Liverpool Boss Benitez Wants Support For Gerrard, Stays Defiant On Keane

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has urged the forwards to contribute goals so as to take the weight off the shoulders of captain Steven Gerrard.

The England midfielder staged a great rescue act to pull the Reds out of trouble as he got a brace from his attacking midfield position after the hosts had fallen behind 0-2 to Phil Brown’s side.

The Reds could only manage a 2-2 draw at Anfield that also came at the back of stalemates with Fulham and West Ham United.

Liverpool are currently without injured Spanish star striker Fernando Torres, while £20m summer-signing Robbie Keane has failed to establish himself as first-choice and was an unused substitute against the Tigers yesterday. Dirk Kuyt has also failed to score regularly of late after being amongst the goals earlier in the season.

Benitez said: "Gerrard is always a threat playing in that attacking midfield role, but we need more people to score goals. We need to see more, especially the players up front, to score more goals."

Defending his decision to keep former Tottenham Hotspur ace Keane on the bench despite the game being on the knife edge at 2-2, Benitez added: "We wanted wingers with pace and ability. (Ryan) Babel and (Nabil) El Zhar were both very good.

"We wanted to get to the line and pulled the ball back, we do not want to play long balls, we are not that sort of team."