Liverpool vs Basel preview - Rodgers: Time to take control

Posted Tuesday, December 09, 2014 by PA

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has seen it - and done it - all before but manager Brendan Rodgers has urged the rest of his squad to do their bit to join the midfielder as part of the club's folklore.

The Reds have to beat Basle at Anfield tomorrow if they are to keep their Champions League dream alive and the match has echoes of the game against Olympiacos in 2004.

It is exactly 10 years to the day when, with his side needing to win by two clear goals to make the knockout stages, Gerrard smashed home with four minutes to go to clinch a 3-1 victory.

It was the beginning of the club's march towards a famous fifth European Cup win in Istanbul against AC Milan - a match which Gerrard heavily influenced again - but Rodgers insists the next generation now need to rise to the occasion.

"In terms of Steven, we can't be just reliant solely on him, this has to be about a team performance," said Rodgers.

"We need other players to step up to the mark, taking on responsibility and being a catalyst and not place it on his shoulders.

"There are few world class players around so when you are in a team that responsibility falls even more so on you but it has never been about that for us.

"For us to get a result tomorrow night we need for the team to be performing well and get a performance.

"This is a competition which has a great history here for Liverpool and the Olympiacos game was a part of that.

"It is an opportunity for the players now to qualify and make sure they write themselves into folklore by winning the game and ensuring they get into the next round - because that is the objective."

Basle coach Paulo Sousa intends to test Liverpool's resolve to see if they can handle the pressure of their must-win Champions League encounter.

The Reds need victory at Anfield to progress to the knockout stage but a point will be enough to put the Swiss through at their expense.

Even though they have claimed back-to-back clean sheets in their last two home matches, Liverpool's confidence remains fragile and Sousa has no intention of playing for a draw.

"We want to put them under pressure because in the last game (their 1-0 win in Switzerland) we were controlling possession and created good opportunities," said Sousa.

"That is something we want to have tomorrow. Lots of personality, ambition, intensity in our game with and without the ball, and create difficulties which will allow us to have opportunities to score in the game.

"We will put them more under pressure and hopefully we can have another magical night where the performance will be outstanding and the result of the game will be in our favour.

"I am always looking for a win. In my leadership and feedback to the players it is always about playing to win."