Gerrard admits regrets over approach to Liverpool game after Aston Villa loss
Don’t wait around for updates – sign up for our daily football email newsletter today!
Steven Gerrard has revealed his regrets after his return to Liverpool ended in a 1-0 defeat for his Aston Villa side on Saturday.
The former Reds captain was back at his boyhood club in a professional capacity for the first time since leaving in 2015 and while the locals were pleased to see him again, they were happier he left empty-handed.
Liverpool had their chances but it was not until Tyrone Mings pulled down Mo Salah in the 67th minute that their resistance was broken by the Egyptian's 15th consecutive successful penalty – his 21st of the season.
That ensured they kept pace a point behind leaders Manchester City and a point ahead of Chelsea in the three-way title race.
It was always going to be an uphill task for Gerrard despite three wins in four matches and a narrow defeat to Manchester City since taking over.
And despite suffering a defeat by his former side, the ex-England captain admits he could have adopted a more attacking style – but was wary of leaving Anfield with a hefty loss.
Speaking after the game, he said: "In hindsight I should have thrown a bit more at it a bit earlier, but you have to be careful Liverpool don’t hit you for two, three or four.
"We’ve lost to a soft penalty because if you watch it properly, Tyrone’s been fouled first.
Will Gerrard replace Klopp as Liverpool manager? Tell us in the comments section
"The disappointing thing is that the referee hasn’t gone to look at it. In terms of commitment and application, I couldn’t be more pleased and proud. We have a tough game at Norwich in midweek.
"It’s an opportunity for us to go there, bounce back and get a positive result."
The Villa manager threw on forward Danny Ings and the attack-minded Emiliano Buendia in a bid to find a late leveller and the way his side put pressure on the Liverpool defence in the latter stages left him wondering what might have been had he taken a more positive approach earlier.
Villa claimed in vain for a late penalty when Ings went down as Liverpool keeper Alisson Becker challenged leaving Gerrard frustrated.
Don't miss a thing with our football updates!
Want to be on the ball with all of the latest football news?
Well then sign up for the brilliant Daily Star football email newsletter!
From the latest transfer news to the agenda-setting stories, get it all in your email inbox – don't miss a thing.
How do you sign up?
It only takes a matter of seconds.
Simply type your email address into the box at the top of this article and hit 'subscribe'.
And that's it, job done. You'll receive an email with all of the top news stories every single morning.
You can find out more information on our email newsletter on this link here.
"I thought Liverpool were better in terms of general play. Their style was better than ours, but we've done so well to contain them for large periods. Ultimately the game has been decided by a penalty. There were two penalty incidents in the game, Liverpool got theirs," he said.
Klopp conceded his team had lost their way after taking the lead.
"For 75 minutes we were outstanding. Clearly the better side and played in all the areas we needed to play. We created moments," said the German.
"But we go 1-0 up and… Argh. Then the game opens up, let me say it like this… We lost the rhythm. That's a problem in football so you have to hold it from the beginning."
- Steven Gerrard
- Liverpool FC
- Aston Villa FC
- Premier League
Source: Read Full Article