GERRARD - THE WORLD'S BEST PLAYER?

VILLA THRILLER: Gerrard hit a hat-trick in the 5-0 win over Aston Villa

DESPITE the frustrating round of international fixtures, it's still a great time to be a Liverpool fan right now.

For the first time in a long time, the boys in Red are regularly in the headlines for all the right reasons.

Much of that positive press has focused on Steven Gerrard - and rightly so.

I've felt for a long time that Stevie is almost taken for granted by many Liverpool fans - and it's easily done.

The Bluebell estate's finest has been at Liverpool for 20 years now - and it's coming on for 11 years since the 28-year-old made his debut for the Reds.

He's played so well, so many times that it's almost overlooked. And just because he's doesn't waltz around with a beaming grin all the time, people have, in the past, questioned his commitment.

This season, even by his own standards, he has been sensational. He's revelled in the deep-lying forward role, so much so that he's a decent shout to win the Golden Boot - he's just two goals behind Premier League top scorer Nicolas Anelka.

But not only that, he's grown into the captain's armband.

Jamie Carragher has for long time looked a more obvious choice to skipper the side - he's more vocal, he's an organiser and, by Gerrard's own admission, Carra is more of a student of the game, watching hours of football from all over the world.

In the past Gerrard has led by example, almost hauling the club onto his back and struggling over the finish line on his own at times (Istanbul, West Ham in the FA Cup final).

That's not to be sniffed at, of course. But where perhaps he has been lacking in the past is picking up the players around him.

His body language has often been a give away of his frustrations with players less gifted than him (that's most of the world then!).

And as regular visitors to Anfield will be aware, it hasn't been uncommon for him to berate players on the pitch for not doing what he would have done.

His answer has often been to sort it all out himself - now, it seems, he's thinking about the team a lot more.

Witness the huddle before we thrashed the Mancs, or his comments in the press since, particularly in singling out the full backs for praise.

It's a sign that he's continuing to mature, that he's hitting his peak, and, crucially, that he believes in the players and the staff that are around him.

Contrast that with Cristiano Ronaldo, another player, like Gerrard, often referred to as the best player in the world.

Don't get me wrong, he is a phenomenal talent. And, no doubt, if he was playing on the wing for Liverpool I wouldn't hear a word said against him...such is the fickle nature of football.

But a Manchester United-supporting mate of mine likes to actually compare Ronaldo and Gerrard. And in his opinion, the Old Trafford favourite is the better of the two.

Not for me. Not only is he too easily frustrated (see United's last two matches), too prone to a dive (although Gerrard doesn't mind the odd one or two) and ridiculously self-obsessed, he just doesn't possess the leadership or the versatility of Gerrard.

Let's not forget, Gerrard has played right back, right wing, centre midfield and up front for Liverpool. And you can add left wing for England to that impressive list.

Ronaldo. On the wing and up front.

And what about attributes? Ok, Ronaldo has more tricks up his sleeve. But Gerrard can tackle better, is more determined and doesn't go missing when the going gets tough.

So there's only one winner - and he doesn't come from Portugal.

While we're on the subject of comparisons, I had to laugh at the furore over Fabio Capello labelling Wayne Rooney "crazy" for his reaction to being sent off at Fulham.

Out came "experts" including Danny Mills telling all who would listen on Radio Five that to take away the aggression from Rooney's game would take away the player.

Bollocks.

Look at Gerrard. In earlier years at Anfield he had a bigger stamp collection than a lifelong philatelist. Remember when he sawed Gary Naysmith in half? Or when he took out George Boateng?

The point is you don't see him doing it now. And is he any less of player? No, he's in the form of his life. He's learned to control and channel his aggression - Rooney can do the same.

Both have amazing natural talent and determination, unlike, it has to be said, Danny Mills.

IS FERGIE CRACKING UP?

Mail on Sunday, March 22, 2009

FORGET a squeaky bum - after watching Liverpool destroy Aston Villa 5-0 without ever reaching top gear, Alex Ferguson's rear end will be parping like a Mersey ferry.

The sour Scot could body double for a Ribena berry right now - the more it goes wrong, the purpler he gets.

Gone is the yawning seven-point advantage his Manchester United held over Liverpool just over a week ago. Gone is the goal difference - from plus 11 in favour of Fergie's side, to plus two in favour of Liverpool.

And the best is - gone is Fergie's focus. The pressure is getting to him and his players - big time.

Ferguson's gone from nonchalantly shrugging off Rafa's 'rant' to ordering staff at United to check whether he's spent more than the Spaniard.

He's also childishly revealed his list of the best Premier League managers - omitting Benitez.

And, best of all, he is refusing to speak to the media after matches. Cracking up? Think so!

On the pitch, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo are behaving like a pair of spoilt brats, officials are finally giving decisions against United (a consequence of the Rafa 'rant' perhaps?!) and they look highly beatable.

And how nice to see super Danny Murphy rolling back the years to sink Man United - he even found time to seek out Fergie at the end and shake his hand - nice touch!

It's time Fergie showed some respect for Rafa

Meanwhile, at the right end of the M62, life couldn't get much better for Benitez and every Liverpool fan right now. The manager's contract signed, Rick Parry on his way out and 13 goals in three games against quality opposition.

Aside from a magnificent result, there were lots of positives to take from the latest display of Liverpool's hot streak of form.

BERTIE GLEE: Riera celebrates his spectacular strike

Albert Riera had his best game for the club, visibly growing in confidence, tormenting the Villa defence all day and hammering in a thunderous finish for Liverpool's second.

Pepe Reina pulled off a world-class save and yet again demonstrated what a powerful weapon his flawless distribution can be while Steven Gerrard - well he was just Steven Gerrard - world class.

And all this without the usual contribution from Fernando Torres who had a very quiet game.

So after 12 days of bliss, we're daring to dream. Not even the most optimistic of Reds could have predicted the last three results. And not even the most pessimistic could fail to be impressed by them.

Now we can only hope this devastating form isn't interrupted by an ill-timed international break.

It's still up to the Mancs to throw the title away of course, but if they do, we've got to be there to catch it. And what better way to knock them off balance than by returning to league action against Fulham a week on Saturday and claiming all three points?

That would put Liverpool top - two points clear - with United then having two games in hand and first off facing Villa at home on the Sunday.

Seeing the Reds top again would really have us dreaming of number 19 but how realistic are our chances?

As ever it's hard to say - but it seems Fergie isn't the only one with a sweaty rear end right now.

No, twitchy bookmakers are also staining their shorts at the prospect of the Reds getting back on their perch.

After the 4-1 mauling of the Mancs was followed by the 5-0 thumping of Villa, the odds for Steven Gerrard getting to grips with the Premier League trophy were slashed from 20-1 to just 3-1.

But what I want to know is - what price a Murphy own goal giving Liverpool victory at Craven Cottage?

That really would send Fergie's blackcurrant tribute act into overdrive!

AT LAST WE GIVE MANCHESTER UNITED WHAT FOUR...

Are you watching Manchester?

FEELS good doesn't it?

We got four, it could have been six. And yet with 23 minutes gone it all looked to be heading down a familiar road.

What's annoyed me down the years about playing Manchester United away is that so often we have simply failed to turn up.

Too many times we've looked nervy, played within ourselves and let them win all too easily.

It looked all set for same again. With Xabi Alonso ruled out and the under-rated Alvaro Arbeloa getting crocked in the warm-up, the omens didn't look great.

Jamie Carragher was shifted to his hated right back position, off we went - and there were those nerves again.

Pepe Reina looked like he'd borrowed David James' PlayStation when he raced from his line to haul down Park for a cheap penalty.

And when Ronaldo tucked it away the Mancs thought they were in for another easy ride.

So thank God for Fernando Torres - his importance can not be overstated. He is the world's best striker - end of. And the world's best players perform in the world's biggest games.

Torres has got form for it - Chelsea, Madrid, Euro 2008 final, and now Manchester United.

And in hunting down Nemanja Vidic and coolly burying what was a difficult chance, he single-handedly fired a rocket up the arse of every Liverpool player.

Because from then on in we were brilliant. It wasn't quite the polished performance of four days earlier - but it was close.

Like the Madrid game, everyone contributed - it was seven or eights out of ten across the board. And for Torres and Steven Gerrard it was top marks - again.

OK, United will probably still win the title. But to go and humiliate them in their own back yard is priceless - a once in a lifetime result, up there with the 5-0 win over Everton in '83.

Nobody has done that to United for SEVENTEEN YEARS. And it was the Reds' biggest win at Old Trafford since November 1936 when they beat them 5-2.

It was a superb result and one which was rightly celebrated. (Note: Working in Manchester the day after is great hangover cure!)

But beyond the result and the performance we've made it interesting at the top - and we've shattered the myth.

Too many teams go to Old Trafford and lie down. Too much respect is paid, too many managers write off their trip to Manchester and, even more annoyingly, too many talk publicly about not banking on getting anything.

Perhaps now teams will realise that United don't like it up 'em - realise that Ronaldo CAN be stopped, realise that Van der Saar is an average goalkeeper and realise that Vidic and Rio Ferdinand are NOT unbeatable.

The result should also put the issue of Rafa Benitez's future to bed. Should...

I know a lot of Liverpool fans don't like him - I've criticised and questioned him myself. Yes he's made bad buys. Yes he makes odd decisions.

But he has earned himself another crack at the whip.

Liverpool are the top performing team in European competition right now, we've lost twice in the league, we've scored as many goals as Manchester United and now we've thrashed them on their own patch.

Benitez has been in charge nearly five years and he's made progress - the team is in much better shape than what Houllier left it in, we're closer to the title and in that time only teams that have spent more money than Rafa has have won the league - Chelsea and Man United.

So for me it's madness to suggest he should go - why start again with another manager - one who might not cope quite as well with expectations that, in reality, are unrealistic?

With a quality back up for Torres, another winger and a right back, we won't be far off the title next season. We would have been closer this season if Peter Crouch had stuck around - we're that close.

And who knows? While everyone is saying United will still win the title this year, it's far from a formality. Both us and Chelsea are well capable of winning all nine remaining games.

And with United still to face a derby with Man City and an in-form Arsenal on top of their European and FA Cup commitments, there's hope yet.

It's squeaky bum time Fergie...

FINALLY - THE 'REAL' LIVERPOOL STAND UP!

SUPERB, slick, stunning.

Just three words that could describe tonight's magnificent performance against Madrid.

So where did that come from?!

Well don't look at me - I don't know! I'm not complaining though.

After watching the first leg in Spain, I felt Madrid were there for the taking - but no-one could have predicted Liverpool dishing out the nine-times European champions' biggest ever hammering in Europe.

Everything that could go right, did go right. There wasn't a poor performance amongst the boys in Red.

And it was the perfect start. We were at their throats from the kick off and Real, the form team in Europe remember, couldn't cope.

The Reds were fast, inventive and Nando was on fire. Not many players do what he did to Cannavaro, even if he is now 35.

While Torres and Gerrard will rightly take the plaudits for their superb contributions, it was the periphal players' performances that also warmed the heart.

Ryan Babel, disappointment of the season so far, all of a sudden looked a player - he was prepared to take on the defenders at every opportunity and he delivered in the final third - including the perfect ball for Gerrard's latest picture-book goal.

Even Dossena popped up with the fourth and Jay Spearing (finally) got a run.

Notably, and not surprisingly for anyone who's watched the reserves or the youth team in the last few years, he didn't look out of his depth.

But the million-dollar question is - how can Liverpool perform so well against Real Madrid and so badly against Middlesbrough?

It was total extreme - from the worst performance of the season to the best - in 11 days.

I haven't got the answers - although I'd speculate that there's been a 'clear the air' meeting somewhere along the line because every single player was fired up for this game.

Mascherano, in particular, was like a man possessed, suddenly finding his shooting boots to use alongside his wrecking ball.

What a shame he'll miss the quarter-final first leg because of fussy refereeing - I'd have swapped keeping him for that dodgy penalty any day of the week!

Fact is though, Liverpool found the sweet spot tonight - if it wasn't for Iker Casillas Los Blancos could easily have shipped five, six or seven goals.

If there's a more perfect way to prepare for Manchester United away I'd like to know what it is - a win at OT might not win us the league - but it would put a huge smile on every Liverpool fan in the world - Come On You Reds!

WHY RAFA DOESN'T HAVE TO READ IT AND WEEP

AS a club, we've got more issues than Amy Winehouse right now.

Not a week goes by it seems without an off-field matter popping up in the press - from potential new owners to Rick Parry's much-anticipated, and bizarrely protracted, departure.

Then there's contract negotiations - Daniel Agger's, Dirk Kuyt's and, of course, Rafa's - all being played out in the media.

Bubbling under the surface is the lack of progress with the new stadium, speculation about who will be the next chief executive and rumours of senior players rowing with the manager.

Meanwhile, more and more fans beat themselves up about the raw deal we get from the media. I agree, to an extent, but let's face it, we're a good story.

Yes, there's the myths - like the one that Rafa has blown a load more money than his rivals on crap players (excellently dispelled by fellow blogger Paul Tomkins here.)

But on the whole Liverpool, and the surrounding circus, have been a great way to fill newspapers, websites (and blogs) all season.

The frustrating thing for me is that it wouldn't take a massive effort by Rafa, and in the club in general, to generate some positve press.

For Rafa, answering questions is a good start. Blanking them or batting them away isn't good enough - in the case of his contract negotiations it was him who put this in the public domain in the first place.

If Rafa's plays ball with the media he might get something back - but the more he goes into his shell, clams up and looks narked, the more the press will speculate that something is not right.

Look at Harry Redknapp - he's still walking on water as far as the media are concerned despite being in the thick of a relegation battle.

And that's because he always give the press a story, has a bit of banter and fills their notebooks.

It's not groundbreaking stuff either - this week he said he was banning ale until the end of the season. Big wow - most players hardly drink anyway.

Another one is Arsene Wenger. He has "flopped" spectactularly this season.

From a team that was regularly challenging for the league, he sees his team battling it out for fourth.

And yet, until recently, hardly a bad word said.

Again, the Frenchman feeds stories to the media pack at his press conferences, deflecting their focus from him.

This week he had his say about Cristiano Ronaldo and suggested a new panel is set up to deal with dangerous tackles.

That kicks off a debate, gets other managers involved and fills the space that might have been reserved for 'Is it time to sack Wenger?'

Rafa should take note - because until he changes his approach, the paper trail of negativity will continue.

Not only that, while most us have the good sense to take most of what we see and hear with a pinch of salt, there are a lot of people out there who actually believe what they are told by "experts".

Perhaps, may I suggest, the same people who boo at footie matches at the drop of a hat?!