Source: Telegraph
Bryan Robson: Steven Gerrard's fitness key to Liverpool's title hopes
That's the opinion of Bryan Robson who knows a thing or two about coming up short in the title race thanks to his time captaining Manchester United.[LNB]Gerrard's fitness has been thrown into doubt after he limped out of the FA Cup defeat at Everton with a hamstring injury and Robson believes his absence could wreck Liverpool's championship campaign.[LNB]The England international seems set to be out of action for the next few weeks which could hamper his club's chances of narrowing the gap at the summit now being opened up by resurgent United.[LNB]"Liverpool are doing great and they're doing their bit to make it a fascinating season but I still feel it will be Chelsea or Manchester United that wins the race for the title,"[LNB]"For starters, their squads are just that bit stronger than Liverpool's plus Rafael Benitez's side tend to slip up too much. You have to respect them and they have some great players but if something was to happen to Steven Gerrard then that would be it " the end of Liverpool's title challenge.[LNB]"Even though they have Fernando Torres, Gerrard is too much of a player for them and the longer the season goes on the harder it will become for him to play in every game. I really admire him and he's a massive influence on Liverpool because he's a top, top player but they're a little too dependent on him."[LNB]"In my playing days at Old Trafford, we'd go close but then we fell down when the finishing line was in sight because our squad wasn't quite good enough.[LNB]"The 1st XI would give it a right good go but the squad wasn't good enough. That's the predicament facing Liverpool at the moment compared to Chelsea and Man United.[LNB]The former England skipper, who now works for United in an ambassadorial role, was " like Gerrard – one of the most inspirational players of his generation.[LNB]But he struggled to inspire United to the summit of English football following his then British-record £1.5 million move in 1981 before a 26-year wait was finally ended in 1993.[LNB]And that is why he reckons the weight of history could thwart Liverpool who are looking for their first title since 1990.[LNB]"Liverpool haven't won the title for donkey's years and that weighs heavily on certain players," Robson added.[LNB]"People will keep reminding them of it even when you're new to the club. I had a similar situation in the 80s when people in and outside the club were always going on about how we'd not won the title in years.[LNB]"But when you keep winning the title every so often through the years you gain confidence that you can do it again and that's the advantage that United have. Now Sir Alex Ferguson's players know that they have to work hard but they will be expecting to win the title.[LNB]"That will give them a bit of an edge over Liverpool while Chelsea's hunger to turn the tables on United following last year's near-miss will ensure they take it right to the wire." [LNB]
