Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has spoken in a recent press interview about how his club captain, Steven Gerrard, has been relied upon for too long to "carry" the team.

The midfielder has drawn criticism from some quarters this season for some below-par performances, having been asked to play a deeper, more reserved role in the team. Due to an injury to Lucas Leiva, Liverpool's midfield has been somewhat imbalanced at times, leading Gerrard to sit deeper and try to keep possession for his team.

Gerrard will always be looked at to provide the killer pass or shots on goal because he is the captain, but Rodgers says that the other players need to step up to the mark.

The manager talks about how Gerrard has carried the responsibility of the team and has been "brilliant" since Rodgers arrived in the summer.

Liverpool's No. 8 has been a goalscoring midfielder for years but has netted just once in the Premier League this season, in a defeat against Manchester United at Anfield. With the Reds struggling to score goals all over, Rodgers has asked the rest of the team to take up the responsibility of hitting the back of the net more regularly.

The recent return of Lucas from injury should see Gerrard able to play in a more advanced role with regularity now, whether that be central in midfield or as part of the front three.

Having been ill for the past few days, Gerrard has been left out of the squad to face Udinese in the crucial last Europa League group stage match.

Rodgers claims Liverpool have shown quality in their games this season and that they need to turn good performances into wins.

Doing that in Italy and qualifying for the knockout phase of the Europa League would be a good time to start—and the win and the goals will have to come without the aid of Steven Gerrard.

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