Argentina example to Reds - Mascherano

Posted Sunday, October 25, 2009 by PA

Javier Mascherano wants Liverpool to follow Argentina's example, insisting the under-pressure Reds must forget about their four successive defeats and concentrate on beating Manchester United on Sunday.

The midfielder wants Liverpool - in the midst of their worst run for 22 years - to be inspired by Argentina's last-ditch qualification for the 2010 World Cup finals ahead of the Barclays Premier League clash at Anfield.

Boss Rafael Benitez's management has been openly questioned this week, although Mascherano has made it clear that the fault lies with the players, not the manager.

And the Argentina captain can see a parallel between his country's dramatic late qualification for South Africa and Liverpool's current crisis.

He said: "I am relaxed now that Argentina have qualified for the World Cup finals, I can concentrate only on Liverpool.

"I can think of Liverpool and not Argentina. This is not a good situation at the club, and I want to give Liverpool my best.

"I am captain of my country, and we were really under pressure in the final two qualifying games; people said we were out, that was very difficult.

"But we won both those games. We have qualified. Maybe it will be the same for Liverpool now if we start to win, things will start to happen for us like they did for my country.

"We must not think of the past. We must beat United for ourselves, for our supporters, for the team. We must keep going."

Liverpool, who suffered a 1-0 Champions League loss to Lyon in midweek, expect to have Fernando Torres and Glen Johnson back from injury, but captain Steven Gerrard is a serious worry with his groin problem.

Mascherano added: "We have a very important game now with Manchester United. We must stop thinking and worrying about what happened against Lyon.

"If we can beat United then the confidence will be back, it is important to do that.

"We beat them twice last season. We know what we are capable of. Hopefully our form will be like that on Sunday.

"We have to do the right things and put away our chances.

"It is a difficult situation, we have lost four in a row. But do not forget that is a team who last season were doing very well, we must keep going and working.

"We must win the next game, against Manchester United. If you have confidence you can do anything.

"The team is not playing well, and a lot of players are not in the best form. That is not good and we are losing confidence, but we have to believe that we can overcome this."

United have a doubt over Wayne Rooney.

The striker has been out with a calf injury since England's World Cup qualifier in Ukraine a fortnight ago.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson is hopeful the former Everton star will be fit to feature on Merseyside but admits it is far from certain.

Veteran Ryan Giggs is poised to return after suffering a knock in last week's defeat of Bolton and Patrice Evra has overcome a heel problem.

Darren Fletcher (groin) is another doubt while Park Ji-Sung (knee) is set for a couple of weeks on the sidelines.

Michael Owen has already secured a place in the affections of Manchester United fans - now Ferguson wants him to earn a place in the history books.

Owen will be centre of attention on Sunday as he makes his first return to Liverpool - the club which nurtured him and for whom he scored 158 goals - as a player for their fiercest rivals.

United's signing of the one-time Anfield hero raised some eyebrows in the summer but the 29-year-old repaid some of Ferguson's faith with a dramatic derby winner against Manchester City last month.

Now United will be hoping he can repeat the trick in a Premier League game which Liverpool, after four successive defeats in all competitions, can ill afford to lose.

"That will never be forgotten," Ferguson said. "I don't know if it puts him in the history books but it will certainly never be forgotten.

"He is only just starting with us. He has only been here a few months and I hope the boy is here for a long time.

"I think he is well capable of doing that. He is showing he is a terrific professional, he lives his life the right way and there are no complications with him."