Capello Puts Gerrard and Lampard in Their Place

Steven Gerrard gets his wish and will play in his preferred spot today against Kazakhstan, but not after a dressing down from Fabio Capello that he will not tolerate players pining for their favorite positions.

Hmmm.

So which is it? Do players play where you want, Fabio? Or do they play where they want?

Gerrard whined after England's 4-1 over Croatia that he'd played in his favorite center attacking mid spot only handful of times in his international career. Capello prefers Frank Lampard there and Lampard was stupendous against Croatia. It's a nice problem for Capello to have, and perhaps his strategy will play in his favor.

Has Gerrard earned this nod? Sure. And Lampard is no slouch either.

No the real winner is Capello who has put his foot down and finally addressed a problem he could not allow to linger longer. From the Independent:

Either Lampard, aged 30, and the 28-year-old Gerrard, prove finally that their brains do not automatically turn to shredded wheat whenever they simultaneously pull on the shirts of their nation or they go their separate ways. One is to the wasteland of unfulfilled potential – the other is to some justification of their vast reputations, to which Lampard did add, let us be fair, a little flesh in Gerrard's absence during the impressive victory over Croatia in Zagreb last month.

Says it all.

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Gerrard, Torres Ready to Return forLiverpool against Manchester United

Yes Manchester United fans, you will have Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres to kick around tomorrow when Liverpool hosts United at Anfield.

Gerrard, fresh off of groin surgery, and Torres, recovering from a hamstring ding, have been cleared in anticipation of tomorrow's derby. That clamor you hear are the Mercysiders jigging themselves silly.

Gerrard's return is an eye-opener. He was expected to miss this game and the Reds' Champions League opener this week. It will be interesting to see how much he plays against United. Expect him to start; whether he finishes is another story.

Rafa Benitez will have a full side against United with the Reds atop the table with Chelsea.

"[Gerrard and Torres] came through a full training session this morning. It wasn't a very hard session, but they will both be in the squad. It's important for us to have these two players of quality who can change a game. I'm not surprised they are available because the medical staff have done a good job and the players have been working really hard with the physios to get fit."

Not to fall into the trap of over-hyping games in September, but this is a big one (duh). United has four points from two matches, and dropping three more tomorrow won't be good for its overall title hopes, and may indeed rush Cristiano Ronaldo back from the sidelines. Sir Alex Ferguson says Ronaldo is fit and will return for this week's home Champions League match against Villareal at Old Trafford. Like Gerrard, Ronaldo's recovery is ahead of schedule.

Liverpool needs to win if it's going to snap its Premier League title drought. With Chelsea having beefed up, the Blues may be the bigger target this season. But there's something to be said for moral, emotional victories. United are a big hurdle for Liverpool, one that needs to be leapt at home.

With United certainly slumping out of the gate, this might be a likely outcome. The difference may rest on the bench, not where Gerrard and/or Torres may be sitting, but in Benitez. The Liverpool boss isn't the best game-day guy in the Premier League, and in a close match, how he moves the chess pieces may dictate the outcome.

Gerrard Pained by Liverpool's Premier League Failures

The captain speaks. Steven Gerrard says not even a win in the Champions League will ease the pain of Liverpool's failure in the Premier League. Gerrard concedes the Reds are playing for fourth, and essentially blames the drama surrounding the team.

Consider this calendar of events that has plagued Liverpool this season--remember how Liverpool was running away with the league in the first few weeks; how is this team 17 points back of Arsenal?

• Rafa's falling out with American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett
• Gillett and Hicks' relationship explodes
• Gillett considering selling his share of the club to Dubai International Capital
• Continued uncertainty over the construction of the team's new stadium
• Massive debt incurred because of the new stadium proposal
• Break-ins at the homes of Liverpool players while the team is on the road
• Betting scandal surfaces around the team's Champions League qualifier win over Besiktas

Soccerlens has more on Liverpool in crisis.
SportsGranola picks up on Gerrard's frustrations
CaughtOffside chimes in too.

Gerrard [House] Sacked

Someone clearly has access to a Mersyside address book. Steven Gerrard was the latest Liverpool player to have his home robbed while he was on the road.

The robbery took place yesterday during the Reds' 4-0 Champions League win over Marseille. Only problem: Gerrard's wife Alex Curran was in the house when four unarmed men invaded and made off with jewelry.

Already this year, Pepe Reina's house was broken into during a match and Dirk Kuyt's during a Netherlands match. Last year, Jerzy Dudek, Daniel Agger, Peter Crouch and Florent Sinama-Pongolle suffered similar incidents.

Anyone else smell an inside job? Anyone seen Bruce Grobbelaar?