From Sky:
Tinkerman tailored?
Rafa is learning to contain his tinkering
I said at the start of the season that for the first time in many years, Liverpool have a genuine chance of contesting the title. Nothing I've seen in the first quarter of the season has made me change my mind.
I don't think they are playing brilliant football but I do think they've played quite well at times in various games and they've shown huge desire, particularly in the four games when they've fallen behind and come back to win.
I don't think they are purring or at full tilt yet, which is good for them if there's better to come. They're sitting joint top of the table, they're unbeaten this season and on the face of things this is an opportunity for Liverpool to contest the league.
But only if Rafael Benitez wants to do so.
Over the next few months we will find out if he really is willing to have a go at winning the Premier League. Can he resist the temptation to rest players in certain games? Too often his stats and his computers have said that players are tired and he has rested them when he didn't really need to. Over the last three years that has cost them an awful lot of points.
Of course you need to keep an eye on somebody like Fernando Torres, particularly after his efforts at the European Championships, but a 24-year-old doesn't need resting in September or October. It's been noticeable that Benitez has kept playing the likes of Torres and Steven Gerrard so far this year and perhaps those players will drop out of a Champions League group game once they have clinched qualification.
They should do that soon and perhaps Torres can have a rest on Matchday Five and Matchday Six. You should only rest your big players occasionally in games that don't mean anything.
Manipulates
The way in which Benitez tinkers with and manipulates his team selection will determine how close they will go to the title.
I still believe they can be in the frame next April if they want to be. That's because the squad has the experience now and also because Benitez has learned that Liverpool fans actually want to win the league again.
Of course it is a major achievement to win the Champions League, but that competition is much easier to win than the Premier League. In the Champions League, you only need to play a maximum of 17 games and you can probably win it by only winning 10 of them. You obviously cannot win the Premier League with just 10 wins!
Benitez has already proved he has what it takes to steer this team to the Champions League, but has he got it in his make-up to do what he did in Spain and win a major title?
He might deny it, but I think he has definitely prioritised the Champions League in the past and there have been too many occasions when he has unnecessarily rested players. He has been too often the tinkerman, but I think he has learned his lesson because he has been less so this year.
If you look at the spine of the side it has remained more or less intact all season. Jose Reina, Jamie Carragher, Martin Skrtel (or Daniel Agger when he's injured), Xavi Alonso, Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt. Torres and Robbie Keane have all played when necessary. With that consistency of team selection, I don't think it's a coincidence that Liverpool have had their best start in years.
Challenge
Of course, there's no reason why a big club like Liverpool can't contend both the Premier League and Champions League in one season. Perhaps they can rest players in later Champions League group games or in the FA Cup if they don't want to take that too seriously and they would still have enough to challenge for the biggest two club competitions in the world.
At the other end of the scale to Benitez, you've got a man in Luiz Felipe Scolari who says he wants to win all four of the competitions his team are playing in. That's the kind of thing I like to hear from a manager.
Speaking of Chelsea, I think we will learn a little bit more about Liverpool after their Super Sunday clash at Stamford Bridge.
I'm so interested to see what Benitez does with his team. If Torres and Keane are fit will he pick both of them and put Gerrard in midfield? Or will he get that cautious streak again and play Gerrard off a lone frontman in front of a four-man midfield?
I hope he has a full squad to pick from because that will give us a great insight into how he feels. Is he confident and full of belief or is he worried about Chelsea?
All the talk is that Torres is out, but I don't believe it's a big injury and having had a rest in midweek I wouldn't be surprised if he makes an appearance on Sunday.
Chelsea have an astonishing home record - but I've said a couple of times this year that every home game Chelsea play without losing means they are a game closer to losing one. Somebody is going to beat them at some time.
Liverpool are certainly capable of doing that, although these games have been a little tight and a little dull over the last few years when Jose Mourinho and Benitez have been in charge.
I'm hoping that Scolari's influence will give us a more open game, particularly when you combine that with Liverpool's new-found belief. It would be great for the game of football if we saw a nice attacking match on Sunday.
But if you were to ask me now if Benitez will open the game up away from home against a team like Chelsea, I'd say no.
I just don't think it's in his nature.
Rafa is learning to contain his tinkering
I said at the start of the season that for the first time in many years, Liverpool have a genuine chance of contesting the title. Nothing I've seen in the first quarter of the season has made me change my mind.
I don't think they are playing brilliant football but I do think they've played quite well at times in various games and they've shown huge desire, particularly in the four games when they've fallen behind and come back to win.
I don't think they are purring or at full tilt yet, which is good for them if there's better to come. They're sitting joint top of the table, they're unbeaten this season and on the face of things this is an opportunity for Liverpool to contest the league.
But only if Rafael Benitez wants to do so.
Over the next few months we will find out if he really is willing to have a go at winning the Premier League. Can he resist the temptation to rest players in certain games? Too often his stats and his computers have said that players are tired and he has rested them when he didn't really need to. Over the last three years that has cost them an awful lot of points.
Of course you need to keep an eye on somebody like Fernando Torres, particularly after his efforts at the European Championships, but a 24-year-old doesn't need resting in September or October. It's been noticeable that Benitez has kept playing the likes of Torres and Steven Gerrard so far this year and perhaps those players will drop out of a Champions League group game once they have clinched qualification.
They should do that soon and perhaps Torres can have a rest on Matchday Five and Matchday Six. You should only rest your big players occasionally in games that don't mean anything.
Manipulates
The way in which Benitez tinkers with and manipulates his team selection will determine how close they will go to the title.
I still believe they can be in the frame next April if they want to be. That's because the squad has the experience now and also because Benitez has learned that Liverpool fans actually want to win the league again.
Of course it is a major achievement to win the Champions League, but that competition is much easier to win than the Premier League. In the Champions League, you only need to play a maximum of 17 games and you can probably win it by only winning 10 of them. You obviously cannot win the Premier League with just 10 wins!
Benitez has already proved he has what it takes to steer this team to the Champions League, but has he got it in his make-up to do what he did in Spain and win a major title?
He might deny it, but I think he has definitely prioritised the Champions League in the past and there have been too many occasions when he has unnecessarily rested players. He has been too often the tinkerman, but I think he has learned his lesson because he has been less so this year.
If you look at the spine of the side it has remained more or less intact all season. Jose Reina, Jamie Carragher, Martin Skrtel (or Daniel Agger when he's injured), Xavi Alonso, Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt. Torres and Robbie Keane have all played when necessary. With that consistency of team selection, I don't think it's a coincidence that Liverpool have had their best start in years.
Challenge
Of course, there's no reason why a big club like Liverpool can't contend both the Premier League and Champions League in one season. Perhaps they can rest players in later Champions League group games or in the FA Cup if they don't want to take that too seriously and they would still have enough to challenge for the biggest two club competitions in the world.
At the other end of the scale to Benitez, you've got a man in Luiz Felipe Scolari who says he wants to win all four of the competitions his team are playing in. That's the kind of thing I like to hear from a manager.
Speaking of Chelsea, I think we will learn a little bit more about Liverpool after their Super Sunday clash at Stamford Bridge.
I'm so interested to see what Benitez does with his team. If Torres and Keane are fit will he pick both of them and put Gerrard in midfield? Or will he get that cautious streak again and play Gerrard off a lone frontman in front of a four-man midfield?
I hope he has a full squad to pick from because that will give us a great insight into how he feels. Is he confident and full of belief or is he worried about Chelsea?
All the talk is that Torres is out, but I don't believe it's a big injury and having had a rest in midweek I wouldn't be surprised if he makes an appearance on Sunday.
Chelsea have an astonishing home record - but I've said a couple of times this year that every home game Chelsea play without losing means they are a game closer to losing one. Somebody is going to beat them at some time.
Liverpool are certainly capable of doing that, although these games have been a little tight and a little dull over the last few years when Jose Mourinho and Benitez have been in charge.
I'm hoping that Scolari's influence will give us a more open game, particularly when you combine that with Liverpool's new-found belief. It would be great for the game of football if we saw a nice attacking match on Sunday.
But if you were to ask me now if Benitez will open the game up away from home against a team like Chelsea, I'd say no.
I just don't think it's in his nature.
It's just an article written to back up his previous bull**** of the last 4 years. Rafa hardly rested Torres or Gerrard last year, only Reading could be used against him and he had just found out he was getting the sack if he didnt win the next game. Can hardly blame Rafa for that IMO.
) then broke in and said, "I hate this simplistic stuff [or words to that effect] about getting all your players behind the ball. You play as a team. When you've got the ball you attack as a team and when you don't you defend as a team..." I had to switch off then but I'd love to know what Marcotti (yawn) said afterwards.
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