At the beginning of the season, no one would have thought that Kolo Toure would have forced his way into the Liverpool first team, but the Ivory Coast international looks to be a lock to keep his place in the starting eleven when FC Basel visit Anfield on Tuesday.
After starting on the bench in the goalless draw with Sunderland at the weekend, Steven Gerrard is almost certain to join Toure in the starting eleven — something the 33-year old is thankful for. “Steven is a man for great days. He makes the magic when no-one can make it. That is why he is one of the best players in the world” he said of the Liverpool skipper. “His age is nothing, people just keep talking but if you have a player like that in your dressing room it is very important with his experience.”
Despite their poor start to the season, the Reds are on the precipice of securing a spot in the knock-out rounds of the Champions League, but they’re going to have to beat the Swiss side to do it. Anything but a win and Brendan Rodgers side go crashing out of the competition they worked so hard to get into, but Toure believes Gerrard can inspire his team-mates to victory.
“When he came on against Sunderland he made a difference. You could see the energy he brought to the team. Players like that don’t need 90 minutes to make the difference, only 20 or 30 minutes. I am really happy to have him as a captain first and as a man because he is a great player” continued the defender. “We know it is a must-win game against Basel, it is like a final for us. I know the fans will be fantastic for us. We know when a great time comes they are always there. It is up to us to up the tempo and put this Basel team under pressure.”
