Following Liverpool’s blinding performance against Standard Liege (a really great team in Belgium if you didn’t know) Steven Gerrard is undergoing surgery on his groin. This means that he could be missing for the game against us.

“We decided that Steven would play through the pain against Liege and then have the operation,” Rafa Benitez, of “The Rafalution” informed the local rag today. “He may not be fit for the Manchester United game, but he certainly will be okay for the first group stage match next month.”

Well I don’t know about you, but I am certainly relieved, considering Stevie Me always is so influential when the clubs meet. Bossing the defence, scoring and creating goals, crikey, we’d be in for a pasting if it wasn’t for his absence. I would have hated to see us get the treatment Sunderland and Middlesbrough have received already this season. Frightening!

If we take a look at the results over the past 6 six in the league, or the “bread and butter” and Stevie Me calls it, the findings are rather embarrassing for the dippers.

2007/2008
Manchester United 3-0 Liverpool: Gerrard played 90 minutes
Liverpool 0-1Manchester United: Gerrard played 90 minutes

2006/2007
Liverpool 0-1 Manchester United: Gerrard played 90 minutes
Manchester United 2-0 Liverpool: Gerrard played 90 minutes

2005/2006
Manchester United 1-0 Liverpool: Gerrard played 90 minutes
Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United: Gerrard played 90 minutes

2004/2005
Liverpool 0-1 Manchester United: Gerrard played 90 minutes
Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool: Gerrard played 90 minutes

2003/2004
Manchester United 0-1 Liverpool: Gerrard played 90 minutes
Liverpool 1-2 Manchester United: Gerrard played 39 minutes (already 1-0 down)

2002/2003
Manchester United 4-0 Liverpool: Gerrard played 90 minutes
Liverpool 1-2 Manchester United: Gerrard played 90 minutes

Of the past 12 league meetings, United have won 10, Liverpool have won 1, and there’s been 1 draw. Gerrard played for 90 minutes in all of these games, so forgive me for not getting too excited when hearing he will could be missing for this next one. Quite the contrary, they might field someone who doesn’t bottle it and that could stop us from achieving our 6th victory on the bounce against them.

This Liverpool fan reflected on the last time the clubs met, when Javier Mascherano was sent off for United at 1-0 down. With his constant mouthing off to the ref the weekend following the fuss surrounding Ashley Cole’s behaviour against Spurs, it seemed as though he was the only person in the ground that didn’t know what was coming. However, it was someone’s job to let him know, but club captain Steven Gerrard was nowhere to be found.

If Mascherano had said nothing, then he would have been as bad as Steven Gerrard, who is supposed to be looking out for the players on the pitch. If the so-called captain is not going take the responsibility, then someone has to step up to the plate…

…Liverpool lost the game, and Steven Gerrard was anonymous against Man United again.

And at the end of the game, what happened? Xabi Alonso and Jamie Carragher headed straight for the ref and expressed their frustration and discontent. Passionate as ever, Carra actually had to be pulled away.

Where was Steven Gerrard, Liverpool’s so-called Captain? Nowhere to be seen.

Gerrard’s absence is neither here nor there for us, because even when he does play, against the team he said he wants ‘to die’ in his autobiography, you wouldn’t know it.

There’s a big difference between the United and Liverpool captains. In moments of great joy, Gary Neville grabs his United badge, whilst Stevie Me taps his name on the back of his shirt. It’s all about United for Neville, whilst it’s all himself for the Liverpool captain. I’ll get Liverpool fans on here in a moment ranting, but when he hands in another transfer request when Liverpool win nowt this year, they’ll agree with me.