Liverpool is a completely different team with Steven Gerrard on the field. His return gives them a new sense of hope and newly-found confidence they didn't have when he wasn't in the lineup.

All was not lost without Gerrard, but his presence on the pitch gives them a huge lift, not just in the midfield, but all over the field.

They have a manageable schedule coming up in the English Premiere League, but the match everyone has in their sights is obviously the one against Manchester United on October 15th.

Gerrard's highly-anticipated return couldn't have come at a better time. It's been a painful six months since we last saw him in action and even 15 minutes in the Carling Cup has fans elated about his return.

Gerrard is worth the wait. The Reds are a middle-of-the-road EPL team without him, but his return to the lineup gives them a fighting chance against the best the EPL has to offer.

While Manchester United is clearly on a tear right now, it's impossible to discount Liverpool with the new life that has been breathed into the team. It's got to be nice for the team to look over and see Gerrard back in the mix and he is undoubtedly relieved that this nightmare is over with.

Liverpool isn't going to top the standings by mid-October, but they are going to be able to hold their own. They have their captain back and there is no way to measure the impact that he is going to have over Liverpool's mindset.

There is still a lot of time left in the season and the Reds have plenty of time to rebound. With Gerrard back, they could easily become a team nobody in the EPL wants to play. It won't take long for them to catch fire.