Gerrard has potential to skipper England

STEVEN GERRARD is delivering the kind of performances that arebeginning to mark him down as apotential England skipper.

He wears the armband at Liverpool with the kind of pride and drive that has to be admired.

Gerrard is a bad loser and that is no bad attitude to have in the modern game. Liverpool would be the poorer without the 23-year-old midfielder, who was outstanding against Bolton.

Certainly manager Gerard Houllier has no doubts about the player's qualities. "Steven is a great captain, he leads by example," said the Anfield boss. "He looked a bit down at half-time but he responded right away."

However Gerrard has been left frustrated by the team's inconsistency and inability to grind out victories against supposedly weaker sides.

While delighted at getting the goal that secured a point at Bolton, he was more concerned at another statistic. Liverpool's fourth league game without a win means Champions League football is still on a distant horizon.

Gerrard said: "We conceded two silly goals and in the end that cost us the points. We're a bit disappointed because we should have won. Bolton play direct football but they also got it down a bit and played. It was a decent game but we definitely think we've dropped a couple of points here.

"I was pleased to get a goal. I always felt the goals would come if I kept getting into the box. I'm just a bit disappointed we didn't nick it at the end."

Michael Owen, who has been bothered by series of niggling injuries, could have won it late on. But he missed a gilt-edged chance and has not scored now since October when he found the target in the defeat of Leeds.

While Gerrard has raised the bar, Owen is struggling to rediscover his goal touch. But Houllier is convinced the England striker will come good.

"It would have been great if been able to score the winner here but he was stretching," he said.

"He is there now with his fitness but he needs a goal and the goal will come. I have total faith in him. He works very hard for the team."

There was no such scoring problem for Bolton full-back Nicky Hunt, who made the breakthrough with his first goal for the club. Sami Hyypia pulled Liverpool level before Youri Djorkaeff edged the home side ahead.

Gerrard's equaliser put a slight damper on Sam Allardyce's 100th Premiership game in charge of the home side. But the Bolton boss is delighted at the progress they are making and Hunt's emergence in this his first season in the top flight.

Allardyce said: "Teams are finding it very difficult to get ahead of us, which is one of the reasons why we are doing well. We are getting goals for all over the park and that is helping us. Nicky has threatened a lot this season on the overlap and with his late arrival into space.

"With the quality and technique he has he is capable of scoring but I wouldn't have expected him to get one with his left foot. He struck it beautifully as well."

Meanwhile, midfielder Per Frandsen's fitness will be monitored ahead of the match at Leicester tomorrow. He was forced to go off on Saturday his 34th birthday with a suspected pelvic strain.