MARK LAWRENSON: Liverpool are just average without the dynamic duo

Jan 8 2008

SAME old story for Liverpool I’m afraid.

Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Jamie Carragher remain their only three top class players and without two of them on Sunday? Average.

They lacked direction, leadership, urgency. And while Luton played well above themselves as you’d expect, Liverpool didn't have anyone who seemed capable of changing the game.

I thought Xabi Alonso was outstanding in his first season but he just doesn’t look the same player now and doesn’t seem able to influence a game in the way he once did.

I don’t think the other forwards have enough about them when Torres is out and I don’t think they are players who any of the other top four would take in a hurry.

Javier Mascherano is a good signing but only for the specific job he does. He doesn’t create, play players in or score goals – he does that midfield role that the likes of Makelele did so well for many years.

But Makelele had great players around him to make him look more effective – if you don’t have that then you look more limited.

It’s not a situation that will improve much in this January transfer window either, with Rafael Benitez rightly prioritising a defender for the bulk of his spending.

But there is something fundamentally wrong at the club at the moment and I don’t think it’s the manager.

Things aren’t right off the pitch and clarification from the Americans about what they want to do is needed soon.

Until we get that, I fear things on the pitch will continue to be as unstable too.