Rafael Benitez prefers to call it "changing" rather than "rotating", but he now accepts that two of his players need to be deployed almost without break if Liverpool are to challenge for the Premier League title. Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres are simply indispensable.
Torres's glorious solo goal and Gerrard's swashbuckling winner at Derby on Boxing Day encapsulated the strengths and weaknesses of Liverpool's struggle to become English champions for the first time in 18 years. Even Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea must covet the Spanish striker and the Anfield captain, yet few of their colleagues would merit a regular place with the other three members of the Big Four.
Liverpool go to Manchester City today clinging to the coattails of the familiar front-runners and Benitez, though still an advocate of the squad system, acknowledged that Gerrard, 27, and Torres were fundamental to his club's ambitions.
"If Torres is not injured and Gerrard is not injured, you can maybe do a fantastic season," Benitez said. "You need some luck and also to change players at the right moment. The first year I was here Gerrard was injured for three months. The second year he scored 23 goals and we finished with 82 points.
"When you have three or four days between matches and you are a 23-year-old like Torres, it is easy to keep playing. For Gerrard, too."
Benitez was fortunate to inherit Gerrard's phenomenal capabilities, but takes the credit for signing Torres when other leading clubs, notably United, prevaricated. They knew he had good control and pace, but questioned whether he would score enough goals to justify the investment. Fifteen so far this season seems an emphatic response.
Benitez never doubted Torres had the attributes and application to succeed where others, including his countryman, Fernando Morientes, failed. "Maybe Torres has surprised other clubs because they were saying he would be signing for them," Benitez said. "But the first time I talked to him about coming here he was very clear - he wanted to come right away.
"He is a Spanish player who has come to a team with a Spanish manager and some Spanish speaking team-mates. It can be difficult for a manager to explain what he wants, but I tell him in Spanish and can explain things that maybe others couldn't. It is not the same to go through a translator.
"Torres will get better because he wants to improve. His mentality is good. If you tell him he needs to work hard, he works harder. If you need him to stay and practice after training, he stays and practices.
"When we signed Morientes his mentality was really good. I was looking for a player good in the air and a target man. But Morientes couldn't handle it physically. Torres can. He is quick and strong. And he's younger."
Torres's glorious solo goal and Gerrard's swashbuckling winner at Derby on Boxing Day encapsulated the strengths and weaknesses of Liverpool's struggle to become English champions for the first time in 18 years. Even Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea must covet the Spanish striker and the Anfield captain, yet few of their colleagues would merit a regular place with the other three members of the Big Four.
Liverpool go to Manchester City today clinging to the coattails of the familiar front-runners and Benitez, though still an advocate of the squad system, acknowledged that Gerrard, 27, and Torres were fundamental to his club's ambitions.
"If Torres is not injured and Gerrard is not injured, you can maybe do a fantastic season," Benitez said. "You need some luck and also to change players at the right moment. The first year I was here Gerrard was injured for three months. The second year he scored 23 goals and we finished with 82 points.
"When you have three or four days between matches and you are a 23-year-old like Torres, it is easy to keep playing. For Gerrard, too."
Benitez was fortunate to inherit Gerrard's phenomenal capabilities, but takes the credit for signing Torres when other leading clubs, notably United, prevaricated. They knew he had good control and pace, but questioned whether he would score enough goals to justify the investment. Fifteen so far this season seems an emphatic response.
Benitez never doubted Torres had the attributes and application to succeed where others, including his countryman, Fernando Morientes, failed. "Maybe Torres has surprised other clubs because they were saying he would be signing for them," Benitez said. "But the first time I talked to him about coming here he was very clear - he wanted to come right away.
"He is a Spanish player who has come to a team with a Spanish manager and some Spanish speaking team-mates. It can be difficult for a manager to explain what he wants, but I tell him in Spanish and can explain things that maybe others couldn't. It is not the same to go through a translator.
"Torres will get better because he wants to improve. His mentality is good. If you tell him he needs to work hard, he works harder. If you need him to stay and practice after training, he stays and practices.
"When we signed Morientes his mentality was really good. I was looking for a player good in the air and a target man. But Morientes couldn't handle it physically. Torres can. He is quick and strong. And he's younger."
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