What a difference a few hours make.  One moment Steven Gerrard, the Liverpool captain and driving force behind the club’s quest for the elusive League title, was playing sublime football in the rout of Newcastle United, then a few hours later he’s caught up in some sort of fight in a bar in Southport whilst out celebrating the win and he’s banged up for assault.

Steven Gerrard the Liverpool captain who was arrested after an altercation in a bar

Gerrard, now 28 years old,  was arrested along with five other men in Southport on Merseyside, near the a bar called the Lounge Inn, in the early hours of Monday just a few hours after the emphatic victory over Newcastle.

It has been reported that a 34-year-old man was taken to hospital with facial injuries, however the injuries were fortunately not thought to be life-threatening.

Other men involved are thought to be from the area of Liverpool called Huyton (pronounced Highton) which is where Gerrard is from.  These men have also been charged and bailed over the incident.

All three will appear at North Sefton Magistrates’ Court on 23 January, accused of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray.

Three other men have been released on police bail pending further inquiries.

In a statement, a Merseyside Police spokesman said: “Merseyside Police has charged Steven Gerrard, 28 years, of Formby, Sefton, John Doran, 29, and Ian Smith, 19 years, both from Huyton, Liverpool, with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray following an incident at Bold Street in Southport in the early hours of Monday, December 29.  The three men will be appearing at North Sefton Magistrates’ Court on January 23.”

After the game at St James’ Park on Sunday the Liverpool captain, who scored twice, hailed his side as the best he has played in.  The win cemented Liverpool’s place at the top of the Premier League.  

If it hadn’t have been for the Newcastle keeper Shay Given, who denied Liverpool 5 times before Steven Gerrard stroked home from 12 yards after 31 minutes, the margin of victory would have been far worse for Newcastle.

Sami Hyypia headed a second five minutes later, but David Edgar pulled one back on the stroke of half-time.  Ryan Babel scrambled home Liverpool’s third five minutes after the break. Gerrard raced clear for a fourth and Xabi Alonso made it five from the spot.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez surprisingly left Robbie Keane, a two-goal hero in the Boxing Day win against Bolton, on the bench - and how the Republic of Ireland striker must have wished he had been on the pitch in an encounter that was embarrassingly one-sided from start to finish.  It is somewhat baffling as to what Benitez’s logic is with Keane at the moment.  The striker, who has been struggling to regain his Tottenham form, had scored 3 goals in the last two games and has started to play like his old self, and yet there he was again, rooted to the Liverpool bench throughout the game at St James’.  You have to feel for him really.

Surely, if you have a striker who has been struggling and then starts to play well and scores 3 goals in 2 games, you keep playing him, don’t you?  A lot of strikers, and I place Keane in his category, thrive on confidence and that comes with game time and scoring goals.  What being left on the bench again is doing to his confidence, one can only speculate at, but surely it can’t be good.  I for one, am at a loss as to what Benitez’s thinking is on this, but then again, I’m not a Premier League Manager.  If anyone has my theories on this I’d love to hear from you, so please leave your comments below.

Getting back to Gerrard, we will have to wait an see what transpires in the next few days and weeks regarding the incident, but it can’t be good for either the player or the club.  I obviously don’t know the full story and what actually happened, only those that were there will, but you can’t help thinking, that as a high profile figure, Gerrard has probably been targeted and will have suffered some sort of abuse, probably verbal.  I don’t care who you are, you shouldn’t have to be subjected to anything like that.  As I say, I am only guessing and in no way am I saying that is what happened, but there has got to be some reason why a player like Gerrard, who is normally very low key and not involved in such incidents, has suddenly found himself at the wrong end of the law.

Stay tuned, this one is probably going to run for a while.

Cheers

Rik

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