From hopeful to hopeless, this could be the week for Reds

NOV 21 — If there is one thing that Rafa Benitez has learnt over the past two years, it is recognising the missing link in his Liverpool squad. Prior to the start of last season, he bought Robbie Keane with a purpose.

Keane was to be at the end of a formation which included Gareth Barry in midfield. Unfortunately, as Benitez revealed recently, when Barry failed to arrive, the whole Keane purchase also turned pear-shaped with the striker just not fitting into the alternative style of play.

In essence, that left him with fewer options going forward across the whole of last season, and ultimately, that little bit extra cost the Reds valuable points and their first title in 19 years.

This season, as anyone and their grandmother will tell you, it’s a feeling of déjà vu at Anfield. The case is not who should’ve been purchased, but who is not there anymore. Xabi Alonso.

This is not just some random thought, too. It’s so blatantly obvious from what has been happening on the pitch this season, especially the lack of control and creativity moving forward. Of course, some of the players’ own admissions say a lot for how they feel about Liverpool’s transfer activity.

Beyond that, recent results prove that Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres are so pivotal to Liverpool’s hopes that any prolonged absence by one or both of them will continue to result in a season that might end with the Reds being out of the Champions League (if not already) and out of reach of a CL spot come May 2010. Realistically, all that Liverpool can hope for now is the FA Cup.

Tonight, Benitez will face the man he so wanted in his midfield line-up when Liverpool host Manchester City.

City, now the world’s richest club based on its Arab owner’s purchasing power and investment into the club to date, have made no secret of their desire to gatecrash the top four and gain a place among the CL elite. How Benitez must wish he had the luxury of an open cheque book which Mark Hughes enjoys currently.

Based on this season’s performances, both in terms of a consistent performance level and the number of losses, the most vulnerable member of the established Big Four are Liverpool. And I dare any Liverpool fan to a wager if they feel otherwise.

After a disastrous run of one victory in nine games, and before a must-win clash with Debrecen in Europe next week, the last thing Liverpool needed was a live lunchtime kick-off with the EPL’s great pretenders.

This could possibly be a season-defining week with the ultimate test being Liverpool’s ability to remain in the Big Four AND winning to keep their CL hopes still flickering. Of course, failure in either effort will not mean that Benitez could lose his job. The poor club just cannot afford that at the moment.

Lose to City and they will be four points behind their most likely usurpers and a further six points outside of the Champions League places, too, if the other results work against them.

Liverpool so desperately need a result here and with big names such as Fernando Torres, Glen Johnson and Yossi Benayoun all unlikely to feature, all hopes will rest on the shoulders of a now-fit Steven Gerrard. Too many a time, the captain has single-handedly saved Liverpool the blushes.

His mere presence will provide inspiration to the other 10 men on the field – the same way that playing Manchester United (MU) raised their game last month – but this could still be a tall order for the Reds against the battling performance City can provide with their array of energetic players.

The good news for Liverpool is that City are still proving vulnerable in defence, and they are coming off a string of five consecutive draws in the league, some of which could easily have been losses had it not been for the heroics of Shay Given.

Liverpool should win today and will give their best performance since beating MU. I am basing this on City being unlikely to recover from the international week of matches, with many of their players returning from international duty. This is unlike Liverpool who have been used to it over many years of having players play for their national sides.

Also having many players returning from a tour of duty overseas, third-placed Manchester United will be hoping to leave their loss to Chelsea well behind them when they take on Everton.

John O’Shea, Michael Carrick and Johnny Evans are all doubtful which means MU could be stretched at the back. Captain Rio Ferdinand will also be missing for another two or three weeks after the club confirmed his present injury stems from a lower back problem.

On the plus side, Nemanja Vidic and Park Ji-sung both featured in the midweek international between Serbia and South Korea after recent injuries and should be available as MU begin the task of chasing Chelsea and Arsenal.

The Red Devils may have lost their last two on the road but they have also won all but one (the last minute draw salvaged against Sunderland) of their six home matches this season. Everton have not won at Old Trafford since 1992, and since then they have managed just a couple of draws amid the mass of defeats.

Yet the Toffees often make life difficult for their north-west rivals and it took a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty – one which would not have been given had it happened in the MU goal area – to give them victory in a tightly-fought affair last term.

Alex Ferguson, facing his possible successor at Old Trafford and a fellow Scot – David Moyes – at that, should have enough resources to ensure a MU victory. This would be in no small part down to former Evertonian Wayne Rooney being in rather inspiring form in recent weeks.

Speaking of the only team to get a point off MU at Old Trafford, and the lads which also defeated Liverpool in the now infamous beach ball incident, Sunderland have a daunting task to further prove their credentials with a home tie against Arsenal.

This match will prove a real test for Arsenal, too. Sunderland have a very impressive home record of only one defeat in six games this season in the league – that defeat coming against Chelsea.

The Gunners are unbeaten in seven, taking 19 points from a possible 21, and are aiming to maintain their scoring streak after hitting 36 goals in 11 Premier League matches this season.

Yet, Arsene Wenger’s men travel to what could be a tricky fixture without the man who has become the focal point of their 4-3-3 formation, delivering seven goals and an equal number of assists.

Stepping in to fill the void left by Robin Van Persie will be Eduardo, whose last goal for the Gunners came way back in August.

Sunderland’s attack will once again be led by Darren Bent. He scored in the home game against Chelsea and kind of scored against Liverpool. He will be looking to exploit the Gunners defence which has kept only one clean sheet in eight.

Bent is likely to be among the goalscorers tonight, but Sunderland won’t score more than what will be put past them. Arsenal will do enough, with a solid midfield (something Liverpool lacks), helping them to a simple, if not resounding, away win here.

It seems almost pointless really to consider Wolves a threat to current table-toppers Chelsea in what is surely a no-brainer. I predicted likewise when Arsenal travelled to Wolves two weeks ago, and was proven right with the thumping 4-1 win by the Gunners.

Similarly, all that the visitors could hope to aim for is to become the first visiting side to score in a league game at Stamford Bridge since the opening day of the season, when Hull City scored the first goal of the EPL season in an early kickoff against Chelsea.

But I think Wolves will be better off trying to keep the goals-against tally as low as possible.

Indeed, the Blues will be without Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Michael Ballack and Deco but that it unlikely to trouble them.

Chelsea will maintain their five point lead this week, while coach Carlo Ancelloti tries out some alternative formations forced upon him by the injuries, in view of the big clash against the Gunners next weekend.