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STEVEN GERRARD COULD ESCAPE FA RAP

ABOVE: Gerrard looks set to escape any FA action after appearing to aim a V-sign at referee Andre Marriner

10th March 2010

By Kevin Francis

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STEVEN Gerrard looks set to escape any disciplinary action after appearing to aim a V-sign at referee Andre Marriner.

Gerrard’s apparent flash of temper was caught on camera as he was booked by the match official in Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat at Wigan on Monday night.

The midfielder lost his rag when shown the yellow card for his reckless challenge on James McCarthy.

But both skipper Gerrard and his club deny that he deliberately made the two-fingered gesture – something that Marriner apparently agrees with.

Insiders at the FA yesterday claimed that the referee was in a position to take any necessary action and the likelihood now is that they will not become involved.

Meanwhile, a crippling confidence crisis has been blamed for leaving Liverpool’s Champions League hopes hanging by a thread.

They are no longer favourites to clinch fourth spot, which brings automatic qualification for next season’s competition.

And with Liverpool sitting in sixth place, striker Ryan Babel said: “We have made it a little difficult for ourselves.

“We still have hope and faith that we can get fourth place. It will be harder in every game. It was going to be difficult, even before the game at Wigan.

“We needed to get three points and that’s why the disappointment that we failed to do that is so big. It is disappointing that we can’t create a kind of confidence with winning games because one defeat seems to spoil all the confidence that we have and then we have to start again.

“We definitely still have faith we can get fourth place, even though it will be harder.”

Today the Anfield side will fly off to France for the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie against Lille tomorrow night.

Babel declared that there will be no hangover in this game as Liverpool seek the win that would give them some kind of lift.

The Dutch star said: “We have got an important game on Thursday and we have to be ready for that. We can’t be disappointed too long.”

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