Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard hit back at critics yesterday following his free-kick goal against Everton in the first derby of the season at Anfield.
The Liverpool legend had been the recipient of stinging remarks claiming his career was over following the Reds shaky start to the season that has only seen them win two Barclays Premiership games while losing to both Aston Villa and West Ham.
Gerrard scored a terrific 65th minute free-kick only to see a thunderbolt of a shot in injury time by Everton’s Phil Jagielka to give the Toffee’s a share of the point in a 1-1 match in which the Reds dominated play, and while disappointed at the result the 34-year-old Gerrard was happy to prove his critics wrong telling the Liverpool Echo: “I’ll agree with the constructive criticism as far as I have been stifled in a couple of games when players have followed me about and I’ve found it difficult to shake them off,” he said.
“But then people go one step further and say you’ve finished and you can’t run anymore and you’re done, and that’s the frustrating thing.
“It was nice to remind people that although I am 34 I can still run, I can still play and I can still compete with the best players around.”
When asked about his goal Gerrard said: “You get a feeling when you get a free-kick. Mario (Balotelli) got a feeling during the first half and he hit one that nearly came off.
“But you need to have options in your team when it comes down to set-pieces and when I saw us get the foul where it was, I fancied it and thankfully I got the strike right.
“We deserved three points. Phil Jagielka has got them out of jail with an absolute wonder strike, the type of strike you hit once in your career.
“Credit to him for the strike. But I think on the 90 minutes and the chances created, we’re disappointed not to take three points.”
The Liverpool captain admitted his side were still trying to adjust to life after Luis Suarez adding: “We need to improve, we are all aware of that.”
“It wasn’t the start (to the season) we were looking for.
“There has been a lot of change. We have lost possibly the best player on current form, so it’s bound to hurt us for a little short while until the new players come in and settle and help contribute towards the team.
“The improvement will happen. There were big improvements today as far as our performance level was concerned.
“I said before the game we needed more intensity with and without the ball. We did everything right other than get over the line.”
Gerrard is also certain that there is more to come from Mario Balotelli, who could have sealed victory for the Reds when he hit the crossbar shortly after the skipper’s opener.
“I think he did everything but get that goal,” he said. “Mario has a wonderful chance to wrap the game up, but I’m sure he will start slotting away those chances the more he gets settled and used to his team-mates.”
