Riera appears to have refound his form

There have been many factors in our current impressive vein of form, our relative return to health that allows us to play our best eleven being the most important and the overall career peak performances of Xabi Alonso, Steven Gerrard, and Fabio Aurelio, among others, also being crucial. Yesterday appeared to mark the continued resurgence of Albert Riera, whose controlled-chaos dribbling, spot-on passing, and nasty volley goal, produced minced-meat of the Villa defense, who were lucky the scoreline did not end worse.

In his first few matches for our club, Riera looked golden. His league debut against Man United in September was one of legends, as he made their defense look not only less than superhuman, but frankly porous, as we beat our bitter rivals, 2-1. It was our first league win against the Mancs since 2004 and our first at Anfield in nearly seven years. His gangly-legged, two-steps-forward-one-step back style then continued to leave Premier League defenders dazed and confused as his cleats chewed up the left sides of pitches across England. It was appearing that his £8m price tag was quite the bargain.

Suddenly though, he disappeared. After scoring his first league goal against Wigan, the energy that seemed to spark his unpredictable and unstoppable flair seemed to dissipate. Though flashes of brilliance would occasionally sneak through, for the most part Riera was ineffective, if not invisible. It appeared the physicality of the English game had worn him thin, sapping his mental strength and severely depleting his creative juices. To put it bluntly, His game went from grand to bland.

In December, a seasonal renaissance occurred with Riera scoring three goals in five matches, but still he seemed to lack the dynamic fortitude that he displayed earlier in the season. His first Champions League goal against PSV was followed up by a disappearing act against Hull and an uninspired effort versus Arsenal, only to end the year with a goal against Bolton, in an otherwise forgettable showing, and begin 2009 with a stunner against Preston North End in the FA Cup.

It ended up being more a mirage than glint of hope as the Spaniard once again fell into a lull. His lackluster play reflected our results as we went 1-1-5 over the next seven matches he played, including crashing out of the FA Cup in a loss to Everton. Then came the CL tie at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Being back in Spain seemed to rejuvenate Riera. Maybe a renewed hatred of Real Madrid or the familiarity of surroundings reignited the left winger as his effort was encouraging and reminiscent of early season form. Following that, he was left out of the match against Middlesborough, which we lost, 0-2. His omission was a bit baffling, but I'm not sure if he would have made much difference.

Then came a tremendous performance against Sunderland, where his spot-on passing, though wasted for the most part, certainly kept up the pressure on the Black Cats defense. He appeared to regain the confidence of his teammates as well, as their shyness to go to the left flank became less apparent. Real Madrid came to Anfield that following Tuesday and shockingly, Riera did not even make the bench. His omission leads me to speculate that Rafa does not believe Riera has the physical ability nor mental sharpness this late in the season to play more than one match a week. It's also convenient that we have plenty of left-side coverage in Ryan Babel, Fabio Aurelio, and Andrea Dossena, if needs be.

In our second meeting with United, Riera was solid, but not as scintillating as he was in the first match. Dossena once again played well and I think that may have caught the Spaniard's attention since he came out on fire against Villa, putting on one of his best performances of his short Liverpool career. It wasn't just his world class finish, but his pass completion percentage was a ridiculous 94% on a season high 52 balls played. Not to mention his making Nigel Reo-Coker not an option at right back for Villa anymore.

I'm not sure you could go as far as to say that Riera is the main factor in our results, but he's certainly an important one. When he's playing well, he takes out the right side attacking options of our opponents and those who lack all-round right sided wingers, like say, Manchester United, are completely exposed. I have to concur if Rafa is resting the Spaniard for one match a week, as he has shown the wear and tear has had effect, which leaves Benitez with some strategy to ponder with our four upcoming ties.

'Yeah, but how many of those were penalties?'

I can't remember how many times I heard that question when we signed Torres in the off-season. Some were even mislead to believe that he would be as turnover prone as Luis Garcia. Oh, how the football geniuses must be red-faced now. Sure, 'the Golden One' is far from perfect, but he's easily the best forward in the Premiership and well worth the £20m+ price tag.

I'll admit I myself was a skeptic, but as I was watching Tevez today, all I could think about was how much better El Niño is than 'the Little Argentine that could.' Hell, Masche is certainly the better of the pair to cross the pond and though I won't expound more than necessary, I still believe El Jefecito is our best and probably most valuable player.

'Somewhat disappointed' would have been a good way to describe my feelings before the season started when we failed to get 'the Cave Dweller' and had to 'settle' for Torres. I don't mind being wrong, sometimes I actually enjoy it. 27 goals in 36 matches? Ridiculous. Highlighted by brilliant goals against Chelsea, Internazionale at the San Siro, and countless others. Not to mention the three hat-tricks, the three braces, and the fact that he didn't even play in the 8-0 thumping of Besitkas.

I often ask myself if I have any faith left in Benitez and it's hard to say. As meaningless as it is, the recent relatively easy taking of the Dallas Cup by the Reserves side certainly gives me some hope that the youth movement Rafa is trying to instill not only with that side, but the Academy as well, allows me some patience. I just hope some of those kids develop in time to help Stevie-G bring home the Premiership. After all, he's only got a few more years in the shirt.

Liverpool 2, Inter 0: The show must go on...

All we heard coming into this match is how this was Rafa's last stand or how 'awesome' Inter, the supposedly best side in Europe, was going to 'crush' Liverpool. Fueling the delusions of the betting man, whether intentional or not. Unfortunately this win was about as legit as our American owners promises of bringing back the glory days. Not that I think Liverpool wouldn't have won otherwise.

Even when it was eleven-all, the Reds were the better, if not dominate side. When Materazzi was sent off, it was merely a matter of time. The fact that 'the Matrix' was the subject of 'poor' refereeing is comical nonetheless. Here's a player, who when he actually plays football, is pretty good, but he's also smart enough to know that he doesn't to be effective. His 'style of play' makes it almost too easy for a ref to give advantage to an opposing side. Nevertheless the red card was undeserving, though the powers-at-be had to protect their most likely scoring prospect.

Once again Rafa got away with poor tactics by not starting Pennant on the right. Hate him for his style of play, shady past, skin-color, what may you will, JP was a key to what little success we had last year in the Premiership and the Champions League. Even in this match he was misused by his teammates, who appeared to have forgotten what it was like to play with him. Regardless, he still had a hand in both goals.

Taking out Babel, even for Pennant, was also a little baffling since he didn't appear fatigued and was still somewhat a threat. As was taking out Lucas for Crouch. Crouch was once again useless if not detrimental to his own side. Even with service from Finnan, Pennant, and Aurelio, the 'lanky one' did nothing. If he has to rely on the perfect pass to be effective, then he is essentially ineffective.

Kuyt, on the other hand, looked once again as if he was taking 'Cristiano Ronaldo' pills. Maybe he is taking the PESs that the Portuguese Prince and his teammates have been taking for years. If so, more power to him, it gave him actual pace and made some decent decisions with the ball. In other words, he didn't appear to be a liability.

No one was really outstanding for the entire match though Torres did put forth a commendable effort. Gerrard made up for small snafus with his brilliant strike and it appeared 'the ghost of Momo Sissoko' had possessed Mascherano at times. If I had to pick a man of the match, why not award the man who gifted us a relatively easy win, Frank De Bleeckere. Until the next farce, keep lying to yourself, reading spineless crap, and most of all, betting against Liverpool. Cheers.

A win tomorrow would be the worse possible thing

Here we are again at about the same point we were last year. All that's left is the Champions League and quite frankly, I hope that dream ends tomorrow... but it probably won't. Losing to Barnsley was nothing more than a confidence boost to all those poor betting addicts who think the Reds have no chance against the big, bad Internazionale. Go ahead, make your wager, it's a done deal. Bet the house, the kid's college money, and then make sure to have a rafter to set the noose. The show must go on.

Rafa made one glaring mistake in the Barnsley match and whether he did it intentionally or not, matters little. Babel, who was clearly our catalyst on attack, should have been left on the field until the final whistle. He appeared to be the only player with a clue about how to bring the ball up. My apologies to Xabi, of course, who once again displayed his brilliant passing abilities, but appears too timid to play too far forward, especially with the less-disciplined Lucas at his side.

I could beat a dead white elephant, but what's the point? Crouch is useless. He has no pace and even less creativity. Against a side that made Dirk Kuyt look like an Olympic class sprinter, Crouch was a witless turtle playing against apparently genius Championship-level hares. Not that Kuyt deserves any praise himself, he as well deserves no place on our club.

Where was Jermaine Pennant? When we finally got our act together in the league last season it was because of JP becoming the main ball-carrier and creator on attack. Yossi is not a true winger and having him out there supposedly playing that position only creates congestion and frustration. Having him out there with Crouch and Kuyt is borderline insane, stupid, or criminal, you can decide that which best fits your feelings.

Don't get me wrong, winning tomorrow would be great, except it would only see Rafa staying on longer and the American owners sticking around as well. Two things I could do without. Of course, the 'Golden Child' will be back and hopefully will stay fit for the entire contest and Masche will be back at Stevie-G's side.

As a supporter I have little reason to be optimistic about our club. A whole lot of change will have to happen this offseason for me to think otherwise. New owners, new manager, Crouch and Kuyt sold, Hyypia retired, Kewell apparently gone since he's no longer getting much playing time, and the infusion of some of the youngsters like Paul Anderson would be nice. What we be even more nicer would know Hicks' and Gillet's true agenda.

Swansea or Everton? Yes, it's that bad.

Until the Americans go and frankly, until we get a more qualified manager (Sorry, love Rafa, but I'm tired of defending someone who's clearly out of his element), I'm done giving a rat's ass about this squad. I'll always be a Liverpool supporter, but basically I currently find it to be a waste of my time and emotions. Sorry Stevie-G.

Why Crouch is still around is beyond baffling. Kuyt has clearly lost the plot and should probably be sent elsewhere as well.

I could reiterate everything in this article, but seriously, what's the point. We'll make Europe and blah blah.

Swansea it is.

Rick Parry has a huge head

Literally and figuratively.

Also, from the linked article, Rafa states about recruiting promising youngsters from around the world, especially Spain: "They are 16 to 18 but I'm sure that in two or three years most of them will be ready for the first team. That means saving big money."

He's not going anywhere for a long time.

Liverpool vs Portsmouth: What Rafa wants, Rafa does, Rafa bless us all

Whatever happened with the Harry Redknapp arrest incident? Oh, nothing? I'm shocked.

Anyhow, the big question for this tie is whether or not Gerrard will be fit. Now I'm not accusing our skipper and Rafa collaborating on a Man U-like scam, but it certainly was a convenient and opportune time to come down with the stomach flu. That would actually be blasphemous, Stevie-G would have played at Stamford Bridge, vomit and all, if the team would have allowed him. Apparently Torres fell ill as well, but it looks as if both will be available for tomorrow.

The other first-teamers who didn't make the match at Fulham, Pepe Reina, Sami Hyppiä, John Arne Riise, Harry Kewell, Javier Mascherano, and Steve Finnan, should be fit and ready to roll.

I'm not really looking forward to tomorrow's match. It's not that I don't think we can win, it just won't be very entertaining. Portsmouth won't allow it. If they get into an up-and-down match with us, it's over. If we can get a goal early on and force them to play us instead of sitting back, there's a chance that I won't feel as if I've wasted a couple of hours of my life.

Saying this is a must-win, is like saying that people bleed when stabbed. Anything less than three points and I think our league hopes are lost. Come on, boys.

Here's my guess at the squad:
Reina
Riise
Carra
Hyppiä
Finnan
Kewell
Gerrard (or Xabi)
Mascherano
Benayoun
Kuyt
Torres (or Babel?)

Bench:
Itandje
Arbeloa
Aurelio
Xabi (or Sissoko or Gerrard)
Babel (or Torres)

I'm guessing Rafa took Xabi and Babel off early at Stamford Bridge so they'd be somewhat fresh come tomorrow. I really hope Gerrard and Torres start or are at least available. Either way, no excuses.

It's so hard to be negative

Since when did it become a sign of intelligence to be negative? Cynicism is one thing, pessimism is another, but negativity is not the act of critical thinking. In fact, it's more a sign of emotional instability or stunted maturity and lack of understanding. What good does it do to go on a inimical tangent? Absolutely none, that's what.

That's why I can't believe some of the reaction I'm reading from yesterday's match. Most of it is antagonistic and delusional more than anything else. I understand undying passion for your club, as this blog shows I have just as much as anyone for LFC, but it isn't a benefit to anyone to unleash an epic rant berating the players and Rafa.

Don't you think they're aware when they mess up? Don't you think they realize what they need to improve on? Do you not think Rafa sees and realizes such things? If you don't, than your just plain mental. Being negative about it doesn't improve the situation whatsoever. In fact, most of the time it makes it worse by putting unneeded pressure on the player which may force them to hurry improvement and mainly ends up with them making even more mistakes.

It's one thing to be a mindless cheerleader, but it's no less asinine to be a negative nitwit. It takes about equal knowledge to do either. Take the performance of Momo yesterday. I counted roughly 8 'mistakes' he made throughout the match, but he not only 'touched' the ball over 60 times, he also 'won' it a number of times and made a few Chelsea-momentum crushing tackles along the way. Emphasizing the ever-apparent negative aspects of his performance is not only unfair, it's just plain ignorant.

In fact, if we analyze the verity of yesterday's contest, 2-0 is a tremendous result for our boys. It was played at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea fielded an older, more experienced, and an exponentially more expensive and arguably more talented side. Our boys have an abundance of aptitude, but a lot of it is undeveloped at the moment. If you throw-in the reality that the Lampard goal was basically luck and the Shevchenko goal was an unfortunate error by Itandje, who had a brilliant match otherwise, the result was even more commendable.

I don't care about losing to Chelsea in what is essentially a meaningless cup tie. It would have been phenomenal if the side we put out there had won, but for the most part, the Carling Cup is not a priority nor a major trophy compared even to the FA Cup. As for the rivalry angle, well, let's just say Chelsea considers us a much more important opponent than we do them. It pales in comparison to Everton and Man United.

While I'm at it, all this rubbish about Rafa not being good enough to lead us to the Premiership is unsubstantiated nonsense. I've said it once and I'll say it again, give the man Abramovich money and we'll win either the league or the Champions League every season and probably a few doubles and trebles as well. We still don't have the depth in horses to be competitive in all contests, but we're getting there. Players such as Lucas and Arbeloa show that Rafa knows talent on the thrift and the performances of Torres and Babel so far this season is just a taste of what a deep-pockets Benitez can bring about.

Mourinho could not do a better job. Give me a point of view with substantial facts to prove otherwise. In Portugal, he was at Porto, one of only three major clubs there. He had all the money in the world (for a Portuguese club, that is) and the pick of the litter. Sure, he was able to realize such talent, as does Rafa, and that allowed him to breeze through the domestic league with little trouble, therefore enabling him to concentrate on Champions League. By the way, have you ever looked-up Porto's draw in the knockout stages of the CL that season? In the first round they faced Man U and needed a 90th minute goal in the second leg to advance. The next two rounds they faced Lyon and Deportivo de La Coruña. No disrespect intended for either side, but Porto beating them is not shocking. At Chelsea, Mourinho had Abramovich money. Enough said.

I fully admit I've lost my head in the past and I'm not particularly proud of it. I got a bit flustered when the threat of Rafa leaving came about and have gone on a tangent after some matches, but those days are over. I essentially was just being a muppet. A sign of character is how one weathers a storm and our current 'crisis' is far from a hurricane. What needs to remembered is that our players are human beings, subject to error with an ego and an id, just like everyone else. They deserve respect, just like everyone else. Weighing the facts and circumstances is not hard to do, but apparently it's a lot easier to just be negative.

Liverpool at Chelsea: Rafa goes with a 4-3-3

Here's the line-up:
Itandje
Aurelio
Hobbs
Carragher
Arbeloa
Xabi
Momo
Lucas
Voronin
Crouch
Babel

Bench:
Martin
Hyppia
Riise
El Zhar
Benayoun

The first thing I thought of when I saw this was that we're exposed on the flanks, but I'll be damned if they get anything going up the middle. The second thing I thought was Rafa let himself plenty of options on the bench if things aren't going well. I would love to see Lucas get his first goal here.

Today's Banter: Snake oil salesmen, drowning fish, or spin doctors?

Being American, Tom Hicks and George Gillett have received the best education in the world when it comes to advantageous utilization of media and the English press are always more than happy to oblige. The latest issues that appear to have their press relations firm(s) working overtime are the revising of the stadium plans due to rising costs and how that could affect the amount of money available in the upcoming January transfer window. At least the rift with Rafa has been laid to rest.

As I have mentioned prior, the very basis of the aforementioned 'tiff' was money. Does that mean now that since plans for the stadium have been 'scaled-back', there will be funds available in January? Some media are reporting that the board will be unwilling to approve neither a transaction to buy nor sell by Rafa, while others are declaring that he will have to sell first. Rick Parry says this is all rubbish and when the king puppet speaks, all the children should listen closely.

Personally, I don't know nor do I care. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see certain players sent on their merry way while a few diamonds in the rough are plucked and polished, but I could do without all the extracurricular melodrama. It may serve more of a purpose than just to confuse and frustrate the average supporter though. Machiavellian measures are always useful in denying the opposition information that may give them an edge. Think Ryan Giggs.

When the new owners took over they promised us the world and have delivered shit-all. Torres, Babel, Benayoun, Lucas, and Itandje have come at the price of Luis Garcia, Craig Bellamy, Mark Gonzalez, Djibril Cissé, and roughly £20m, or about what we've come to expect to spend in summer's past. It appears as if the improvement of our squad has had more to do with Rafa's cunning then lack of vowed 'big money' funds.

Honestly, I have no problem with supporting a 'small' club. It makes me appear a whole lot more intelligent and means all the more when cups are won. The problem is, I don't like to be taken for a ride, but in this day and age, that's just appears how business is done. I could definitely do without the coloring book antics of the official site and teenagers in Ireland manipulating headlines to lure clickers though.

A rant about Rafa, Trojan Horse formations & guerrilla warfare tactics

Formations have basically ceased to matter and as soon as football catches up to evolution, they may all together. Managers like Rafa, Mourinho, Ferguson, and Wenger have realized this for a while now. World class footballers cancel out archaic tactics, allowing them to use guerrilla warfare instead of Napoleonic measures.

Take the Marseilles match. Yossi Benayoun, who is more of a direct attacking midfielder (and arguably a box-to-boxer) started on the right, yet rarely utilized the flank. There was no need. Having a fit Kewell on the left, drawing out the defense, allowed Rafa to basically cram an extra attacker into the penalty corridor. If he had needed Yossi to play out, the Israeli has shown in the past he's more than capable of adjusting. Then you pull Gerrard forward, push Mascherano way back, Kuyt slightly back and to the left, and voila! You essentially have a five man attacking front, calculatingly spread to open up the middle and cause havoc throughout. Without the pace, skill, and intelligence of such great footballers, this just wouldn't be possible.

The Marseilles match was also a brilliant display of guerrilla warfare. Utilizing our superior pace and skills, we struck quickly and then withdrew, digging trenches to halt our opponent's forward movement. The French side dominated possession, yet rarely entered our penalty box on foot. I can only think of two occasions when they did. This game plan devastates such opponents since they are already entering the match as the lesser side. Expending energy just to fight for a position makes their situation even more dire. It's not only clandestine in it's approach, but it's nearly impossible to penetrate if even done moderately well. The thing is though, it won't work against a side like Man U, who do have players who can beat you on their own.

Playing Gerrard on the right is another deceptive tactic that I hope Rafa utilizes more once Alonso gets back or he becomes more comfortable with Lucas. In position alone is Stevie-G truly on the right. In reality, he has free roam of the pitch, since he has world class cognizance of knowing positioning. Rarely does it cause congestion issues, at least ones that are his fault. If Rafa needs him to go the winger route, he's more than capable, but if Finnan is behind him, there's no need. Finnan is an exceptional wing-back, one of the best in the world. Of course, I don't have the same confidence in Arbeloa, so starting Gerrard in front of him is quite the risk.

One of the things you'll rarely see is Gerrard on the right with Crouch in the middle. Crouch is best utilized as a set up man over the middle or, obviously, a finisher in the box. When Gerrard is given free roam and Crouch tries to play his middle man role, you can just see the frustration on our Captain's face. He's essentially a caged animal and it negatively affects his play. The answer to that is having him play to the right, which he does and will effectively, but it's kind of like raising a puppy without a leash. All of a sudden when they're a grown dog, trying to train him/her on one is no easy task. Trust me.

Wing-backs are a crucial element to Rafa's game plan. Not many sides have the luxury of having two potentially great ones on the left in Aurelio and Riise. When they start together, Riise at midfield, it almost mimics starting Gerrard on the right with Finnan trailing. Riise can play the wing, though I would never mistake him for Harry Kewell, but with Aurelio, a deadly passer and crosser, behind the Norwegian, it's not required. Riise can float around the left-side of the pitch merrily, as long as he keeps an eye on the opposition and his teammates.

The goal of Rafa and ultimately any coach/manager is to have your side playing as a highly-functional organism, free thinking yet relying on other organs to provide the necessary output to succeed. The less static, the less predictable, and the more options, the more impossible it becomes to defend against. Shrouding such tactics under ancient jargon is just another way to get the edge up on the opponent. Unfortunately, when it comes to sides like the one we're to face on Sunday, trench warfare is the only way to go about it without evoking Ragnarok.

Liverpool vs Man U: Which Rafanauts will heed the call?

The Mancs are coming.

If the Premiership title is the Golden Fleece and Gerrard our Jason, is this match merely a stall on the Island of Lemnos or is it the chance to free King Phineas, cursed by Helios for denying the sun? In any case, failure is not an option, though a draw most likely awaits. With the aid of Athena, will Rafargus be able to construct a side to weather the torrential Manchesteranean sea?

With Aggerus apparently unavailable, the anchors of the Rafargo have but two to labor, Hyppiälas and Carracles. With Finnaemon knocked as well, Arbelanta is the only viable option on the right, while on the left, I think Aurelycus gets the start. In recent history, Rafargus has called upon Riiseus to play left-mid in big matches, especially against adversaries with menacing right-wingers like Ronaldon, so I think he'll do so here as well.

Lining up aside the ginger warrior, I fully expect Mascheranion to pair Jason. He has apparently recovered from the knock received in the victory at Marseilles and was back in full training on Thursday. On the right, Benayophon is really our only, but best, option. If he marks as well as he did in France, whomever the Mancs put on the left will be rendered useless and hopefully run ragged in retaliation.

Up front, the great Torreses will certainly start, but whom shall be paired with him is a mystery. Crouchion is too much of a defensive liability and turns over the ball way too often. Giving a side like the Manchestereanans the ball on the counter is like giving a dragon oil, you're going to get burnt. Voroninus I can see, but I think Kuytalus is the best choice. We won't get pace from any other forwards to begin with, except for maybe Babeleus, but he's not ready to start in a big match like this, so Kuytalus' defensive attributes should come in handy. The other option is Kewellius, but he's so much better on the wing.

My final call:
Reinaus
Aurelycus
Hyypiälas
Carracles
Arbelanta
Riiseus
Mascheranion
Jason (Gerrardius)
Benayophon
Kuytalus
Torreses (the Great)

Bench:
Itandjemus
Babeleus
Kewellius
Lucas
Crouchion

As I mentioned prior, I believe this will be a draw, but hopefully at least one of excitement. May the Gods shine upon us.

Today's Banter: Calm down Mr. Babel, Arbeloa relishes Ronaldo, Sir Alex wanted Torres, & more

Apparently Ryan Babel is not fond of the 'super sub' label. Sensitive, are we? Well, Mr. Babel, you shouldn't confuse 'super sub' with 'one who is not good enough to start', that clearly does not apply. Unfortunately there are other players who have more experience that play the same positions as you. Your abilities are duly noted and in due time, you will be a starter, I have little doubt of that. Don't let meaningless words hinder your progress, the biggest obstacle for a young athlete is his ego. Why do I get the feeling that something was manipulated in translation here? Anyhow, the author of the linked article mixed deceptive math and words to make the Dutchman sound like the God of all subs. It was a nice touch.

Álvaro Arbeloa is ready to cage Cristiano as he did Messi in his Liverpool debut at Camp Nou. The 24-year-old fullback is expected to start on the right as Finnan looks out with a knock. To the Spaniard, what position makes no difference, as long as he plays. I'll be curious to see who we play on the left. I have my ideas and will post them in due time, but whomever gets the call will need to step up and contain the Portuguese winger.

You can spot an envious Man United fan a mile away. They are the ones who write things like 'Ferguson didn't want Torres' or 'Man U rejected El Niño'. Well, their leader has spoken and he says different. Sir Alex Ferguson states that he attempted to bring Torres to Man U on multiple occasions, but believes he failed due to the language barrier, an aspect Rafa had the advantage. Though I think that had something to do with it, the mystique of the club, where the fans are not products of the fear of losing, was more important. Torres is already revered and idolized on a level that not even Cristiano Ronaldo can match. It's almost as if he's the adopted son of most supporters with the uncanny ability to channel that positive energy into amazing results on the pitch. A factory like Man U just can't compete with that.

I don't always have respect for Ferguson. For the manager of a club which has received the Michael Jordan treatment from the refs for years, he doesn't take it very graciously when the tables are turned. What goes around, comes around, in life and sport equally, how you endure the lows shows true character. I will credit the Scot with one thing though, he's keen to truth, whether he brings it into the limelight or not is his own discretion, honor aside. Standing up for Rafa in the Spaniard's recent quarrel with the owners is more than just taking the side of another manager. It was taking the side of truth and common sense. As the nine-time Premier League winning manager said, "You ask yourself where that comes from and there’s obviously some undercurrent of a dispute somewhere along the line, but with Rafa’s record, it’s strange." Strange, indeed.

I think Rafa has been reading this blog

I'm kidding, of course, but he came out today with an interesting statement:

"Between what we have spent and recovered we're at a similar level to those at the top, but not the biggest sides... Manchester United have spent £70million (this year) and we have spent 40 something and recovered £26m... Many people say we have to win the title because of the money we have spent but other teams such as United, Chelsea, Newcastle or Aston Villa have also spent a lot of money.... Arsenal have been spending a lot on young players for years and now are reaping the rewards... All the top teams spend money but this does not guarantee the league title because Chelsea and United are very big with a base created over a number of years."

Though his numbers may be a little exaggerated on the Manc end, he essentially reiterated what I said in this post. In Rafa we trust.

Today's Banter: Sissoko steamed over omission, John Barnes helps out Sunderland, Besian to return early, & more

It appears Momo Sissoko's days at Liverpool are numbered. The 23-year-old lashed out in frustration after being omitted from the traveling squad to face Marseilles today. Being that his family is from France and would have a rare chance to see him play, the defensive midfielder felt he should have at least been included. Sorry, Momo, but you're wrong. Your form has been relatively poor this whole season and the only person you have to blame is yourself. Lucas may not get to play much either, but his attitude doesn't get in the way of his performance. At this point, I can't see Momo being kept around through the January window. It's disappointing, but he's not mentally capable of being in a rotated squad and it has obviously affected his play.

The legend who is John Barnes will be lending a helping hand of sorts to Roy Keane and the Black Cats by doing some pseudo-scouting for the Premiership club. The former winger will be running clinics in the Carribean and if upon seeing a player with the potential to benefit Sunderland, he'll be sent across the pond to trial under Keane. Barnes was born and raised in Jamaica before moving to England as a 13-year-old.

Besian Idrizaj, who was doing all of nothing on-loan to Crystal Palace, has been given permission by Neil Warnock to cut his year-loan early and return to Liverpool. Thank God, but like Craig Lindfield, the 20-year-old Austrian is going to find slim pickings when it comes to playing time, especially with the very recent emergence of Krisztián Németh. I guess we'll see if he'll be sent out on loan again, which would probably be best for everyone.

Finally, Rafa has stated that today's match will have no ramifications either way on whether or not he'll receive promised transfer funds in January. If they don't win today, I honestly don't know if Benitez will be around anyhow. Players and fans talk big, but I just can't see either wanting to leave LFC, except for Mascherano and maybe Xabi, but no one else will be going anywhere.

Liverpool at Reading: We skipped the light fandango...

...but will we turn cartwheels across the floor?

Here's the line-up:
Reina
Riise
Hobbs
Carragher
Arbeloa
Voronin
Mascherano
Sissoko
Gerrard
Crouch
Torres

Bench:
Itandje
Kuyt
Babel
Kewell
Hyppiä

Rafa never ceases to amaze me, but a lot of moves here are quite logical considering the opponent. Essentially four forwards is the ideal approach when taking on a side like Reading, who refuse to play defense. Sissoko and Mascherano provide insurance, just in case Hobbs has butterflies. I hope he doesn't feel seasick, because the crowd will call out for more. Let's hope we turn the Royals a whiter shade of pale.

Liverpool at Reading: What on God's green Earth will Rafa do?

'Holy priceless collection of Etruscan snoods!' I guess the real question is, if Gerrard is Batman, does that make Lucas, Robin?

Who Rafa chooses tomorrow will be one of high interest. The League Cup tie at the Madejski way back in late September has now become a lot more meaningful. Giving time to players like Leto and Lucas there, will certainly allow Rafa to use them once again due to familiarity of surroundings. Neither player weren't all too impressive in the match, which is all the more reason to offer a chance at redemption. Lucas will more than likely start and Leto may, but I can see him on the bench.

The biggest conundrum of conjecture is who will pair Hyppiä at centre back. Carra is available but is currently in yellow card danger, one in this match puts him out of the Man U tie. That leaves Hobbs or Agger, and I'm not sure Rafa is willing to risk the Dane defender who's just now fit from a plaguing foot break. Hobbs is most assuredly a risk as well, but his last outing, the forty odd minutes he got in the Bolton tie, boosted my belief in him somewhat. Prior I was akin to hoping for a better option. In the end, we would most likely have Agger back for the Man U match, so maybe risking Carra isn't a bad idea after all. Burdens must be weighed further, everything else is just gravy.

Up front, Voronin looks the most likely short straw and I like Kuyt or Torres to pair with him. Crouch is to be saved for what Crouch does best, Europe. It's the final countdown... (Every time I hear that song now, I think of Gob and Buster at George Sr.'s 'funeral'.)

Here's my final answer:
Reina
Riise
Hobbs
Hyppiä
Arbeloa
Kewell
Sissoko
Lucas
Gerrard
Kuyt
Torres

Bench:
Itandje
Voronin
Finnan
Mascherano
Benayoun

So much for Leto. I went with Kuyt up front because I think Rafa will pair Voronin and Crouch on Tuesday. Gerrard starting on the right is doubtful, especially if I predict it ,but why the hell not? Sissoko's got to get some playing time, some time, right? Hopefully he won't go the way of Gilgamesh. Three points are crucial tomorrow, but with Reading refusing to dig the trenches, we certainly should be able to rush the fort and take it with ease. Unless the deflector shields falter, a 4-0 thrashing appears to be in order. Holy haberdashery, Batman!

Today's Banter: Igor Bišćan heads home, Convey & Coppell talk paper, Contemplating Torres, & more

If I had to make a list of my ten favorite players ever to play for Liverpool, Igor Bišćan would certainly find a way on there. The Bišćuit Man was one of limited talent and physical ability, but had the heart of Hektōr which almost justifies his £5.5m transfer fee. The oft-injured and even more frequently misplayed defensive-minded player has returned to his roots, signing a three-and-a-half year deal with Dinamo Zagreb, the club where he spent his youth. People often forget the contributions of players like Bišćan, but without him and others like Le Tallec and Pongolle, we wouldn't have won number five. I can't believe he's only 29-years-old, though I guess he's always looked a decade or two older.

Oh, Reading, not sure if you boys are already making excuses or are just having a go beforehand so you can play up how outstanding it was to get something out of the match tomorrow. It amazes me to no end to hear opposing players and managers mention the cost of players or the squad in general when we're about to face 'em. You never hear that kind of talk with West Ham or the Spurs, both of which spent more in the offseason. In fact, I would bet the plot that the Tottenham squad is more expensive then ours by nearly a hundred quid. Anyhow, Bobby Convey, a player I respect and who scored a brilliant volley goal against us in our League Cup match at the Madejski, claims we paid out '£30 million on one player'. Really, Bobby? And who was that? Because we sure as hell could use a player of that value to boost us on the wings. I know, I know, he's just a footballer, not a financial analyst. Who can blame him if he doesn't share the interest of counting money with 'Mr. Florida', Eric Rivera?

On the other hand, Steve Coppell is of stubborn lot. The local lad turned traitor, speaking of the Cup match claimed 'the difference between the two sides last time was a £25million centre forward'. Mr. Coppell, you flatter to deceive, but at least your math is a bit better. A quick inquiry into said match would have revealed a Liverpool side that was of equal youth and certainly less experience playing away from home. Arbeloa played centre back, Lucas and Leto started, Gerrard was on the bench until the 77th minute, and Aurelio was making his first start and second appearance overall after a near seven month layoff. Was Torres a factor? Of course, but he wasn't the factor. Sometimes circumstances pay a pretty price.

Apparently Rafa has yet to decide on whether to start Torres tomorrow. With the crucial Marseilles match on Tuesday, he's going to have to rotate-wisely. I'm confident the Spaniard will get the call from the go, though the decisive tie in France may be more important financially in the long run, who are we kidding? Our 'second string' is of equal talent to the best l'OM side, if it only weren't for that pesky puppet master and the pride of the colonists, the match would've been a testimonial to one Djibril Aruun Cissé.

The boy is ours, the boy is ours... Javier Mascherano wants to stay at Liverpool and everyone of moderate intelligence, that long to be be buried in Red, concur. The Argentine gives Gerrard the keys to his proper castle, what more can an owner ask?

One last thing before I go before the jury, here's an interesting speculative piece about how the inevitable move of Everton to Kirkby will affect the Merseyside derby. Godspeed, my friends.

Squad rotation revisited: The problem with lazy journalism

Whether it be zonal marking or squad rotation, all too often football pundits are guilty of lazy journalism as they attempt to simplify a complex situation to explain a team's form or results.

When asked this week whether he thought Liverpool are serious title contenders this season, an Anfield fan - and one of Rafa's biggest critics during the period when rotation headlines were ubiquitous - responded :

"Contenders - most definitely. Will we win it? I'm not so sure, probably not this season. We still need to strengthen at left -back, right midfield and up front. However, since my original comments that we will never win the league under Rafa Benitez, there has been a significant improvement in the team's performances - especially going forward - and also an improvement in tactics and team selection though I still feel we could use the ball better at times and pass it more.

''Also, I feel in a way our injuries have helped us more than hindered us. I'm not saying we don't miss Xabi Alonso, Daniel Agger and company, but due to injuries we have been forced to pick a more settled team with less changes which in turn has led to more familiarity among players which has added to fluidity and attacking play. There's a better sense of cohesion among the players because they are getting used to playing together!''

This sounded distinctly like an attempt to exit from the back door. Yes, our form has improved since this pundit's statement that the Reds wouldn't win under Rafa - but that's because he made a major doomsday prediction when our form wobbled a bit, and he set himself up for this by getting carried away with the pessimism and negativity after a home draw or two.

As far as the claims of a more settled squad are concerned, I can understand why people would think the squad is more settled (given the absence of rotation headlines when Liverpool are winning - as I predicted would happen when rotation bashing was the fashion during our lull in form). But they'd be mistaken, since the media tend to talk about rotation only when we're losing.

In reality, Rafa has 'rotated'" 41 times since our last defeat (against Besiktas) - that's 41 changes in nine matches. In other words, an average of about 4.6 rotations per match, no fewer than he made before (in fact, above his average for the last two seasons). In fact, he made five changes from the team that drew 0-0 with Blackburn, and had we not thumped Besiktas 8-0, we'd have seen headlines about squad rotation.

Rafa then made no changes against Fulham, and there was amazement that the tinkerman extraordinaire had kept the same line-up. Six changes were made to the side to face Newcastle, and had we not won 3-0 (and it could have been 6-0 if Fernando Torres had taken his hat-trick of clear chances) we'd have again seen Alan Hansen and the other pundits going on about Rafa's rotation.

Five changes followed that match as we hosted Porto, and again, you can imagine the headlines had we not won 4-1. Then there were four more changes this past weekend, and our 4-0 win again kept the critics of squad rotation silent.

So I'm afraid the injuries haven't done anything to stop Rafa from rotating. In fact, Agger was almost never rotated before his injury, and Xabi was rotated no more or less than Javier Mascherano, Momo Sissoko and Lucas Leiva have been since he was crocked. In fact, Lucas didn't get many matches at all prior to Xabi's injury and the rotation was between the other three, while now with Alonso injured, Lucas is being rotated in and out in his place.

Our strikers are still being rotated as much as they were when the anti-rotation headlines were a fixture on the back pages. Our improvement has nothing to do with a more settled side. It is simply the big players starting to pull their weight (most notably Steven Gerrard), the team finally converting chances into goals, and a general improvement in attitude and confidence.

If you believe the scaremongers, you would have thought zonal marking was a problem in the past, and then suddenly you would forget about it once the team adapted to it and started defending well (the best defensive record in the Premier League). Similarly, if you believed the nonsense the lazy journos were printing about squad rotation, you could also have made similarly infamous statements about Liverpool never winning under a rotation-obsessed Rafa.

Now that we are putting together good results - squad rotation still withstanding - and the lazy journos have conveniently shut-up about squad rotation, it seems the Rafa-rotation critics are attempting to back-track through the back-door.

The moral of the story? Lazy journalists and knee-jerkers are half-brothers. When results don't go our way, they all start shouting "the sky is falling" and looking for simple, short answers to our problems - be it zonal marking or squad rotation. When results go in our favour, the doomsday headlines disappear, and people quickly forget that "zonal marking is not the way to defend set-pieces" (after all, empty spaces don't score goals - men do! So why are they marking empty space?) and that you can't win with squad rotation. How are players going to learn to play with each other? Never mind the fact that they train together six days a week!

In short, the next time you read a headline succinctly summarising the key to a team's form (good or bad) with a simple theory like squad rotation or zonal marking, ask yourself whether you're reading lazy journalism masquerading as football punditry. All to often, you'll find the answer is a resounding "yes"!

Today's Banter: Cappello to replace Rafa?, City in for Masche, Beşiktaş rout fixed?, & more

Apparently, Fabio Capello was contacted by the club before the Porto match to see if he would be interested in replacing Rafa, had the position opened. No word on what his response was, but it's looking more and more likely that Benitez is here to stay. I personally wouldn't mind the former AC Milan/Real Madrid/AC Milan/AS Roma/Juventus/Real Madrid manager taking over, as he has shown in the past that he's capable of taking a squad full of players that were there before he arrived and making them champions, but in the end, Rafa staying on board is best for the club.

In the rubbish transfer rumor of the day, Sven allegedly fancies Mascherano and is looking to place a bid of £17m for the defensive midfielder in the January transfer. Apparently Masche's 'owners', MSI, want to have him under contract to a club for next year by the end of the month. Seriously, I don't think Rafa is going anywhere, but if the owners don't think signing the Argentine to a permanent is our top objective come January, I wouldn't blame Benitez for handing in his notice. Anyhow, if Javier does leave, I doubt he'll stay in England when he can go to Juventus or Barcelona.

UEFA and Platini once again are making donkeys of themselves. "The European governing body has received information that 26 games in the Champions League, UEFA Cup and Intertoto Cup may have been fixed since 2005 with Liverpool's 8-0 drubbing of the Turkish club at Anfield - the highest score in Europe's premier competition - among those allegedly involved." Apparently a lot of higher winning margin bets were placed on LFC just before kick off and a few Beşiktaş players might have been paid off not to give their all. Platini should know what a fixed match looks-like and it's not 8-0, it's usually 2-1 with an allowed handball goal or maybe 1-1 with a questionable penalty. Anyhow, it won't matter in the end, it appears nobody at the club were involved and another scandal to distract Marseilles may be just what the doctor ordered.

Finally, due to the fact that Jamie Carragher is playing with fire, Jack Hobbs may get the start at Reading to prevent the Bootle icon and our side from getting burnt. Carra did have to leave the Bolton match early due to sore ribs, but that's not why he may start from the bench on Saturday. He also has four yellow cards, a fifth will earn him a one-game suspension and force him out of the Man U match on the 16th. If Hobbs can maintain the composure he showed in the second half against the Trotters, I don't see why he can't do the same at the Madejski this weekend. Maybe the 19-year-old centre back can take confidence that he made his Liverpool debut at the Reading stadium just two-and-a-half months back.

I'll be back later with a Kids Watch recap from all of yesterday's action including our Reserves thumping Everton, 3-0. Cheers.