Source: Team_Talk
Reds buzzing despite draw - Gerrard
iverpool captain Steven Gerrard insists renewed confidence at Anfield will not be damaged by Arsenal's fortuitous late equaliser on Sunday.[LNB] The Reds were on course to open their domestic campaign with a win when Jose Reina allowed the ball to squirm from his grasp and into the net in injury time of a pulsating clash yesterday.[LNB]It was a deflating blow, but after a positive summer following the appointment of Roy Hodgson as manager, Gerrard says it will take a lot more to damage revitalised spirits.[LNB]"My family are Liverpool fans, we are surrounded by them day in and day out," said Gerrard, who also helped lift the club after last season's disappointing seventh-placed finish by pledging his future.[LNB]"Of course I can feel the optimism, and rightly so. We have got a good manager, we have kept hold of some top players and we have already got some top players here.[LNB]"If we can keep everyone fit I am very confident we can have a completely different season to last year. The boys are enjoying training and working very hard.[LNB]"There is a real buzz about the place and if we had got three points it would have been a magnificent start."[LNB]Liverpool's performance against Arsenal was all the more commendable after the dismissal of Joe Cole on the stroke of half-time.[LNB]The England midfielder had a home league debut to forget as he received a straight red card for a reckless lunge at Arsenal new boy Laurent Koscielny.[LNB]Liverpool responded well to go ahead through David Ngog's fourth goal of the campaign after three in Europa League qualifying, but Arsenal finished strongly and claimed a late reward.[LNB]Gerrard, 30, who scored twice for England in the friendly win over Hungary last week, said: "We were very unlucky not to see it out and take maximum points.[LNB]"I'm very proud of all the lads, I thought they put a tremendous shift in. When you are playing Arsenal in the opening game it is tough enough 11 v 11.[LNB]"To lose a man with a half to go and still get something out of the game, I'm really pleased. I thought they were disciplined and looked very fit.[LNB]"It was a shame we lost Joe. I think he was unfortunate, maybe a yellow would have been more sensible."[LNB]Gerrard also had consoling words for Reina, who denied Tomas Rosicky with a fine fingertip save just moments before his blunder.[LNB]"He is one of the best keepers in the world but he will certainly make that up over the course of the season," said Gerrard.[LNB]"He is worth a lot of points to the lads, there is no doubt about that. Further down the line we will be 1-0 up or 1-0 down and he will make that class save, that's what he does."[LNB]It proved an eventful afternoon for Arsenal's two debutants, Koscielny and Marouane Chamakh.[LNB]Koscielny, a £9.7million signing from Lorient, was carried off on a stretcher after Cole's controversial challenge, but returned for the second half.[LNB]The defender was later sent off himself in injury time for two bookable offences in quick succession.[LNB]French-born Morocco international Chamakh, a free transfer from Bordeaux, struggled to make an impression up front for most of the game but had a huge hand in the equaliser.[LNB]Chamakh got in ahead of Reina to meet Rosicky's cross and the ball rebounded off him, the post and the goalkeeper to earn Arsenal a point.[LNB]Manager Arsene Wenger was pleased with the contribution of both players.[LNB]Wenger said: "Chamakh showed by 'scoring' the goal he is not afraid to put his head and body in. I feel the two players who we bought have done well, I believe Chamakh and Koscielny had an impressive performance.[LNB]"We finished third last year and our ambition is to progress, to improve. We are quite solid as a team, our passing was still quite decent for the first game.[LNB]"We need a bit more penetration in the final third to take care of our possession. We are still a bit short defensively."
