Thirty years ago, when Liverpool won their 11th league title under Bob Paisley, the most successful manager in the history of the club, they achieved it using 15 players.
Four of them (Ray Clemence, Kenny Dalglish, Ray Kennedy and Phil Neal) played all 42 league games in a season when they lost just four times in the league, scoring 85 goals and conceding just 16.
Of those 15 players, some barely got a look in as Paisley sent out the same team, winning the league in old money by eight points.
Super sub David Fairclough made just 10 appearances and Sammy Lee, now back at Anfield as a coach, two.
Squad rotation had not been invented back then and the idea of Liverpool employing nearly 70 professional footballers in order to choose seven for the substitutes' bench would have been absurd.
Despite an early exit from the European Cup (knocked out by Nottingham Forest in the first round), they played 54 competitive matches (42 in the league, seven in the FA Cup, two in the European Super Cup, and one in the League Cup) using only 16 players. Of those, Sammy Lee and goalkeeper Steve Ogrizovic made just one start each.
To put Liverpool's achievements under Paisley into context, a season when they also lost an FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United after a replay, the maximum number of games they will play this season is 58.
There was no such thing as fixture congestion, with five friendlies arranged during the season against Saudi Arabia (where Dalglish scored the only goal), Swansea City at Anfield, Werder Bremen, Bangor and Borussia Moenchengladbach.
When Paisley retired in 1983, he had captured six league titles and three European Cups, boasting a 56 per cent win record that was the envy of modern football.
Today, Rafael Benitez complains that Liverpool do not have the resources to compete with Manchester United at the top of the Barclays Premier League.
Why then, does he argue for 11 substitutes instead of seven, something that will only benefit the club with the biggest pull.
According to Benitez, who incidentally has the same 56 per cent win record at Anfield as Paisley, Liverpool's best XI can match United's best XI, a statement given credence with their fabulous 4-1 victory at Old Trafford last Saturday.
One of the problems is that Benitez rarely plays his best team, making 90 changes in just 29 league games this season. He will inevitably reach a century before the close of play.
Since he arrived in English football, Benitez has used 30 players in the Premier League in 2004/05, 24 in 2005/06, 29 in 2006/07, 28 in 2007/08 and 23 so far this season.
He has kept the same team just twice in the league this season, for games against Stoke and Everton in January, just as Liverpool's title challenge was beginning to fade.
Hardly the model of consistency.
The majority of the 60 odd professionals will never get a look in at Anfield, not nearly good enough for a team still waiting for their first league title since 1990.
Benitez complains that they cannot compete with United, the team who spent £30m on Dimitar Berbatov last summer as Sir Alex Ferguson made improvements to a team who were already champions at home and abroad.
Those constraints did not stop Benitez spending £24m on Fernando Torres, hailed the best striker in the world by Steven Gerrard last weekend, or £17m on Robbie Keane.
United spent £12.5m on Cristiano Ronaldo when they signed him from Sporting and he went on to become the best player in the world.
In previous eras, under the old boot room mentality of Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Dalglish, the league was always the bread and butter, with the belief that if they are consistent over 42 matches other trophies will follow.
When Dalglish was asked why Liverpool were so consistent, he replied: 'Because we are playing better more often.'
They were unstoppable. One impressive win in the Premier League against United last weekend and now there is talk again of Liverpool catching them.
Before last week's game, Gerrard claimed that if he only won one more trophy in his career, then he would willingly sacrifice all his medals for the league title.
Jamie Carragher, scandalously sent to play right back at times this season because of injuries, speaks in similar vein: 'It is time we won it.'
That will never happen, not while Benitez continues to change his team according to the opposition. There is no continuity at the club, with frequent changes another accident waiting to happen, as they were when they lost 2-0 at Middlesbrough on Feb 28.
In times gone by, Liverpool allowed the opposition to worry about them, picking the strongest available team and winning league titles year in, year out. Under Benitez that is no longer the case.
It has certainly been a good week for Liverpool's manager, earning the right to have another crack at it again next season following the 4-0 demolition of Real Madrid in the Champions League and a spectacular win at Old Trafford.
They have a world class training facility at Melwood, a trophy cabinet that is envy of most clubs in Europe and a team that is capable of winning big matches.
United have the greater financial resources, but the traditions and history of Liverpool should still count for something.
Four of them (Ray Clemence, Kenny Dalglish, Ray Kennedy and Phil Neal) played all 42 league games in a season when they lost just four times in the league, scoring 85 goals and conceding just 16.
Of those 15 players, some barely got a look in as Paisley sent out the same team, winning the league in old money by eight points.
Super sub David Fairclough made just 10 appearances and Sammy Lee, now back at Anfield as a coach, two.
Squad rotation had not been invented back then and the idea of Liverpool employing nearly 70 professional footballers in order to choose seven for the substitutes' bench would have been absurd.
Despite an early exit from the European Cup (knocked out by Nottingham Forest in the first round), they played 54 competitive matches (42 in the league, seven in the FA Cup, two in the European Super Cup, and one in the League Cup) using only 16 players. Of those, Sammy Lee and goalkeeper Steve Ogrizovic made just one start each.
To put Liverpool's achievements under Paisley into context, a season when they also lost an FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United after a replay, the maximum number of games they will play this season is 58.
There was no such thing as fixture congestion, with five friendlies arranged during the season against Saudi Arabia (where Dalglish scored the only goal), Swansea City at Anfield, Werder Bremen, Bangor and Borussia Moenchengladbach.
When Paisley retired in 1983, he had captured six league titles and three European Cups, boasting a 56 per cent win record that was the envy of modern football.
Today, Rafael Benitez complains that Liverpool do not have the resources to compete with Manchester United at the top of the Barclays Premier League.
Why then, does he argue for 11 substitutes instead of seven, something that will only benefit the club with the biggest pull.
According to Benitez, who incidentally has the same 56 per cent win record at Anfield as Paisley, Liverpool's best XI can match United's best XI, a statement given credence with their fabulous 4-1 victory at Old Trafford last Saturday.
One of the problems is that Benitez rarely plays his best team, making 90 changes in just 29 league games this season. He will inevitably reach a century before the close of play.
Since he arrived in English football, Benitez has used 30 players in the Premier League in 2004/05, 24 in 2005/06, 29 in 2006/07, 28 in 2007/08 and 23 so far this season.
He has kept the same team just twice in the league this season, for games against Stoke and Everton in January, just as Liverpool's title challenge was beginning to fade.
Hardly the model of consistency.
The majority of the 60 odd professionals will never get a look in at Anfield, not nearly good enough for a team still waiting for their first league title since 1990.
Benitez complains that they cannot compete with United, the team who spent £30m on Dimitar Berbatov last summer as Sir Alex Ferguson made improvements to a team who were already champions at home and abroad.
Those constraints did not stop Benitez spending £24m on Fernando Torres, hailed the best striker in the world by Steven Gerrard last weekend, or £17m on Robbie Keane.
United spent £12.5m on Cristiano Ronaldo when they signed him from Sporting and he went on to become the best player in the world.
In previous eras, under the old boot room mentality of Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Dalglish, the league was always the bread and butter, with the belief that if they are consistent over 42 matches other trophies will follow.
When Dalglish was asked why Liverpool were so consistent, he replied: 'Because we are playing better more often.'
They were unstoppable. One impressive win in the Premier League against United last weekend and now there is talk again of Liverpool catching them.
Before last week's game, Gerrard claimed that if he only won one more trophy in his career, then he would willingly sacrifice all his medals for the league title.
Jamie Carragher, scandalously sent to play right back at times this season because of injuries, speaks in similar vein: 'It is time we won it.'
That will never happen, not while Benitez continues to change his team according to the opposition. There is no continuity at the club, with frequent changes another accident waiting to happen, as they were when they lost 2-0 at Middlesbrough on Feb 28.
In times gone by, Liverpool allowed the opposition to worry about them, picking the strongest available team and winning league titles year in, year out. Under Benitez that is no longer the case.
It has certainly been a good week for Liverpool's manager, earning the right to have another crack at it again next season following the 4-0 demolition of Real Madrid in the Champions League and a spectacular win at Old Trafford.
They have a world class training facility at Melwood, a trophy cabinet that is envy of most clubs in Europe and a team that is capable of winning big matches.
United have the greater financial resources, but the traditions and history of Liverpool should still count for something.
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