Benitez not worried over Gerrard action

(GSM) – Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is confident captain Steven Gerrard will escape retrospective action for a clash with Portsmouth midfielder Michael Brown in the 4-1 win at Anfield.

Referee Stuart Attwell was in close attendance, but took no action and it now remains to be seen whether he will mention the incident in his match report.

If he has seen it and deemed no action was necessary, then Gerrard will escape any possible ramifications – but if not, then the Football Association can use television evidence and could hand him a violent conduct charge.

Gerrard escaped FA action only last week when he appeared to direct a V-sign at referee Andre Marriner during Liverpool’s defeat at Wigan, but the official saw the incident and deemed no punishment was needed.

Now Benitez and Gerrard are waiting on Attwell’s report, but the Liverpool boss does not think his midfield general will be in trouble.

When asked if he was worried about retrospective action against his captain, “I don’t think so,” said the Spaniard .

He continued, “I haven’t seen it but I was asking and I think it was nothing.”

Benitez also played down his immediate substitution of Gerrard, adding: “We were thinking of changing (Fernando) Torres, Glen Johnson and Gerrard and we did it.”

Pompey boss Avram Grant did not see the incident, but admitted that Attwell did not see it and act on it.

“I didn’t see it. I will speak with Michael Brown and then I will tell you,” he said.

Refa continued, “They told me the referee was four meters away from this so I think the referee needs to see from four meters what I didn’t from 40 meters.

“Personally, I like Steven Gerrard. I think he is a good player and a fair player,” he said about Gerrard.