Benitez backs Sissoko

[Lee]

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has backed Mohamed Sissko to regain his best form soon.

Sissoko has come under fire in recent weeks for some below-par performances as The Reds have struggled to reproduce their early season displays.

Benitez admits the Mali international is short of confidence, but the former Valencia chief is confident the all-action midfielder will bounce back.

"I see he is giving everything to play well," Benitez told the club's official website.

"For our supporters that is the first thing any player must do.

"Momo was a key player when we won 82 points in the Premier League. Now we need to give him time to allow him to regain his confidence.

"I spoke to him after the Marseille game and said 'keep going.' He knows how I work because I managed him when he was 18 at Valencia, where he won the league and Uefa Cup with me.

"He knows I have a lot of confidence in him. I will push him and I will try to improve him."

Meanwhile, Liverpool have confirmed the departure of Pako Ayestaran as Benitez's assistant manager.

Benitez revealed last month Ayestaran was leaving Anfield after a reported bust-up between the pair.

A number of Spanish clubs and English sides were thought to be waiting in the wings to offer Ayestaran a job, but Liverpool have blocked any move for the highly-rated coach as he remains contracted to the club until the summer of 2008 as a result of the severance package.

"Following discussions between Rafael Benitez and Pako Ayestaran, it has been agreed that it would be in the best interests of all parties if Pako leaves his post as assistant manager," Reds chief executive Rick Parry told the club's official website.

"Pako, however, will remain under contract to us until next summer.

"The club want to thank Pako for his hard work and contribution to our success over the past three years."

[Joe King]

Keep going- Momo can be boss again

[Morph]

Tbh, i rather just cash in on him, too hot and cold for me these days

[AFII]

Tbh, i rather just cash in on him, too hot and cold for me these days

We don't really need him now when we have Mascherano.

[rage]

sell him in january for all i care. i've seen conference players that pass the ball better. nothing personal just not good enough. Rafa's danny murphy.

[kewellnthegang]

he is no world beater but in certain games i think he will be handy

how easily some on here forget

[Reece]

he is no world beater but in certain games i think he will be handy

how easily some on here forget

Barca at the Nou Camp immediately springs to mind!

[dww]

I think he is a more useful option than many would have us believe. I think there is an issue that if we keep Mascherano then he will struggle to get extended runs in the team and his best form has always come after a few games.

I have to say that I'm not as big a fan of Mascher as some on here and while I acknowledge his obvious potential I don't think he has been the world class player for us that people seem to believe. He has had some outstanding games but the season his good/crap ratio would be worse than Momos on my reckoning.

[Parm]

thing is Dave, neither Momo or Mascher offer much in terms of playmaking or going forward for us. I take your point about Mascher but I think he is a lot more consistent than Momo, he is lke our new Didi. He just goes about his gmae quietly. Whereas Momo is either brilliant (Barca away) or horrendous (Marsellies at home)

It may just come down to if we can keep Mascher on a permanent basis. If so then with our never ending plethora of midfielders I think Momo mabe moved on.

[dww]

thing is Dave, neither Momo or Mascher offer much in terms of playmaking or going forward for us. I take your point about Mascher but I think he is a lot more consistent than Momo, he is lke our new Didi. He just goes about his gmae quietly. Whereas Momo is either brilliant (Barca away) or horrendous (Marsellies at home)

It may just come down to if we can keep Mascher on a permanent basis. If so then with our never ending plethora of midfielders I think Momo mabe moved on.

To be honest I think that Maschers passing has at times this season been very poor. I don't accept that he has become our new Didi as Hamann was a genuinely consistant short passer who knew hi slimitations and played to them brilliantly. I fully accept that Mascherano has the talent to do this but at the minute I don't think he has mastered playing that role in the PL environment.

I don't think either player has been particularly good this season but I feel that Mascher has been protected by his world class reputation from similar criticism that Momo has recieved.

I think that given the players current form a good team to try might be Gerrard to take an attacking midfield role replacing Kuyt, and play both Momo and Mascher behind him. The idea being to try and let Momo do Kuyts closing work and free up Gerrard to attack. Momo's work rate for me would give us more options to keep ball in midfield and Gerrard is more creative than Kuyt.

I still like Kuyt a lot but he doesn't do enough damage when he drops deep and doesn't have the accelleration to spring forward that Gerrard does. I might actually put Kuyt up front on his own against Everton with an order to harry the CBs and stay up front and reasonably central if Torres is unavailable.

[Parm]

To be honest I think that Maschers passing has at times this season been very poor. I don't accept that he has become our new Didi as Hamann was a genuinely consistant short passer who knew hi slimitations and played to them brilliantly. I fully accept that Mascherano has the talent to do this but at the minute I don't think he has mastered playing that role in the PL environment.

I don't think either player has been particularly good this season but I feel that Mascher has been protected by his world class reputation from similar criticism that Momo has recieved.

I think that given the players current form a good team to try might be Gerrard to take an attacking midfield role replacing Kuyt, and play both Momo and Mascher behind him. The idea being to try and let Momo do Kuyts closing work and free up Gerrard to attack. Momo's work rate for me would give us more options to keep ball in midfield and Gerrard is more creative than Kuyt.

I still like Kuyt a lot but he doesn't do enough damage when he drops deep and doesn't have the accelleration to spring forward that Gerrard does. I might actually put Kuyt up front on his own against Everton with an order to harry the CBs and stay up front and reasonably central if Torres is unavailable.

no, I think Mascher is a very good passer of the ball and uses it well. But you have to admit that he and Didi play the same role and if he is to play then he needs a playmaker alongside him. Now I do like the idea of say Mascher and Xabi being the CM pairing with Gerrard ahead of them. Not sure if Momo would be disciplined enough to play such a defined role and his passing would not be anywhere near Xabis standard.

[dww]

no, I think Mascher is a very good passer of the ball and uses it well. But you have to admit that he and Didi play the same role and if he is to play then he needs a playmaker alongside him.

I think tactically the comparison is very sound. I just feel that of late his passing hasn't been what it can be. Didi when this happened to him reverted to making increasingly safe passes or drawing a foul to keep possession - Mascher seems to carry on believing that his form will return. This is a reasonable assumption but for a holding player Didi's tactics are better as you loose a lot of ball in important areas if you misplace passes in that role.

Now I do like the idea of say Mascher and Xabi being the CM pairing with Gerrard ahead of them. Not sure if Momo would be disciplined enough to play such a defined role and his passing would not be anywhere near Xabis standard.

I think he would be okay. I think with Mascher behind him and Gerrard wanting the ball his weaknesses would be well compensated for and his ability to run from defence to attack might add some much needed dynamism to our game.

I have also long believed that his active breakdown of play in the oppositions half can be a great attacking asset if he just plays the ball simply when he wins it to a more creative player.

[Parm]

I think tactically the comparison is very sound. I just feel that of late his passing hasn't been what it can be. Didi when this happened to him reverted to making increasingly safe passes or drawing a foul to keep possession - Mascher seems to carry on believing that his form will return. This is a reasonable assumption but for a holding player Didi's tactics are better as you loose a lot of ball in important areas if you misplace passes in that role.



I think he would be okay. I think with Mascher behind him and Gerrard wanting the ball his weaknesses would be well compensated for and his ability to run from defence to attack might add some much needed dynamism to our game.

I have also long believed that his active breakdown of play in the oppositions half can be a great attacking asset if he just plays the ball simply when he wins it to a more creative player.

Momo this season seems to have tried to develop a more attacking part of his game, trying to get forward, move into shooting chances and be that Cm bursting on to a pass (a la SG) but commendable as his efforts are, he just isnt good enough to do it. How Valencia (and Rafa?) thought he would make it as a striekr is beyond me. As you say he should play to his strengths of breaking attacks up (which no one else can do as well as him) and play it simple.

[Craig_H]

No point in selling him as we'd have to replace him. He's the 'energy' in our CM. No one else will do what he does.

[Parm]

No point in selling him as we'd have to replace him. He's the 'energy' in our CM. No one else will do what he does.

that is true and probably the reason why he is still with us.