Steven Gerrard has had a habit of seizing the moment to become Liverpool's saviour during the Rafael Benitez era but if our country's most dynamic midfielder is going to come to the rescue once again in Marseille tonight, he badly needs help from his manager.
The Liverpool captain needs space to thrive at the Stade Velodrome but for that to happen Benitez must make sure that he sends out a team with plenty of width and that means reverting to the 4-4-2 formation. At Reading, he went with a narrower 4-3-3 shape and it backfired badly, as you would expect if you have Peter Crouch playing at outside-left when he should never stray from being a centre-forward.
The absence of orthodox wingers means that the midfield becomes too congested and players of the stature of Gerrard do not get the chance to stamp their authority on the game.
A tight three-against-three battle in midfield will negate Gerrard's influence and that could spell the end of Liverpool's Champions League ambitions, because they need their captain to be given every opportunity to break forward and put his excellent shooting ability to good use.
The 4-4-2 system seems to suit Gerrard better than others and while I know he is no shirker when it comes to being in the thick of the action in the midfield trenches, two wingers will make space for attack-minded players like him because they will pull opponents out of his way.
Wingers will ensure that the game is stretched and that Marseille can be pulled this way and that as Liverpool go for what will probably be an all-important win. Wide men will also ensure that there is a regular supply of crosses to Crouch and Fernando Torres.
Unfortunately, the pair have not had the chance to polish their double act because of Benitez's tinkering, which means they would have to do plenty of work on the training ground to compensate.
I get the impression that Benitez remains uncertain as to whether Crouch and Torres can hit it off but, with the right delivery, I would back them to get the better of the French club's defence, especially as the England striker's strength in the air is bound to result in knockdowns for his Spanish partner.
Defensively, deploying two wingers would also help Liverpool. It would mean that the opposing full-backs would be kept on the back foot and not allowed to push forward and make dangerous overlapping runs.
The funny thing is, earlier on in the season, Benitez said that playing with wingers helped his team in terms of attacking and defending. He seemed to forget all that when he took his side to Reading and he was punished as they suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season.
They say every cloud has a silver lining, so let's hope that the painful lessons he learned in Berkshire will ensure that Benitez sees sense and goes with a 4-4-2 formation. It's simple and straightforward and will guarantee Liverpool are well-organised for what I expect to be an aggressive atmosphere on the shores of the Mediterranean.
The Liverpool captain needs space to thrive at the Stade Velodrome but for that to happen Benitez must make sure that he sends out a team with plenty of width and that means reverting to the 4-4-2 formation. At Reading, he went with a narrower 4-3-3 shape and it backfired badly, as you would expect if you have Peter Crouch playing at outside-left when he should never stray from being a centre-forward.
The absence of orthodox wingers means that the midfield becomes too congested and players of the stature of Gerrard do not get the chance to stamp their authority on the game.
A tight three-against-three battle in midfield will negate Gerrard's influence and that could spell the end of Liverpool's Champions League ambitions, because they need their captain to be given every opportunity to break forward and put his excellent shooting ability to good use.
The 4-4-2 system seems to suit Gerrard better than others and while I know he is no shirker when it comes to being in the thick of the action in the midfield trenches, two wingers will make space for attack-minded players like him because they will pull opponents out of his way.
Wingers will ensure that the game is stretched and that Marseille can be pulled this way and that as Liverpool go for what will probably be an all-important win. Wide men will also ensure that there is a regular supply of crosses to Crouch and Fernando Torres.
Unfortunately, the pair have not had the chance to polish their double act because of Benitez's tinkering, which means they would have to do plenty of work on the training ground to compensate.
I get the impression that Benitez remains uncertain as to whether Crouch and Torres can hit it off but, with the right delivery, I would back them to get the better of the French club's defence, especially as the England striker's strength in the air is bound to result in knockdowns for his Spanish partner.
Defensively, deploying two wingers would also help Liverpool. It would mean that the opposing full-backs would be kept on the back foot and not allowed to push forward and make dangerous overlapping runs.
The funny thing is, earlier on in the season, Benitez said that playing with wingers helped his team in terms of attacking and defending. He seemed to forget all that when he took his side to Reading and he was punished as they suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season.
They say every cloud has a silver lining, so let's hope that the painful lessons he learned in Berkshire will ensure that Benitez sees sense and goes with a 4-4-2 formation. It's simple and straightforward and will guarantee Liverpool are well-organised for what I expect to be an aggressive atmosphere on the shores of the Mediterranean.
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