RAFALUTION

through my red-tinted singaporean-scouser glasses i say...

Garcia, Crouchie, Kuyt!

3-1...

the league has just begun.

in November we will see....

by Paul Tomkins

Number 19 has proved elusive, but it's been a very good decade so far; six major trophies, when other big clubs like Newcastle would kill for just one. Then there's been a return to regular Champions League football, with the Reds on the biggest stage after a dark decade in the wilderness. For three years running Rafa has overseen a successful group stage of the Champions League; it's not decided yet this year, but the Reds are in control, and that after just one home game.

But our expectations have been raised; and I'm no different. I had high hopes for this season.

I get labelled an optimist. If that's because I'm being compared with some real pessimists, then I'll accept that. I like to think I'm a realist. Then again, that's what the pessimists say of themselves. I guess we all see our own views as the true reality. Why would we think otherwise?

I personally find being pessimistic tiring. I'd rather look for the positives, but only if positives are there; I have no desire to invent them.

I do think I need those powers of optimism right now, and I'll admit I'm struggling a little. However, maybe it's my own mentality, from a lifetime in and around sport, but I don't see how focusing on the negatives helps. Of course, that's different from the club's manager ignoring the negatives; it's his job to identify problems and eradicate them (which is always easier said than done, and is why I don't like offering pithy solutions).

But I still have unswerving faith in the manager and this group of players. That's not always been the case during my lifetime, but while it's so I feel it's only a matter of time before the tide turns.

I'm generally more positive these days than when I went to 40+ games a season home and away, before I fell ill and had family commitments. I still get to games, but it's no longer possible to let going to the match dictate my life.

In my experience, going to the match can make bad results and/or performances hurt that bit more, but it can also cloud your judgement. My judgement is generally better these days. Maybe that's age and experience, but it's also not being around the negativity that can understandably swell at games when it's not champagne football. I personally think it helps me to be one step removed, as I'm not quite as obsessively invested in it; it helps me take a better overview – at least that's how I feel when comparing myself with how I was years ago. You miss things by not being at every game, of course, but you can escape the crowd mentality in your thinking.

I don't believe I've ever been a blind optimist. Was I optimistic in 1993-94? Not a chance. Was I optimistic exactly a decade later? Not at all. Indeed, was I optimistic at half-time in the Atatürk? Not in a million years (although I stayed to lift the lads in song, and prayed for a miracle, i.e. that we only lose 3-0).

It's difficult for a manager to intervene when players are lacking confidence; there's no easy fix. When the collective confidence dips, it nearly always needs something to happen on the field to boost it, while setbacks damage it yet further.

The Reds started well enough at Old Trafford, but the first goal was too big a mental blow for a team struggling to get results away from home; indeed, until this weekend's reversal, away performances hadn't been too bad on the whole. When they're confident, you know this team is easily capable of coming back from a goal down (and even two or three), but at the moment, away from home, it's killing the confidence.

Fans often mistake low confidence for not trying. But when confidence is low, you can find yourself treading water, or thinking too hard. It stops being natural. Players become more inhibited, and more static, getting caught in two minds as to where to run. There's less movement as a result, so everyone plays the ball simply, but often too safely. It's the obverse of being confident, when everyone wants a touch, movement off the ball is rife, and it all seems natural to the players. Instinct takes over.

As ever in these situations, it can sometimes take just one good result, a moment of individual inspiration, or even just one piece of good fortune, to turn things around. Arsenal were in the bottom three a few weeks back and being written off, but now they're playing some sensational stuff. Of course it doesn't look like we're about to immediately turn the corner, but we were losing badly in October 2005, too. Sometimes an upward turn in form isn't signposted; it just turns on one single moment.

How many points the Reds need to make a belated title challenge depends on what the others rack up. If it's a total like 80-85 points, as opposed to 90-95, that instantly makes it more attainable. There's now less margin for error, of course, but also far less challenging fixtures (on paper, at least) than from this point 12 months ago. The big boys all have to come to Anfield, too. And this week a year ago we were six further points behind the leaders.

I don't want to clutch at straws, merely search out reasons why the future might prove more fruitful. But it won't happen without hard work, and something to spark the confidence.

I've recently been going through the hundreds of articles I've written since the year 2000, trying to edit the list down to the best for an anthology I'm working on. In amongst the woeful predictions and the wayward pronouncements, there are examples of where my optimism has proved well-founded, and indeed, at times didn't actually prove optimistic enough.

At the start of last season I felt we'd get 80 points in the league and that our best chance in Europe was the quarter-finals. I revised that to 75 points in October, but both proved too pessimistic. In the March of the season before I said we'd win the Champions League. During the two slumps last season I never lost faith, and always felt the confidence could quickly turn, as indeed it did.

I was actually tempted to try and pass off as new an article I dug up from precisely a year ago, to see if anyone noticed the difference. It could have been written in October 2006, so similar was the situation. We didn't go on to challenge for the title, of course, but we did have our best season, points wise, for 18 years. And won the FA Cup.

Perhaps in hindsight this was a season too soon for a title challenge. I think we're around the stage in Rafa's reign when things should be clicking strongly into gear. But there was still a lot of transitional work that took place this summer, and all of it was needed. Of course I felt we'd be doing better at this stage, but it also relied on the new signings settling very quickly, and a lack of injuries, and you can never guarantee that will happen. I don't see much rebuilding work still to be done next summer, but this round of changes needs time to gel.

We've seen flashes of quality from all of the new boys, not to mention the work ethic required, but not the consistency, nor the understanding with team-mates, which is understandable. It's just not clicking for 90 minutes. Kuyt has shown some great moments, but he's yet to find his scoring rhythm or fully come to terms with how much time he is allowed on the ball. Players have to work at creating a new sense confidence when they switch to a different environment.

There have been a greater number of niggling injuries this season, to disrupt the flow. Daniel Agger's broken hand came when he was the best defender in the league; Bellamy, whose pace would have caused United to defend very differently, had to pull out injured, just as he'd found his scoring boots; then Carragher's latest injury made it impossible for him to properly defend the cross that led to Ferdinand's killer goal.

On top of this, some key players just haven't been firing on all cylinders. It's easy to take the excellent standards of some of them for granted.

Perhaps players like Carragher and Gerrard are suffering from so much unrelenting high-pressure football in the last two years, and from maintaining incredibly high standards in that time. I don't wish to make excuses for them, but maybe there are extenuating circumstances at work.

Since the turn of 2005 they have played on the way to, and in, four cup finals (League Cup, Champions League, World Club Championship, FA Cup), and played at the World Cup finals with England, which was also psychologically tiring, given the team's struggles. (It was tiring watching, too). The 2004/05 season ended late, and the 2005/06 season began just a few weeks later for the Reds, and Japan clogged up the fixture list. This summer, thanks to events in Germany, there was little rest, too.

If either of these players gets rested, there follows criticisms of rotation. But beyond missing the odd game, they've not had a decent break in all that time; the Reds played 122 games in Rafa's first two seasons, compared with the 88 Spurs undertook, by way of an example. As the Reds' captain and vice-captain, and as locals, they perhaps feel the pressure more than most. As players who never go out to merely stroll, that too takes its toll.

Carra is playing okay, but he's so much better than okay. Last season he wasn't directly at fault for a single goal in the Premiership, a remarkable record. This year you could fault him in some way on three, maybe four. But the ones at Goodison and Old Trafford (two places where you don't want to be making mistakes) came when he wasn't 100% fit.

And Gerrard is doing well at times, but just not finding those goals that are an essential ingredient of the Reds' attacking prowess. His sharpness in front of goal isn't quite there, although he's been close on numerous occasions. You could blame shifting him between different positions, but last season his minutes were split pretty equally between the right, the centre and as a second striker. It never harmed him then.

So I'll continue to look for the positives, and make no apologies for that. Sometimes teams have bad seasons, for a number of reasons that converge and conspire to derail things, and it's happened to all the best managers. Arsenal had massive struggles in the league last year, and it was mostly away from home; Manchester United have had a few poor years by their 1990s standards. Both Wenger and Ferguson know the English game inside out. The key is to never have two bad seasons in a row.

It's not too late to turn this season around. But if Rafa can't fully revive this campaign, he's still the right man to take this club forward. After winning the league in his first season with Valencia the team slumped to 5th a year later. Was he a flash in the pan? The media thought so.

Lesser men might not have been able to reverse that trend, and would have let a rot set in. But he roused his team to win both the title and the Uefa Cup in his third season. That's an important indicator of how he works. To quote Iain Dowie, he has 'bouncebackability'.

Rafa's first season at Liverpool was a mix of the mediocre and the magnificent. His second, punctuated by two sluggish spells, was full of impressive records. Liverpool won a massive percentage of Premiership games, and the FA Cup provided a second piece of silverware. The team defended like marvels for much of the campaign. If it was capable of doing that, it can do it again.

And the same applies to the team as a whole. Form is temporary, class is permanent, and you have to trust that the class will shine through sooner or later.

by Paul Tomkins 18 October 2006

I don't know if it's different for fans of other teams, but I know very few Liverpool fans who care more about their country's fortunes than that of the club they worship. The national team is secondary. For many, it's not even that important.

It's just a hunch, but I've always been under the impression that it is the fans of unsuccessful English clubs who care most passionately about the England side. When there's less chance of seeing a successful team week-in week-out, and there's no Champions League football for added glamour and excitement, it's probably more tempting to hitch your affections to the national side. England compete on the highest stage, and their fans always think they have a chance, however deluded that may be. For Liverpool fans, international football seems a mere hindrance these days.

It's been another fortnight of disruption for Benítez. No time to prepare for the visit of Blackburn last weekend, and three key players who would almost certainly have started returning to Anfield unfit for the game. Agger (the PFA Player of the Month), Sissoko and Kuyt have been three of the Reds' best players this season.

Perhaps of equal importance, all three play in the spine of the team, which is clearly the key area to any side. Agger is a more progressive player than Sami Hyypia; the young Dane's passing and willingness to bring the ball out from the back makes him a valuable asset in home games, when more is expected from defenders in an attacking sense.

Some newspapers focused on the fact Blackburn had two Australian full-backs returning from the other side of the world, but at least they were fit to play. Those two do deserve credit, but they've not played anywhere near as much football this season as the Reds' key men. And the tiredness will catch up with Lucas Neill and Brett Emerton.

It's not like Liverpool don't have they depth in the squad to cope with injuries. But for all the talk of rotation, three enforced changes to the heart of the side meant Rafa's hand was somewhat forced. Injuries picked up on international duty are that bit more frustrating, as they are sustained fighting someone else's cause. (When they're friendlies, it's even worse.)

Benítez made the point before the Blackburn match that there's now a long period without these constant interruptions. But that run really starts now, as the weekend's game was still one of those that couldn't be fully prepared for. As a manager who thinks hard about tactics, the preparation time for games is arguably more crucial than to a manager who sends out the same eleven week after week with the instructions "more of the same, lads".

It's interesting that the same patchy start has plagued the Reds in 2005/06, and that last year it was only once the international games were over that the form improved. If there is a link, it's now up to the coaching staff to work out how to solve the problem. If it's a mere coincidence, then it's an unfortunate one. A title challenge isn't beyond the Reds, but it's only getting harder with every point dropped.

Let me be clear, though: I don't for one second think the Reds' average start to the league campaign has been solely down to the international fixtures. Nor is it solely down to rotation, if indeed it is down to that at all (given, like all conspiracy theories, it thrives on being impossible to prove either way; you can never prove results would have been better with different selections).

Such simplistic arguments ignore a whole host of factors, such as poor finishing, myopic refereeing, integrating new players, injuries, uncharacteristic mistakes from defenders, tough away fixtures, and a lack of the kind of good fortune all successful teams need. It's a combination of complex factors. But the international fixtures have contributed, too.

I think clubs rightly feel very conflicted about international football. Complaining, however, smacks of sour grapes; it's the natural drawback of having the best players (although, of course, the problem also applies if you have a few Andorran and Lithuanian internationals).

Then there's the fact that if you deny players the chance to represent their country you're risking mutiny. Your players will resent it, and new players won't be eager to join a club if they can't represent their country. Players see it as their divine right to play at that level, if selected.

It does have to be said that international football is good for the game in a number of ways, not least in how the World Cup introduces new fans to the game, and unites the planet behind one global event. It's the stage that all players gravitate towards, although the quality is no better than the business end of the Champions League, and arguable worse. Another bonus is the experience players pick up in international football, which clearly helps in their education.

There's also the fact that it presents a chance for players to play their way back into form without the result affecting Liverpool FC. Craig Bellamy is the perfect case in point: without that superb finish for Wales a week ago the ex-Blackburn man might not have placed such a confident header past the ex-Red, Brad Friedel. No goals in two months, then two in four days. Pepe Reina will also have benefited from a run-out for Spain, and his late block against Rovers was the young keeper back to his very best.

Meanwhile, Peter Crouch's stature as a footballer has grown to become more comparable with his height following the most remarkable year representing England, and a record-breaking 11 goals in a calendar year.

The flip-side of this, of course, is that players can suffer a hard time with their country, as Crouch did a year ago, and have their confidence damaged as a result. The worry now, of course, is that Crouch hasn't scored in the last two internationals. How long before the backlash?

I also find it hugely frustrating that there's little accountability from the national teams towards the clubs. It is club fans who pay the wages of all international players; not those who attend international matches. And the clubs are not adequately compensated as a result of injuries. The international game as a whole cannot afford the insurance policies of top players, but some international federations do make a profit. Some kind of compromise needs to be sought. The English FA has one of the best insurance policies, but it still doesn't cover the full wages of its best players.

I'm not calling for an end to international football, but the increasing professionalism of the club game, and the greater financial pressures involved, mean too much has changed in recent years to sustain the current model.

Another worry is that international managers don't have a duty to protect players from injury or strain; they are dealing in the here and now, the quick result to keep their job, and their next fixture might not be for a couple of months. That doesn't necessarily make them reckless, but once the international match is over, they are handing back a player whose condition is not really their concern.

Arsene Wenger's recent analogy was excellent: "What the national coaches are doing is like taking the car from his [club manager's] garage without even asking his permission," Wenger said. "They'll then use his car for 10 days and abandon it in a field without any petrol left in the tank. We then have to recover it, but it is broken down. Then, a month later, they'll come to take your car again – and for good measure you're expected to be nice about it."

Wenger stopped just short of saying that the car then gets wrapped around a lamppost and torched. But that's what a serious injury to a key player must feel like to a club manager.

It's been a tough year for the Reds regarding international injuries. John Arne Riise missed the crucial Benfica tie following an injury for Norway, and Harry Kewell hasn't been seen since picking up a new injury at the World Cup. Dirk Kuyt missed just five games in five years in Dutch football, but he's already missed one for Liverpool after representing his country.

So it remains a complex issue, full of pros and cons – but for clubs who have shelled out fees for the players, and who pay their wages, there’s arguably a greater percentage of the latter than the former.

i know many people might start to count their chickens even as the eggs lay dormant in the nest with regards to Liverpool Football Club's lack of form but i shall say this once and for all.

let us wait till november.

blame it on the World Cup for the lack of preparedness but i believe they will come good.

i have seen enough to see that their form will pick up.

by soccernet.com

Craig Bellamy ended the perfect week with his first league goal for Liverpool - but it could not salvage their 100% home Premiership record.

Bellamy, captain of his country, scored his first Wales goal for 20 months in midweek, and followed that up with a face-saving equaliser against the club he left in the summer to move to Anfield.

Blackburn more than deserved their point and led at the break through Benni McCarthy, who swept home a fine cross from David Bentley.

Liverpool toiled away without much cohesion or confidence, and boss Rafael Benitez will hope to have some of his injured stars back for the midweek Champions League trip to Bordeaux.

The Anfield chief was without Mohamed Sissoko and Dirk Kuyt, both injured playing for their countries, and that saw a recall for Fabio Aurelio and Peter Crouch.

Blackburn keeper Brad Friedel had recovered from a groin problem to keep his place.

Early chances went begging, first when Friedel failed to gather a John Arne Riise long throw, and a surprised Crouch failed to connect in the six-yard box. Then from Jermaine Pennant's chip, Steven Gerrard saw a header sail wide.

Rovers survived thanks to Lucas Neill's goalline clearance from a Crouch shot, Friedel having only palmed away a Riise drive. Crouch was then unable to get enough power behind a 12-yard shot.

Blackburn were looking to Bentley and he responded with an excellent delivery of deep, angled balls into the box.

A couple had previously had caused uncertainty in Liverpool's defence, and when he produced another on 17 minutes, it fell perfectly for the unmarked McCarthy to drive past Jose Reina.

On 28 minutes Bentley was booked for catching Riise in full flow down the left, but Liverpool were not creating anything. The movement and control had gone from their game.

Gerrard, playing in the central midfield role he is constantly denied by club and country, found space to curl in a 20-yard shot that Friedel dived to touch away to his left.

Friedel needed lengthy treatment after that, and a change of shirt, but was able to continue. Neill was booked for a string of fouls on Pennant.

A half-time change saw Riise moved to left midfield and Aurelio to left back, while within seven minutes Luis Garcia was on in place of Pennant.

Neill had Reina scurrying across his goal chasing a 30-yard shot that went wide, before Robbie Savage was booked for a foul on Gerrard. Still Liverpool were not testing Friedel.

Even when Crouch headed down for Luis Garcia, the Spaniard failed to connect on the far post, while Riise drove wide after a Steve Finnan cross had eluded Crouch and Bellamy.

But on 64 minutes Bellamy did connect. Aurelio's corner sailed into the box and the striker nodded home from six yards - his first league goal for the club, following on from his first Wales goal for 20 months.

At last Liverpool came to life. Riise failed by inches with a cross-shot as the pressure increased on the Rovers defence, with Gerrard turning on the edge of the box to send a screamer into the Kop.

Liverpool's ideas petered out and Blackburn could have stolen it. Sami Hyypia was booked for tripping Savage when the Welshman was charging through after winning possession, and he took the free-kick himself, curling the effort just over from 25 yards.

Then Blackburn almost scored when Hyypia failed to clear and Bentley found a yard of space but still could not beat Reina from eight yards.

by Richard Jolly
on soccernet.com

It had to be him. Mark Hughes admitted as much. Indeed, since Craig Bellamy swapped Ewood Park for Anfield in the summer, there was a certain inevitability about him scoring against Blackburn. Especially, perverse though it sounds, after a goal drought.

It was 700 minutes, to be precise, since Bellamy's only previous goal in Liverpool colours. Frustration at Anfield was becoming audible with the £6 million striker. Usually an irrepressible irritant, Bellamy had been strangely subdued.

'I thought we'd kept him quiet all afternoon,' admitted Hughes. 'But we switched off at one set play.' It brought an equaliser from a combination of two of Liverpool's most ineffective players, a Fabio Aurelio corner converted from close range by Bellamy.

Hughes added: 'I can't say I'm pleased for him, but he was a big success for us last year and I'm sure he will be a big success here. He's got an exceptional work ethic.'

There were a few among the Liverpool support who were unconvinced. In a disjointed performance, they had much else to complain about.

Mediocre against Macedonia second-rate in Zagreb, Peter Crouch's glorious bicycle kick against Galatasaray is being consigned to ever-deeper recesses of the memory.

Bellamy's goal illustrated his nuisance value, but, nonetheless, it is hard to credit Crouch after he missed his header from the Brazilian's cross. But, with defenders distracted by the jumping giant, an unmarked Bellamy supplied the decisive touch.
And though Xabi Alonso's exceptional passing range was displayed again and, through Jermaine Pennant, John Arne Riise and substitute Luis Garcia, Liverpool posed a threat on the flanks, their susceptibility at the back is the major reason why they trail Manchester United by eight points.

Chief among Rafael Benitez's achievements at Anfield was to construct a defence who ranked among the stingiest in the Premiership. High among the challenges for him is to effect a return to the days where clean sheets were a norm. To do that, it may require a change of personnel.

Given that it was the established back four (of Steve Finnan, Sami Hyypia, Jamie Carragher and Riise) who started the game - though the Norwegian later took Aurelio's position at left midfield - it is the more surprising.

But, confronted with a pair of strikers with the pace and physical power of Benni McCarthy and Shabani Nonda, Hyypia's lack of pace was an impediment. Given Daniel Agger's emergence, the decline of one of Liverpool's finest servants of recent years suggests the Dane will soon replace him.

Meanwhile Riise was both Liverpool's most threatening attacker and, vacating the left back spot, a cause of problems at the back. As a unit, unusually, their indecision was final.

An alternative interpretation is that Jose Reina's nervousness was contagious. High-profile errors against West Ham and Everton have endangered his place; misfortune against Bolton compounded a miserable spell for the Spaniard.

Now he was culpable for Blackburn's goal. David Bentley's cross enticed Reina out and left him in no man's land as Benni McCarthy half-volleyed in at the far post. 'The defenders were in a bad position and it was a great pass,' explained Benitez. 'We need to improve in defence.'

Jerzy Dudek's impending three-match ban, for a reserve-team red card, may earn Reina a reprieve. In fairness to the Spaniard, he also made the match's outstanding save, a late block that deflected Bentley's shot on to the post and deprived Blackburn of a late winner.

Hughes admitted they were happy with a point. Nonetheless, positives abounded for his team.

McCarthy was one of them and, while six goals so far represent an excellent return on Rovers' £2.5 million investment, it was instructive what pleased Hughes most. 'Some of his link-up play was excellent and I was pleased with his work off the ball, he worked really hard for the team.'

The Rovers work ethic, part of the reason Bellamy earned Hughes' praise, is being understood by a South African.

And two Australians. There were few more energetic players than the Antipodean full-backs Lucas Neill and Brett Emerton, excelling after 27-hour journeys back to Britain. Amid the complaints from managers about players being exhausted after international duty, two with a right to rest were indefatigable.

'How they hell they do it, I don't know,' added Hughes. He knows how Bellamy scores goals; on this occasion, he just wished he didn't.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Andre Ooijer - The Dutch defender had a decidedly difficult introduction to English football. Now, with a greater understanding of the Premiership's demands, he excelled alongside Zurab Khizanishvili - another contender for the man of the match award - in the centre of the Blackburn defence. 'All the back four were excellent,' said Hughes, and it was hard to disagree.

LIVERPOOL VERDICT: Momo Sissoko was missing and, though Steven Gerrard was restored to his preferred role in the centre of midfield, Liverpool suffered as a consequence. A winning formula remains elusive and, though he supplied the goal, it is hard to see how Aurelio was preferred to Mark Gonzalez and Luis Garcia on the left flank. If anything, the absent Dirk Kuyt and Daniel Agger had their claims to a place in Benitez's strongest 11 strengthened.

BLACKBURN VERDICT: Excellent in the first half and resilient in the second, this was a sign that they have put a slow start to the season behind them. Though they remain physical, there was a genuine commitment to wingers - the improving Bentley and Morten Gamst Pedersen - and, in McCarthy, they have signed a goalscorer. A repeat of last season's top-six finish is certainly feasible.

by
Norman Hubbard

With a typical blend of eccentricity and intelligence, Claudio Ranieri coined his own nickname, the 'tinkerman'.

Benitez is approaching a century of unchanged teams from his large squad.

It may be time for him to develop a new moniker, however, for he is in danger of losing his current tag to Rafael Benitez. If the excitable Italian made a more obvious tinkerman than the seemingly rational Spaniard, a reluctance to name the same 11 in the last 94 matches suggests the stolid Castilian's appearance belies a similarly changeable manager.

And as one of English football's most enduring clichés is 'never change a winning team', any subsequent setback can be attributed to Benitez's inability to present the same teamsheet. The realities of defeat are often more complex, but the school of lazy punditry finds fault with the Liverpool manager; that his tinkering contributed to eventual victory in Istanbul is currently being ignored.

But as Benitez approaches an unlikely century, there are five facets to his ever-changing team selection. The first is a methodology that is the polar opposite of, say, Arsene Wenger's: a concession to the opposition in his thought process.

Hence Sami Hyypia's height led to his inclusion against Bolton while Luis Garcia's European pedigree resulted in his starting place against Galatasaray. They were selections based on scientific assessment rather than blind faith, a belief the best available 11 is dictated by situation and opposition rather than merely fitness and suspension.

Then there are the merits of squad rotation. Benitez's thesis - that it is impossible for a club with aspirations to succeed to play 65 games a season while fielding the same 11 players throughout - is gaining widespread acceptance. Indeed, it is substantiated by Fabio Capello's Juventus, who steamrollered their way towards the Italian title in successive seasons, but tired together and limped out of the Champions League. Liverpool, in contrast, ended the campaign in blistering form.

Then a summer recruitment drive left Benitez with a squad size commensurate with Liverpool's status among the biggest clubs. The dynamics of the modern transfer market and the absence of a billionaire backer, however, are contributing factors in the Spaniard's decision to split his transfer budget several ways. Lacking any galacticos means there are few automatic choices.

Squad rotation, therefore, becomes a method of placating the majority of his charges, albeit while elating few of them.
Fourthly, there are the options at Benitez's disposal which, given the adaptability of many of his players, are more than Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho or Wenger have to ponder.

Benitez has utilised Gerrard in a series of positions. Though greatest success has come from the right of midfield.
Versatility is an asset Benitez values; the addition of Fabio Aurelio and Boudewijn Zenden, providing an alternative in three and four positions respectively, shows at much. At Anfield, however, accusations of being a jack of all trades, but a master of none could dog either player. Steven Gerrard, Luis Garcia, John Arne Riise and Craig Bellamy are all flexible enough to complicate selection similarly.

Meanwhile, summer acquisitions give Benitez more players to perm from, especially in the final third. Mark Gonzalez and Jermaine Pennant provide pace on either flank, but are rarely selected together. One change, in other words, necessitates two to provide balance on the other wing and a third midfielder with defensive awareness.

That frequently involves Gerrard. If Benitez is yet to grant his captain a permanent position, that should not necessarily be regarded as a fault.

His preference for centre midfield is well known and his capacity to dominate is established yet, when Gerrard was granted his favourite role against Galatasaray, Liverpool missed Momo Sissoko's physicality; pair him with Gerrard and they may have cause to lament the absence of Xabi Alonso's inventive passing. That the majority of Gerrard's 23 goals came from the right flank last season should not be ignored, nor that he was arguably the outstanding Premiership player in that position.

If Gerrard and Luis Garcia, each deployed just behind the main striker, are included, Benitez has six options in attack and 15 possible partnerships.

Yet, where the squad system was abandoned, the result was despondency for Robbie Fowler; even the substitutes' bench has been beyond his grasp for the last five games. For five of them, Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt were united, providing an indication that they may be regarded as a long-term partnership. For Benitez, the consequence was criticism because of the omission of Peter Crouch.

Other players lend themselves to rotation. The enigmatic Luis Garcia, capable of outstanding goals and inexplicable misses, is one such. A matchwinner who can be mediocre, he lacks the consistency to be regarded as an automatic starter.

But who is? Benitez's propensity to rest Gerrard, particularly in European away games, means Jamie Carragher and Jose Reina are the closest, and even the latter is on probation.

Even the central defensive partnership, largely untouched last season, has been altered, the result of a rare injury to Carragher and evidence of the admirable Hyypia's decline which, coupled with Daniel Agger's precocious performances, means another significant decision every match for the Spaniard.

In contrast, at Chelsea, Petr Cech, John Terry, Claude Makelele, Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko are assured of their places, especially for the bigger games. Arsenal and Manchester United can each boast half a dozen players similarly certain to start.

Whether a lack of consistency in team selection at Anfield equates to a lack of consistency in results is another matter. Certainly, it is the frequency of Benitez's changes that can be questioned; four or five alterations in the starting 11 are not unusual.

The suggestion is that he does not know his best team - and this interpretation is that it depends upon the circumstances anyway - but that lends an opportunity, especially for newcomers like Bellamy, Pennant and Gonzales, to prove they belong in it.

And in the meantime, whenever Liverpool next win because of a substitution or surprise selection from Benitez, it could be seen as a reason to carry on tinkering.

SKY Sports 01 October 2006

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has refused to concede his side's title hopes.

The Reds slumped to their third defeat in seven Premiership games at Bolton on Saturday to leave them playing catch-up in the championship chase.

Liverpool are six points behind leaders Chelsea, but Benitez says it is too early to say his side are out of the title race.

"Now it is important to be calm and believe it is too soon to make judgements about the title," said Benitez.

"We can talk now about the problem, but two wins in a row will put us back in a challenging position.

"This is a bad time with an international break now, but afterwards we must keep winning our home games and start to do the same away.

"This season will be different. The difference between the top sides is not as big as before. Now there are also other sides who can beat or take points from the top sides; Bolton here, Aston Villa drawing with Chelsea.

"People will ask me now about the title, and our chances. Maybe if we win two games in a row then the question will be different in a couple of weeks.

"I am used to such questions, but for us we must wait and see if we can get three points next time. I do not accept that rotation and changing the team is the problem. I have been told that Manchester United won the title once and Sir Alex Ferguson changed the side 38 times."

Benitez admitted his side's disappointing away form was a worry for him having failed to win on their travels this term.

"Our away form is not the best," added Benitez.

"But we have faced good teams, at Chelsea when we played really well, at Everton we had more chances but conceded three. Now against Bolton, a difficult team.

"Even facing Sheffield United first, the game was massive for them after so long out of the top flight. Maybe if we faced them now it would be different."