All great relationships come to an end, the natural course having run as far as it can. Sometimes they start passionately and brightly and quickly burn away to nothingness. Sometimes, they are a slowly burning and taut affair that consumes all within them in a supernova of passion oblivious to all around them. Occasionally, despite saying the opposite, things simply aren’t working. The public face presents a lie, when everything behind the scenes falls apart.

Of course, finishing 7th is no insult and 6th is not out of the question but this is Liverpool. European Champions on 5 occasions, runners up twice. League Champions 18 times and runners up on 12 other occasions. The most decorated club in English League history can end up qualifying for the Europa League because Portsmouth are not allowed to enter. Is it good enough to be surviving on scraps thrown by clubs imploding financially? Simply put, no it isn’t.

I saw Benitez’s post match comments on Sunday and was astounded. You can’t position yourself as a champions of the fans and then refuse to commit yourself to confirming whether you intend to be at the club next season. Benitez owes that to the Anfield faithful at the very least. They have backed him 100% throughout his consistent battles with the owners and the boardroom and now he throws it back in their faces. I think most fans of other clubs would be hard pressed to have kept the patience with a manager like the Liverpool fans have with Rafa Benitez.

Of course, his supporters will always point to the 2005 Champions League final victory and to a lesser extent, the F.A. Cup victory the following season over West Ham United. Last season saw Liverpool come within a whisker of winning the title but ultimately missed out due to the points dropped against “lesser” sides. The beginning of the season saw them lose as many leagues games in 8 days as all of last year. Complaints about Real Madrid tapping up Xabi Alonso were treated with the contempt they deserved after Benitez had spent most of the summer of 2008 trying to flog him.

He claims the club needs 4 or 5 great players, unlike the majority of the 77 he’s signed. With the exception of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, every single player at Liverpool is a Benitez signing. Incredibly, of the 77 players he’s signed, 30 of them have been sold on. His supporters claim the board have tied his hands in regards to the money he’s had to spend, but looking at his transfer record, honestly, can you blame them? A scatter gun transfer policy that currently sees Liverpool using Mascherano as a right back and a £7 million left back in the reserves. A depth of striking talent after Torres that a Championship club would be embarrassed to have at its disposal.

This refusal to commit himself to Liverpool next season surely treats the fans like idiots. He has more support from them and delivered probably less than any Liverpool manager since Graeme Souness’ dreadful tenure in the early nineties. He eventually fell on his sword and resigned after they were beaten by Bristol City at home in the F.A.Cup in January 1994.Yet the 3 seasons he’d spent there were littered with dreadful signings, arguments and badly judged media interviews, such as with the Sun newspaper on the 3rd anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. Yet even he won the F.A. Cup in 1992.

Souness finished 6th, 6th and 8th and the club were at the weakest they’d ever been in the modern era. Liverpool have finished outside the top 6 twice in the last 20 years and only 4 times in the 47 seasons they spent in the top flight since winning promotion back to the top division in 1962. Of course, they may still finish 6th but that’ not Benitez’s weakness for me, it’s his refusal to treat his supporters with the respect they deserve after all the support they’ve given him and tell them if he’s staying.

Perhaps of course, he’s playing the protection card, asking the board for the moon and then quitting when they quite rightly tell him to get stuffed. Only then will he consider the offer from Juventus that is on the table and has been for weeks. Added to this the fact that he absurdly claims he’s trying to meet up with the new chairman after canceling two scheduled meetings in the last fortnight weakens his position even further.

Liverpool’s fans deserve better, the club deserve better and no-one is happy. Rafa looks fed up and coming from a family of Liverpool fans, they’re fed up. The relationship has run its course and if Rafa Benitez really cared about Liverpool he’d do the right thing and quit. When you get to a point in a season where you want your team to lose to stop a rival club winning the title, I think that’s all you need to say and that’s a fact Rafa. It can only get worse from here.

It’s safe to assume that the current Liverpool squad needs rebuilding and reconstruction this off season if they are to replicate the form that saw them finish runners up in the 2008-2009 season. It Liverpool aspire to challenge for a top four finish or the title, new bodies and a fresh outlook may just be what’s needed at Anfield. Before transfers are targeted and bought, some current Liverpool players should put on The Clash and ask themselves, Should I Stay Or Should I Go? It’s the million dollar question that ultimately must be answered if room is to be made for potential summer transfers.

To the neutral observer, over the course of 35 games played this season in the league, Liverpool have been lacking in a few key positions. Currently sat in 6th, Liverpool stand to finish a whole four places behind last years campaign with a few of their best players looking old, uninterested, or injured.

I think it’s finally time for a few of the Liverpool old guard to hang it up, or move on to a new challenge and new chapter in their careers. On the other hand, some of the quality players at Liverpool should stay and continue to play for the shirt and the supporters of one of the greatest clubs in English football. Their Premier League experience will be vital in helping to rebuild the team and will also help any new blood brought in over the summer to settle and adapt to the English game.

• It’s Time to Move On

Rafael Benitez – Let’s face it Liverpool fans, what else can Rafa do for Liverpool? He’s won the Champions League in his first year, the FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FA Community Shield, reached another Champions League final and took Liverpool the closest they’ve come to the league in ages. After losing key players such as Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa to Real Madrid last season, his squad hasn’t been the same creatively and in attack. I think Rafa leaving will be best for Liverpool. Think of his exit as a fresh start for a new manager. If he stays, where does he go from here?

Steven Gerrard – Once the heart and soul of Liverpool, now the invisible midfielder who may not even deserve to represent England in South Africa this summer. Gerrard has been the epitome of a player who looks uninterested and ready for a fresh start. I like Gerrard and believe he still has years to contribute to football, just not Liverpool. At 29, Gerrard has now been at Liverpool for almost 12 years. His performances as Captain for Liverpool this year have been uninspired at best. Rumors suggest a stint abroad in Italy or maybe Spain. Even if it were for a year or two, Gerrard needs to relocate his passion for football before he gets too old and looses it.

Jamie Carragher – He won’t retire, he’s only 32. But the center back this season has looked a step or two off the pace of the demanding Premier League. In fairness, Carragher overcame an early season woeful slump in form to then steady the ship and produce more reliable performances for Liverpool at the back. He’s still passionate about playing for Liverpool, but can the Reds rebuild and chase the title with the aging and slowing Carragher at the back? Sure his football smarts, dedication, work rate and pride playing for Liverpool are second to none, but those traits won’t win a title in such an important position.

Ryan Babel – If Benitez stays, he needs to play Babel more frequently and even start the young Dutch winger. For me, Babel seems to have never really gotten the chance he’s deserved by having a good run starting with the first team. Likely, Babel will leave and find a club where he’s guaranteed to start and then be able to prove his worth to the Dutch National team. I for one hope he stays in England, I think Babel is a quality player with pace to burn and could have a good career in the Premier League. Still though, recent events point to his exit.

Albert Riera – Obviously leaving Merseyside as soon as he gets the chance after falling out with Benitez. Dropped from the team and uninterested to play under Rafa after having publicly questioned the boss, Riera needs a new club quick or risks becoming a fleeting memory at Anfield. He could realistically stay if a new manager comes in, but is likely to move on after a short career at Liverpool.

• Stay and Build

Fernando Torres – Could leave and follow Rafa, but the Spanish striker could have a long and legendary career in English football with Liverpool. Too soon to go back to Spain and unsure if he fits in Italian football, Torres needs to stay at Liverpool and work on his fitness to lead Liverpool’s front line in the prime of his career. If Liverpool find funds to splash on new players this summer, Torres could be just the player to build a league or Champions League winning squad around. He’s that good.

Glen Johnson – Well he’s English, which means he’s unlikely to move abroad, but Johnson has shown great form when fit for Liverpool and remains England’s first choice right back. No real reason to leave what so ever for Johnson, has enjoyed his first year with the Reds and will only get better. Johnson should continue to win England caps and aid Liverpool’s back four and attack for years to come.

Alberto Aquilani – What an enigma Aquilani’s been at Liverpool for the past year. Purchased from Roma in hopes to replace the midfield maestro Alonso, or play further up the pitch in a more attacking role, Aquilani has battled injuries and match fitness during his short career at Liverpool. Must stay, get healthy and hopefully pay back some of the investment that was spent on his 20 million euro transfer fee. Like Torres, Aquilani is injury prone, but could be a fine midfielder and another young player to build a team around.

Javier Mascherano – The midfield tough man needs to stay right where he is. Rumors have surfaced in the past concerning a possible move to Barcelona and for me, I just don’t see where Mascherano fits in the Barcelona midfield. Mash was recently made the captain of the Argentina national team and could stand to captain Liverpool should Gerrard move on. With a fit Aquilani pushing forward in midfield, Mascherano is just the anchor to hold in midfield and protect the back four.

Yossi Benayoun – The Israeli footballer shoud keep his attacking wing play, quick feet and Premier League experince at Liverpool and become a leader at the club. Will turn 30 in a few weeks, but with his fit, athletic body type, Benayoun could realistically stay and continue to perform at Liverpool for 3 or 4 more years. If Benayoun were to leave, I’m unsure where he could go. I think he fits into Liverpool perfectly when he comes off the bench and can use his pace and quickness to change a game late on.

Liverpool simply haven’t possessed that cohesive team feel or ability to finish off opponents this season. It seems to again come down to consistency in the league and after 38 games, the league table won’t lie. Most likely, Liverpool will finish in 5th or 6th, depending on if Manchester City or Tottenham slip up. If the Reds are to have European, or more importantly, Premier League title aspirations, changes must be made at Anfield or Liverpool will risk stagnancy.

The morning after Liverpool crashed out of the Champions League has seen the club reiterate that Rafa Benitez’s position is safe.  Not qualifying for the Champions League knock out stage is a big blow for a club that strives for parity at Europe’s top table. Throughout this season, Liverpool have struggled in the League and in Europe. Last night saw them relying on Lyon to win in Florence, but what astounded me was the lack of pushing for extra goals.

Liverpool needed goals, but towards the end of the game, Benitez’s substitutions began to become increasingly surreal. Ngog was removed for Benayoun, Left backs were exchanged and Aquilani was brought on for 34 seconds.  All the while, Liverpool were praying for Lyon to score but if they had, Benitez needed Liverpool to score more. If Lyon had scored and the game in Florence was drawn, Liverpool then could qualify by beating Fiorentina 3-0 at Anfield.

Yet what would have happened if Liverpool had only won 2-0? It would have then come down to goal difference and Liverpool would have lost out again. As it is, it doesn’t matter anymore, but what struck me before the game yesterday was Jamie Carragher’s comments about winning the Europa League to give the season a “gloss”. This Liverpool side is possibly the weakest since Gerard Houillier left the club in the summer of 2004, they’re struggling in the league and only have the Europa League and the F.A. Cup to aim for. What kind of gloss does winning the Europa League give you?

The title is a non starter, but is it beyond them to finish 4th? They are only 5 points off 4th currently but the next 3 league games could see them fall further behind. Tough trips to Everton and Blackburn are followed by a visit from Arsenal whilst the upwardly mobile trio of Tottenham, Manchester City and Aston Villa are playing well. For Liverpool to profit they have to hope they can hit title form, without having a hope of the title and all 3 of their rivals fall away spectacularly.Is that possible?

Of course, people point to the injury crisis that seems to have engulfed Liverpool, but this squad is solely the work of Rafa Benitez. It is only weak because he has created such a situation. He still relies on 2 players he inherited, Gerrard and Carragher, who are coming to the end of their natural careers. Gerrard is 29 and Carragher is 32 in January and has probably had his most fitful season in the red shirt. Gerrard can still drag Liverpool forward, but for how much longer? How much longer can Carragher keep going? How much will it cost to replace them?

Last year for me saw Liverpool punching way above their weight when they ran Manchester United so close for the title. Chelsea were in flux, Arsenal were still growing as a side. Spurs were in a crisis of their own creation, Villa lost their way and Manchester City were still coming to grips with their new found wealth. That is not the case this season, all of their rivals are in much better shape and all of them have money to spend, which is certainly not the case at Anfield.

The constant negativity towards the owners has sullied the the picture at Anfield, taking the focus away from the playing squad. Blaming bad luck, referees and injuries is becoming the norm from Benitez. Yes they have had bad luck with injuries but so have Chelsea and Manchester United. Chelsea were without Lampard, Drogba, Ballack, Boswinga and Carvalho on Saturday and thumped Wolves 4-0. Would a Liverpool side without Torres, Gerrard, Carragher, Mascherano and Johnson do so?

Of course the added poignancy here for Liverpool is that they can’t afford to sack Benitez regardless of how bad this season turns out for them. The last accounts filed for 2007-2008 saw Liverpool make a loss of £41.5 million on top of a £290 million debt. There is no doubt that Hicks and Gillett have saddled the club with debt, but at what point does the playing squad become the main area for concern? It is a dangerous game to assume Liverpool can walk in to the Europa League and win it.

There will be other footballing giants in the next round of the competition, which Liverpool will have to be aware of. Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, Marseille, Real Madrid, AC Milan, CSKA Moscow and Athletico Madrid could all join them. It will not be easy for a team playing well to win it, never mind one that is struggling across all fronts to find some form. Benitez has to find a settled side and stick with it, forget the Europa League and concentrate on the league. Benitez’s obsession with Europe could completely derail the league with dire consequences.

What if Liverpool don’t win the Europa League and finish 5th? That’s a £40 million hole in a teams finances that is losing £40 million a year already. Across the Pennines, the effects of financial mismanagement coupled with failure to qualify for the Champions League can still be seen at Elland Road. That’s a very real scenario, regardless of history and standing. Liverpool need to get going and quickly or a disappointing season will become a catastrophic one within weeks.

Looking for bargain players below the top price in each position? There are some great valued players to be had if you’re looking to free up some cash for that “big” signing. Kevin picks out two from each position and tells you why you should be investing in these great valued players.

Joe Hart (BI) – Birmingham’s on loan goalkeeper has already made four clean sheets, plus gathering a number of save points. With his next three games being Bolton, Burnley and Arsenal he is most certainly one of the best valued #1’s around, at just 4.1.

Thomas Sorensen (SC)- Like Hart, Sorensen is 4.1 but has racked up the same number of points after four clean sheets, two bonus points and a number of save points to boot. Stoke’s next three fixtures are Manchester Utd, Everton and West Ham, so caution over whether or not you feel he can score points.

Richard Dunne (AV) - Dunne’s price has gone up 0.2 since his move from Manchester City, and he’s now 5.2 which is still a great bargain. He’s played two games with Villa, and has helped them to two clean sheets, as well as scoring four bonus points in these two games. Get in quickly, you won’t find many better scorers at such a good rate, his price is only going to go up and up.

Joseph Yobo (EV) – After their dreadful start to the season, Yobo price plummeted to 5.8 – like a number of Everton players. With the Goodison ship now steadied, and the trio of Portsmouth, Stoke and Wolves coming up over the next few weeks Yobo will be a certain tip to pick up some valuable clean sheet points, and maybe even a goal.

Yossi Benayoun (LI) – After a quiet start to the season, Yossi’s price went down before shooting back up to 7.6 post-Burnley hat trick. The Israeli midfielder seems to have finally secured himself a starting eleven berth at Liverpool, and his dancing feet will most certainly pick up more goals and more assists as the season goes on.

James Milner (AV) – Milner’s price dropped to 6.9, but after picking up a fantastic 14 points last weekend against Portsmouth his value will go back up to 7.0 before the week is over. Milner has taken on penalty kick duties after the departure of Gareth Barry and Ashley Young’s misses, as well as playing a key role across the midfield. Expect more goals and assists from James over the course of thes season.

Darren Bent (SU) – Just look no further. After starting the season at 7.0, Darren is currently available at a whopping 7.4 – so there’s a big chance someone else in your league has him too. But after five goals, he’s become a bit of a necessity because you can’t get a cheaper striker on such hot form. His clinical finishing is sure to continue, and his price is going to keep rising, so fi you’ve a striker around the same price no scoring goals, get Bent in.

Craig Bellamy (MC) - This is an odd one, but Bellamy has been on superb form this season despite the arrival of Emmanuel Adebayor and Carlos Tevez to City’s attack. He scored a fantastic brace last weekend against United, and with the suspension to Adebayor expect Bellamy to start the next couple of games. If he survives any FA charges after his “incident” last week, he might be a shrewd move and I doubt many other managers in your league would have him at 7.9

You can read more from Kevin over on his football site, Back Page Football, plus much more. If you’d like to get involved their, shoot him an email.

Liverpool fans voted Xabi Alonso man of the match against Newcastle. Clairvoyant passing and two shots from distance that ricocheted off the bar: Alonso was a beast against the Magpies. But I suspect it was his temporary martyrdom that won Alonso the honor over some of the other candidates. Xabi took the full force of Joey Barton’s thuggish tackle on 87 minutes before being stretchered off the pitch.

If it hadn’t been for that sacrifice, I think the big contender might have been Yossi Benayoun.

Yossi was unstoppable on Sunday. Twisting left and right to leave United defenders in the dust. Popping up in every part of the attacking third. Shuttling fierce balls into the box from wide positions. Opening the scoring. Benayoun was man of the match for me. In the late part of the season he’s been one of Liverpool’s best players.

At some point this season, Yossi’s game opened wide. In the early part of the year, he struggled for place. His game confidence seemed deflated from so much time on the bench. But Liverpool’s results were so consistently fantastic early on, Rafa Benitez had scuttled his rotation policy and the fine form of Dirk Kuyt and Albert Riera meant Liverpool’s favorite Israeli international wasn’t seeing the quantity of pitch time he’d enjoyed the previous season.

But as the year went on and Liverpool’s form dipped with an abundance baffling draws sneaking in with the Reds’ collection of outstanding wins (Liverpool pulled doubles over Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid), Yossi found his way into the team more and more.

Yossi began finding form and causing threats which earned him a series of starts in February which culminated in his brilliant header against Real Madrid at San Bernabeu, earning Liverpool an away goal and a lead to bring back to Anfield. He scored again two matches later (his next start) in the 2-0 win over Sunderland.

Just as Benayoun found winning form, injury struck. He missed out on the second leg against Real as well as the big victories over Manchester United and Aston Villa. I feared injury would break up Yossi’s run of form. But he assuaged my fears in stoppage time against Fulham, when he took the ball deep into the box, turned his man and fired an angled shot past Mark Schwarzer to secure all three points and keep Liverpool in the title race. His teammates chased him down and piled themselves upon him.

He’s had his droughts, but Yossi Benayoun has been an important player for Liverpool since he joined the Reds in 2007. Arriving in the same transfer window as goal-scoring phenomenon Fernando Torres, Benayoun’s contributions can seem overshadowed. But his importance is undeniable.

Wily, creative and relentless, Benayoun is at his best coming in from the right. His cross has improved over the seasons with Liverpool, but his ability to cut into the box from out wide, turning defenders and creating chances is his best weapon. In the early part of the season, when his form languished at times, he hesitated to take the shot in traffic, often laying it off to someone else. But now that his confidence soaring and he’s getting his goals in, Yossi will try anything from anywhere. The element of surprise is always on his side as his body language gives no hints as to which way he’s going to twist next and at which momment he will fire the ball.

With the departure of Robbie Keane and David N’Gog yet to show what he can do for Liverpool on a regular first-team basis, Yossi role a proven goalscorer who will not rest is invaluable.

In the long term, Benayoun is going to prove to have been a massive bargain. Hopefully, West Ham don’t call and ask for more money as he continues to astound.

An interesting story coming out of this weekend comes from the lips of Arsene Wenger. In a story that started to circulate on Saturday, Arsene spoke about his concern that after the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team this past week, football could become a target for terrorists. Wenger isn’t a rookie to terrorism. He was managing in Japan during the deadly 1995 Sarin gas attack in Tokyo. The other thing Wenger brought up is that there have been false alarms at the Emirates before, but nothing serious. Wenger’s quote “It has turned out to be nothing – like a bag in the stadium that somebody forgot.”

Wenger also brings up the point about not getting police escorts before games, but teams associated with major championships (World Cup, Euros, ect) get them. That just boils down to the fact security is budgeted into those competitions. I’m sure if you pay the London police, or any other city police where you are, you can get an escort.

I do agree with him that it is kinda surprising that football hasn’t been targeted. Then again, it probably has been targeted and we just haven’t heard about it. We know that security has been tight around competitions of late, and it’s only going to get tighter in the future. All we can do is keep our eyes out and hope for the best, along with allowing those who are involved in security to do their jobs.

Other Stories
It would appear there is a new twist to the news reported about Liverpool’s sale talks with a Kuwaiti consortium. Investment bank Seymour Pierce is taking the consortium to court over non payment of fees associated with becoming executive advisers to the takeover bid. For now the claim is just north of 300,000 pounds. If a sale is to happen, that fee will increase by seven million.

It does appear though the takeover talks will continue, divisions looks to be coming back. One member of the consortium will only deal with Tom Hicks. Seems like history is about to repeat itself. Could we see a situation where only Hicks sells?

In other Liverpool news, Rafa Benitez has lost Yossi Benayoun for the next two weeks with a hamstring injury. Rafa is also admitting he is forcing the fitness of Fernando Torres so he is ready for Real Madrid on Tuesday night. I don’t think Benayoun is that big of a loss, even though he did score in Madrid. I wouldn’t risk Torres unless he is 100 percent. Don’t gamble the short term success only to lose out over the rest of this season.

You have to love Sir Alex Ferguson’s needling of Jose Mourinho ahead of their Champions League clash on Wednesday. He thinks that Inter will play for penalties. Sir Alex, you aren’t Rafa Benitez and you can only hope a repeat of Porto doesn’t happen. Fergie is also hoping that Rio Ferdinand is fit enough to play. Something tells me that an injection will be used in order to aid recovery.

Fergie also gets personal and admits he’s fearful about what will happen when he retires. I know those in the UK may not get this analogy, but it’s the only one I can see that fits. I could see what happened to Bear Bryant, former American football head coach of the University of Alabama. After coaching his last game on December 29, 1982 before retirement, he died January 26, 1983. Now Sir Alex is in much better health than Bryant was, but there is something to missing the routine that I could see him missing.

And finally, Ricky Sbragia is not happy with the careless nature Sunderland threw away three away three points against Tottenham.

 Late Liverpool Halt Chelsea’s Faltering Challenge

It’s a cold Sunday afternoon and I’ve parked my backside on the sofa to watch Liverpool vs Chelsea, a clash of the title contenders. Man United’s ominous form coupled with their rivals inability to keep pace means we all know that the team that loses Sunday’s game is well and truly out of the title race…in January.

The game itself is perhaps no thriller, Chelsea apparently toothless in attack registering a meagre 2 attempts on target to Liverpool’s 9. The first half was far from an enthralling affair but from the first whistle a hungrier, more dyanimic Liverpool were the only side who could have saved the game from being labelled a bore-draw.

The London side’s supporters were clearly never going to leave Anfield happy. An indifferent performance by goalkeeper Petr Cech, who was twice nearly caught in possession and Didier Drogba again left on the bench as Chelsea lined up 4-3-3 with Anelka, Malouda and Kalour preferred, no doubt to the Ivorian’s frustration to lead the attack.  The Blues created nothing all afternoon, Pepe Reina a spectator in the Reds goalmouth for much of the game.

Just after the hour mark Chelsea’s midfield finally featured in one of the games major talking points but not in the way that manager, Luiz Felipe Scolari would have wanted. Frank Lampard lunging for 50/50 with Xabi Alonso catching his opponent in the follow through was bizarrely adjudged by trigger-happy official Mike Riley to be worthy of a red card, Lampard and Chelsea justifiably furious.

Enter the 88th minute and it’s still Liverpool on top as it had been from the first whistle and Liverpool finally deliver a telling blow in the shape of a Fernando Torres’ late double. First a fantastic glancing header at the near post from Riera’s cross, minutes before Ashley Cole’s poor judgement not to clear first time let the ball fall to Yossi Benayoun to nip in behind and although Cole did well to get a foot in the way the ball fell into the path of the £20 million Spaniard to slot in his second.

Moments later and cue the final whistle, Anfield in raptures and Rafa Benitez delighted with the pressure momentarily eased on their own faltering title challenge. Scolari and Chelsea fans have to wonder why they have only taken one point in any of the games against the so-called ‘big four’ in five games so far this season.

Scolari though in his first season in charge (with glistening C.V in his defence) can be the only man to rationalise why Anelka and Drogba have never been paired together for any significant amount of time as  a traditional front two and the lack of starting opportunities for the effervescent Joe Cole. The board at Stamford Bridge have certainly tightened the purse strings after previous years of free-flowing spending and this is no major surprise, no club could ever sustain this (I’m sure Man City fans may not agree for now!) but the budget transfer budget needs to be at least £30-£40 million in the current climate to stay with the pace. The Portuguese duo of Deco signed (free) and Bosingwa (16 Million) the only Major arrivals at the bridge this summer.

My personal opinion of why Chelsea don’t score enough goals, is the absence of Essien in the engine room coupled with a three -prong attack that often resembles a negative looking 4-5-1 leaving Anelka isolated. Kalou and Malouda simply do not look like players who belong in a title winning team.

Should Scolari still be at The Bridge this summer in what is current an uncomfortable climate to be a manager at a top club, then a major rebuilding job is needed to make the Blues currently feeble title ambitions realistic.

What is Rafa Benitez playing at? Liverpool have had a nightmare January and from being out in front, now find themselves back amongst their rivals in third place, having dropped 6 points in the last 3 league games. Comparing their performances in the Premiership since their emphatic win at Newcastle on December 28th, they seem like a different team. Gone is the attacking zest and vigour we saw in the game at St James’ Park, replaced with a caution and fear of losing that is destroying their attempt to win a first league title in 18 seasons.  Just what is the manager playing at? Now I know that tactically, Benitez is in essence, a cautious manager but the performance against Wigan Athletic looked like a team treading water. Sure, Gerrard and Benayoun had chance to put the game out of Wigan’s reach but they didn’t stick the chances away and left Wigan with a fighting chance. The challenge made by Lucas was suicidal, desperately chasing back to cover his defenders who had gone walkabout, fooled in to sticking a leg in when the ball was away and past him, with Koumas selling him a lovely feint and allowing Mido to score on his debut from the penalty spot. There’s no argument it was a cast iron penalty, but then to compound the issue, the manager takes Gerrard off and replaces him with Robbie Keane. Do you want to win the league or not Rafa?

You’ve just conceded a late equaliser, Manchester United have smashed W.B.A the night before 5-0, all your rivals are closing in and you take your best player off? Why on earth not keep him on to try and push on for the win, United would never take off Ronaldo in the same situation, neither would Chelsea with Lampard. After the game, Benitez said Gerrard was tired, but there was only 7 minutes left, was it to save him for Sundays clash against Chelsea? Lampard played the full game for Chelsea and Scolari had more of a case for saving his legs, with the game won againt Middlesbrough but he kept him on until the final whistle.

The post match press conference seems to compound Benitez’s problems, Liverpool are playing badly but it’s nothing to do with him. “It was a crazy half”, what was crazy about it? “I don’t wan’t to say”. “It has happened in the last three games and they have something in common that I don’t like.”  What on earth is he going on about? Opponents tactics? Referee’s not giving them as many dodgy decisions as they’re used to? The idea of the game is to beat your opponents using skill and tactical nous, not bore them to death and diving around to win free kicks and penalties. I’m sorry Rafa, but it’s everything to do with you and the side and tactics you choose. Taking Torres off and replacing him with a left winger to play up front with Babel was a nonsense decision, to then take Gerrard off and replace him with Keane was another. Scared to over commit but chasing the game, Liverpool could have easily lost it had Rodallega’s free kick been a couple of inches lower. Dreadful against Stoke, poor against “small club” Everton and then another inept display yesterday has seen the advantage in the Premiership race move away from Liverpool and over to Manchester United, even Chelsea and Aston Villa could all push Liverpool down to 4th.

Liverpool have played 7 Premiership games from December 13th:

• Won 2 and Drawn 5 (11 points)
• Scored 13 goals and conceded 6 (8 of their goals scored came in the two wins against Bolton and Newcastle United)
• 2 Additional matches in the FA Cup so far, scoring 3 and conceding 1, with a replay to come at Goodison next week

Manchester United have also played 7 Premier League games in the same period

• Won 6 and drawn 1 (19pts)
• Scored 12 goals and conceded 0
• Played 6 additional matches in 3 other competitions in the same period, 2 League Cup Semi Finals, A Semi Final and Final in the World Club Cup and 2 matches in the FA Cup.

Now if that doesn’t tell you that the power has reverted back to Manchester United nothing else will. United also still have the game in hand  and if Liverpool lose on Sunday against Chelsea, they can forget any title aspirations for another year and will have wasted their best chance in over a decade. But in Benitez’s mind it won’t be his fault, it’ll be Manchester United’s, the referee’s, small clubs, Halley’s Comet, Rick Parry’s and Liverpool’s owners and that’s why the title challenge is crumbling. Benitez refuses to believe it is anything to do with him. Negative tactics, unneccessary squad rotation and stupid substitions are the reason United and Chelsea have overtook Liverpool, Aston Villa are now a point behind them. Earlier this month I commented that Ferguson had no need to fire his players up in the aftermath of the Benitez’s comments to the press about the bias shown towards United, clearly forgetting the shocking decisions Liverpool get in their favour, especially at Anfield. On current form, Liverpool will do well to finish the season in 4th and the only person to blame will be Benitez.

You never commit too soon.

Mike Pollitt did just that towards the end of the first half of Wigan’s home tie with Liverpool and paid the price. While Mido equalize late in the match, this was a game where Wigan seriously had a chance at getting all three points.

Yes it’s harsh to blame one person with regards to points lost, but on a night where Liverpool were far from their best this was a golden opportunity to get all three points. The game wasn’t all that entertaining, Wigan had huge stretches where they were on the ball. However, they didn’t do a thing with it.

Let’s be honest about Liverpool as well, they weren’t all that convincing as well. The goal in the forty-first minute came completely out of the blue. Pollitt’s decision to commit so soon left Yossi Benayoun an empty net to shoot at. Benayoun to his credit though, had the tightest of angles  after nearly running the ball out for a goal kick and did well to turn the ball in at the far post.

Liverpool though ended up shooting themselves in the foot and gave up their lead thanks to a ridiculous penalty that should see Lucas benched for the next match. Just giving Jason Koumas a right old kick in the penalty area has to go down as one of the candidates of dumb move of the season. Mido’s equalizer was deserved but it makes me wonder what would have happened had Pollitt not jumped the gun on Benayoun’s opener? Would Wigan have won it? They nearly did on their own merit at the end when Hugo Rodallega hit the wood work. I am just convinced that Wigan would have won it had Pollitt been wiser and stayed on his line.

Other Thoughts From Today’s Action
* Salamon Kalou’s two goals today were a welcomed sight as Chelsea beat Middlesbrough. However when you have 24 shots on goal, you should be scoring more than 2 goals. With all the time Boro spent in their own half, they should feel fortunate they only lost 2-0 and not by more.

* Fair play to Manchester City for beating Newcastle United at home. However the story to this one are the injuries to Michael Owen and Joey Barton. This is the last thing Joe Kinnear needs as they are only 2 points above the danger zone.

* Everton were robbed by Robin Van Persie’s injury time equalizer. However Arsenal have bigger problems on their hands as three of the top four got three points and there is a gap starting to widen between the Champions League spots. What ace does Wenger have up his sleeve to get his side back in the top four? I’m curious to find out what it is.

* How soon is it before we are talking about Hull City as relegation fodder? They look a side that right now are out of ideas. Phil Brown has a bigger job on his hands keeping this side safe than I think he will want to admit.

* Lucky for Sam Allardyce that Benni McCarthy made up for missing from the spot with grabbing a late equalizer. However, there’s still plenty of work to be done by both sides if they want to get out of the relegation mire.

* Numbers just for my own benefit. 1-4 are separated by just 3 points. The number of teams within three points of relegation, that number is 8.