RED WATCH: Rafa Benitez is now getting it right after ditching rotation policy

Mar 13 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

LIVERPOOL’S sudden return to form is due to Rafa Benitez abandoning his rotation policy and playing his strongest team.

Liverpool’s sudden return to form is due to Rafa Benitez’s rotation policy allowing players to preserve energy for the latter stages of the season.

Discuss.

Whatever your view on this, and I’m pretty sure you’ll have a view, what’s indisputable is that six straight wins are clear evidence that, for the moment at least, Rafa has got it right.

The 4-2-3-1 formation has been an unqualified success, enabling us to field our most adventurous players, while not sacrificing defensive discipline.

Much has been made of the developing relationship between Gerrard and Torres (expect a tabloid picture of them wearing strange ‘telepathy’ headgear any time soon) but for me the real strength of this system is that it enables us to play Mascherano, Alonso and Gerrard in the centre of the pitch, where the real business is done

The mobility of Torres has made this possible, just one aspect of his play that has lifted the spirits of Kopites distracted by events off the field.

Such is Rafa’s confidence in the new system that he didn’t bother to tinker too much for the game at Inter.

Initial reservations at taking Jamie Carragher out of the middle, and the selection of Aurelio over Riise, were proved unfounded as the team ground out a typical ‘European performance’, as such displays of obdurate defending coupled with rapid counter-attacks have come to be known.

Sami Hyypia was a must pick for this game, and Rafa’s faith in Skrtel was repaid, leaving aside for the moment his tendency to place at least one pass per match at the feet of a lurking forward.

Once Xabi Alonso’s girlfriend was unable to deliver a baby with the timeliness he delivers a pass, the rest of the team picked itself.

As expected, Javier Mascherano delivered a master class in the art of the holding midfielder. Clearly enjoying his football, if this guy could score goals he’d be pushing Stevie G for his place in my World XI – though I might just squeeze him in anyway.

With Lucas developing into a cross between Ronnie Whelan and Didier Deschamps, the cover they provided for the defence proved invaluable, and enabled Gerrard to push forward in support of Torres with confidence.

On the few occasions Inter did break through, Pepe Reina was assuredness itself.

With a defence as strong as ours, Pepe doesn’t always get the chance to prove his value.

Recently though he’s been called upon to make some special saves, and the two here from Cruz were out of the very top drawer.

Perhaps the only disappointment on the night was Ryan Babel, who looked overawed by the occasion and largely left the Italians (if there were any in their team) untroubled.

Of course we must acknowledge that a very poor referee did us an enormous favour in dismissing Burdisso just after half-time.

Not that I’ve any sympathy for him, but there’s no doubt that Lady Luck has returned to our camp recently, and wearing her best bib and tucker at that.

The bizarre opening goals against Bolton and Newcastle have proved that, and those who ranted and raved at Rob Styles earlier in the season should be feeling pretty sheepish just now.

Torres’s wonderful strike followed soon after the dismissal, after which Inter basically gave up, epitomised by Patrick Vieira’s languid stroll from the pitch when substituted after 76 minutes.

It made you ponder that, if the scoreline had been reversed at half-time in Istanbul, you wouldn’t have seen a heroic comeback from an Italian side.