LIVERPOOL’S game with Blackburn wasn’t great was it? I can’t remember the last time they were relegated to the graveyard slot on Match of the Day like they were on Saturday night.

It was groundhog day at Ewood Park but looking on the positive side of things, it is now six games unbeaten.

Dirk Kuyt was preferred up front instead of David Ngog, when the Dutchman is a far more effective right midfielder and it was Rafael Benitez who converted him to play there, and I can’t understand why Alberto Aquilani was not playing.

For whatever reason Rafael Benitez left him out, he has now got to play him in the Champions League match with Fiorentina on Wednesday – a meaningless game.

Also, Liverpool don’t need two holding midfield players; they only require one and Javier Mascherano should be it because he is better than Lucas; Benitez needs to start playing Aquilani.

They need to be more attack-minded, they have nothing to lose because winning the league title is now beyond them.

It is difficult to be positive when it is the same old, same old but the Italian has been injury free for six weeks now but the manager seems reluctant to play him, maybe because he will have to change his tactics.

We are just getting through games and not beating teams with the ease Liverpool should.

Benitez must look at the Fiorentina game as preparation for Arsenal because you don’t often get free practice matches at this level of football, but this is one of them.

Even if we win we can’t qualify for the knockout stages but he has still got to play Fernando Torres as well, even if we only get a half out of him, everything on Wednesday night has got be done for the visit of Arsene Wenger’s men on Sunday.

Stan Collymore’s comments this week urging Steven Gerrard to leave Anfield do not really help matters.

Steven could have left for Chelsea when Jose Mourinho was in charge and could arguably leave for any club in the world now, but we need to have some sensibility about the issue.

Let’s see where we are at the end of the season and who says we can’t go on a long unbeaten run which will get us back in contention for qualifying for the Champions League?

Obviously if qualification doesn’t come at the end of the campaign then Benitez would be worried about his job and the club would evaluate his position.

With regards Gerrard and Torres, for example, they would have to evaluate where they are.

But until that point there is no use in talking about players leaving.

Mark Lawrenson was speaking to PHIL KIRKBRIDE