the league and it may only be for a few hours until United play but, you never know, it could even be for longer than that. That’s how big this game is and that’s why I honestly believe it’s the biggest we’ve had in the league since I’ve been at the club and maybe for even longer than that.”
With the potential rewards so great, Rafael Benitez faces a difficult decision as to whether Gerrard should feature. The adductor muscle the midfielder strained against Chelsea is not a serious injury and the Liverpool manager said his captain has an “80 per cent chance of playing”. However, he is also aware that playing two games in the space of four days could aggravate the problem and, in the worst-case scenario, cause him to miss the Champions League quarter-final second leg at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
With that in mind, it seems likely Gerrard will be used as an emergency substitute today. “The decision I have to make is whether I use him against Blackburn or Chelsea,” said Benitez, who refuses to concede that Liverpool’s hopes of progressing in the Champions League have disappeared.
“If we do play him against Blackburn, it does not mean we are writing off the Champions League. If he feels he can play, then he will and we will assess the situation afterwards.”
Either way Blackburn promise to be awkward opponents, with Sam Allardyce having riled Benitez in the past with his physical and uncompromising tactics. Benitez chose his words carefully yesterday when asked about Allardyce’s remarks that he is obsessed with “whingeing and moaning” and whether he would shake the Blackburn manager’s hand beforehand. “I will shake his hand if it’s necessary,” said the Spaniard. “I was well educated.”
In truth, such matters will pale into insignificance on an afternoon when Liverpool cannot afford any distractions. “Clearly United are in a better position,” added Benitez, who may recall Daniel Agger to the starting line-up. “It depends on them if they lose this position. We have to do our job and, if we can keep winning games, then they will be under more pressure.”
Guardian Service
