Rush tells Gerrard prove Hou wrong

Liverpool legend Ian Rush has told Steven Gerrard to go out and prove Reds boss Gerard Houllier wrong.

England youngster Gerrard was criticised by Houllier this week following Liverpool’s disastrous Champions League exit.

Gerrard’s form and application has been questioned, and the midfielder could well find himself on the bench for tomorrow’s home Barclaycard Premiership clash with Sunderland.

But Rush not only claims Gerrard and his team-mate Dietmar Hamann are “the best midfield pair in the world”, but the former striking superstar believes Gerrard will bounce back to his very best.

To a lesser extent, Hamann also suffered a tongue-lashing from Houllier after the debacle in Basle, but it has been the emphasis on Gerrard that has been highlighted.

Rush, who witnessed the setback in Switzerland first hand, said: “The cream always comes to the top in the end. Steven Gerrard is a quality player and he will bounce back.

“To me, Steven Gerrard with Didi Hamann were the best midfield pair in the world. You would have to go a long way to see better than those two.

“It’s just that now Steve is not in a good run of form, but everyone knows that will change, he will come good.”

Rush added: “The main thing now is to try to help him and maybe the manager feels this is a way to say to him ‘come on, you know you can do better’ and give him a gee-up.

“I recall Graeme Souness doing something like this to me. Everybody hates being substituted, everyone hates not starting games.

“For me that is a good sign that players want to win. But sometimes it is harder when you are younger because you are not experienced enough to take it when it happens.

“What I used to do was to say ‘I’m going to prove the manager wrong’ and try harder, get my head down and prove a point, and that’s what Steven will have to do.”

Liverpool’s objective now, claims Rush, is to make dead certain that they go back into the Champions League next season as English champions.

He said: “Once you have done that [won the league] you are in the Champions League in the proper way, you are league winners and the Champions League is the reward. Liverpool can still do that.”

Houllier, too, will be looking for an instant response from his side.

He said: “The players share the disappointment that everyone who loves the club has for not qualifying, but they are ready to address the situation.

“The second half in Basle was outstanding, and maybe we could have written the best page in Liverpool’s European history.

“We didn’t have much luck in this tournament – our luck will hopefully come in other competitions.”