Rafa Benitez needs to drop the handbrake and throw in Alberto Aquilani to put Liverpool’s season into top gear.
This is a crossroads fixture for both teams and already seen as crucial for Liverpool and Manchester City.
But City have missed the chance to put daylight between themselves and Liverpool in recent weeks.
City have got stuck in a rut with draws while Liverpool have stuttered badly but are still in touch with the top four.
Liverpool are unquestionably a different team with Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres fit and starting.
But the player that Benitez really starts to need pushing forward is Aquilani, all £20m worth of him.
Aquilani is an attack-minded player and maybe that is why Benitez has been very cautious about bringing him in and starting with him even after his lengthy injury lay-off.
But if you’re going to pay big money then surely sooner or later you have to try to reap the rewards.
Benitez was a bit more expansive with the style of football last season and yet this season, with bad results and low confidence, there has been a temptation not to take risks.
Liverpool desperately need a run of results and to start kicking on and there’s only one way to do that - really go for it in games.
The David Ngog dive rather deflected from Liverpool’s draw against a team tipped for relegation. But that was bad and now they need to win games.
Beating City would give the club such a lift and the belief that they can make the top four and also see off one of their main rivals.
A run of games with a few wins would really see them move up the table and Liverpool need their big players to deliver.
It’s not just all about Torres and Gerrard. Others must take responsibility. And when you cost £20m, Aquilani has to deliver.
It’s the same for City as there are big expectations for them this season. People say Mark Hughes must reach the Champions League but I feel fifth would be good progress.
After all, they have had to buy players who were largely not in teams in the Champions League but the next tier down.
When you do that, you get the next best and recent results have told us that City are still a work in progress.
Robinho is the exception to the rule and, with all his sulking and agitating, I would just sell him if I was City.
If Sheikh Mansour can get the money back they paid for him or even close then they should just cut their losses. Simple as that. You don’t want disruptions when you’re trying to build something.
City’s big problem is not the attacking players anyway. Craig Bellamy and Martin Petrov can give them better options to Robinho down the left.
It’s the problem that City have when they don’t have the ball. Gareth Barry and Nigel De Jong are good players but the trouble is the team don’t defend well enough as a unit yet.
It’s not just about the back four struggling but the whole team not giving the likes of Kolo Toure and Joleon Lescott protection.
You can be sure that City will kick on and spend big again in January to try and push for the top four.
But I’ve still got my doubts about whether City can make it and once Liverpool get back in their routine and groove then the top four will probably take on a rather familiar look again.
This is a crossroads fixture for both teams and already seen as crucial for Liverpool and Manchester City.
But City have missed the chance to put daylight between themselves and Liverpool in recent weeks.
City have got stuck in a rut with draws while Liverpool have stuttered badly but are still in touch with the top four.
Liverpool are unquestionably a different team with Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres fit and starting.
But the player that Benitez really starts to need pushing forward is Aquilani, all £20m worth of him.
Aquilani is an attack-minded player and maybe that is why Benitez has been very cautious about bringing him in and starting with him even after his lengthy injury lay-off.
But if you’re going to pay big money then surely sooner or later you have to try to reap the rewards.
Benitez was a bit more expansive with the style of football last season and yet this season, with bad results and low confidence, there has been a temptation not to take risks.
Liverpool desperately need a run of results and to start kicking on and there’s only one way to do that - really go for it in games.
The David Ngog dive rather deflected from Liverpool’s draw against a team tipped for relegation. But that was bad and now they need to win games.
Beating City would give the club such a lift and the belief that they can make the top four and also see off one of their main rivals.
A run of games with a few wins would really see them move up the table and Liverpool need their big players to deliver.
It’s not just all about Torres and Gerrard. Others must take responsibility. And when you cost £20m, Aquilani has to deliver.
It’s the same for City as there are big expectations for them this season. People say Mark Hughes must reach the Champions League but I feel fifth would be good progress.
After all, they have had to buy players who were largely not in teams in the Champions League but the next tier down.
When you do that, you get the next best and recent results have told us that City are still a work in progress.
Robinho is the exception to the rule and, with all his sulking and agitating, I would just sell him if I was City.
If Sheikh Mansour can get the money back they paid for him or even close then they should just cut their losses. Simple as that. You don’t want disruptions when you’re trying to build something.
City’s big problem is not the attacking players anyway. Craig Bellamy and Martin Petrov can give them better options to Robinho down the left.
It’s the problem that City have when they don’t have the ball. Gareth Barry and Nigel De Jong are good players but the trouble is the team don’t defend well enough as a unit yet.
It’s not just about the back four struggling but the whole team not giving the likes of Kolo Toure and Joleon Lescott protection.
You can be sure that City will kick on and spend big again in January to try and push for the top four.
But I’ve still got my doubts about whether City can make it and once Liverpool get back in their routine and groove then the top four will probably take on a rather familiar look again.
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