Gerrard return provides hope for Liverpool

The Reds midfielder made a second-half cameo in the draw against Blackburn Rovers and will hope he can enjoy an extended run of fitness to help his side secure a top four finish.It says a lot about Steven Gerrard’s worth to Liverpool Football Club that his summoning from the bench garnered the loudest cheer of their disappointing draw with Blackburn on Boxing Day.The word talisman is often bandied about in reference to footballers but there can be few men who truly embody it like the Huyton-born midfielder. That FA Cup final against West Ham, the Champions League final in Istanbul and the winner takes all Olympiakos showdown – all moments of note in the recent history of Liverpool and all moments which Gerrard was not only present to but instrumental in.Therefore it was a huge blow when the club learned that their captain was set for a lengthy absence after their somewhat stuttering start to the Premier League season. Whilst the Reds have since seen a turnaround which has put them in real contention for Champions League qualification, their form has been characterised by a refusal to lose rather than a penchant for winning.Several home draws have formed a frustrating narrative in Kenny Dalglish’s side’s recent run and it is profligacy at the sharp end of the pitch which has drawn most criticism.So, when being introduced as a substitute with the scores at 1-1 against relegation-threatened Blackburn, it appeared the scene was set for Liverpool’s captain. He almost provided the fairytale return with his first touch back in the team, as he stepped up and delivered a wicked set piece delivery which Maxi Rodriguez headed narrowly wide. Though Liverpool did not get the result they had wanted or expected against the Premier League’s bottom team, there is a bigger picture which says that Gerrard’s return in fact outweighs the problems which their opponents provided.Liverpool are a team which lack goals this year. Their record at home – where they have been outscored by all but four other Premier League teams – showcases the difficulty the Reds have at breaking down teams unwilling to open up and attack them. It is these situations where a player like Gerrard, a man who has so often conjured something from nothing, is most needed.Beyond a matter as superficial and solvable as home form, there is also a darker cloud hanging over Anfield currently - the impending match ban for Luis Suarez. Whilst the conjecture and accusations may resonate for much longer than the verdict took to reach (and the outcome of a likely appeal is yet to follow), it is the striker’s goal threat which their captain’s return could do much to dispel.Although the Uruguayan has been the true creative outlet in the Liverpool side without Gerrard, his finishing has perhaps not been equally as adept and, in between several goalscoring performances for his national team, he has been wasteful in equal measure at Anfield.It would be foolish to suggest that Suarez is detrimental to his team, of course, but Gerrard’s finishing could at least soften the blow and present the ideal of a future whereby the no. 7 is not expected to be both creator and finisher-in-chief.Gerrard’s return also sparks much debate about what Dalglish would aim to do with a fully fit squad in midfield, something which he has thus far yet to experience in his second spell in charge at the club.Liverpool’s strongest area in terms of depth is most certainly its engine room and this means the return of their best midfielder actually poses a selection problem. Jay Spearing has waited patiently for a chance to break through at Anfield but, after the red card which followed his presumed long-term addition to the team in the absence of Lucas, he tellingly failed to make the squad against Blackburn as Gerrard featured.Another man who may well feel under threat is Stewart Downing. Whilst the winger does not directly occupy a position which his returning captain would particularly covet, he has been undeniably woeful since joining from Aston Villa in the summer. He plays in an area which holds particular creative emphasis and thus far has provided zero assists or goals to aid his side’s cause.The option to move Jordan Henderson back out wide to accommodate the 31-year-old could also allow Craig Bellamy, who has been in far better form, back in on the opposite flank in what may seem a more palatable option for Dalglish.Whatever quandaries the return of Gerrard poses, it brings with it infinitely more positives. He is a born leader, a goalscorer and can provide drive to a team which sorely lacks it in its hunt for a return to European football. His manager will hope that this last injury is the final blip in a glittering career and that the midfielder can yet provide sparkle in the form of celebratory champagne in May.