Liverpool: Taking things into perspective

Only four games into the season and Liverpool have already been ruled out of the title race by some. Titles are not won in the opening games of the season. Titles can be lost - but not after just four games. It is true that the reds have made a less than desirable start but there is still plenty of reason to be optimistic.

For the first time in years, Liverpool were genuine title contenders up till the closing weeks of the season. And this was despite injuries to arguably two of their most important players for much of the campaign, Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard. Losing only two games the entire season, a major criticism was Liverpool's failure to turn draws into wins, particularly against weaker teams at Anfield. Torres and Gerrard are game winners. They are the kind of players who are capable of producing a moment of magic to win games.

The main criticism Liverpool have been facing over the past few weeks is that the loss of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid has cost Liverpool a creative force in midfield. He was a key player last season and his loss has been dearly missed. This criticism is valid. In the opening matches, Liverpool have lacked inspiration. It was only after Yossi Benayoun came on as a substitute against Tottenham in the opening match, for instance, that Liverpool looked dangerous in the final third. With Alonso no longer around to spray passes from midfield, we have also seen Gerrard drop deep to retrieve the ball. This has prevented Gerrard from playing in his best position and has left Torres isolated up front. Granted, Lucas has improved as a player from a year ago. But he is not a replacement for Alonso. He and Mascherano together in midfield do not provide an attacking threat whatsoever. This has been Liverpool's main weakness this season. There has been no creative force in midfield.

Of course, Alberto Aquilani has been brought in as a replacement for Alonso. Before even kicking a ball, he has been criticised for being too injury prone. This certainly is a concern, but judgement should be withheld till he actually plays a few games for the club and gels with his teammates. For all Alonso's strengths, he had a few weaknesses, which is why Rafa Benitez tried to replace him with Gareth Barry last summer in the first place. While he dictated Liverpool's play, he tended to be static and did not contribute enough in terms of goals. Perhaps, Benitez felt his team could be strengthened with a player who was more mobile, got forward more, and made more attempts on goal. This explains why he purchased Aquilani and why he had initially chased Barry. It is a mystery, however, that Benitez did not make a greater effort to sign Barry this summer, given that he was available for a cut-down price.

While the impact of Aquilani is as yet unknown, the overall quality of Liverpool's starting line-up seems to have improved. There have been two changes to the first XI - Alonso has been replaced by Aquilani and Arbeloa has been replaced by Glen Johnson. While we haven't witnessed Aquilani's impact, Johnson has made an immediate contribution. Eyebrows were raised over the huge sum Liverpool paid Portsmouth, but with just four games gone, that hefty pricetag appears to be worth it. It is not just the two goals that he has scored - which, by the way, is extremely impressive - but the overall contribution he provides to Liverpool's attack. He has constantly been in the final thrid of the pitch, providing overlaps and has not been afraid to cross or shoot. This is one thing Liverpool have lacked for some time. While Arbeloa and Finnan before him were reliable options and always produced 7/10 performances, they did not provide an attacking threat. All the top teams have attacking fullbacks - Manchester United have Patrice Evra, Chelsea have Ashley Cole and Jose Bosingwa and Arsenal have Gael Clichy and Bakary Sagna. For Barcelona as well, Dani Alves proved to be a threat constantly on the right flank last season for Barcelona as they swept all before them. Liverpool now have an attacking fullback of their own, and this is already helping them tremendously.

While waiting for Aquilani to return to fitness, one thing seems to be certain - Benayoun needs to start every match. Liverpool clearly lack a spark at the moment. Gerrard is unable to provide all the creativity on his own. Benayoun has proven to be very useful with his technique, skill and unpredictability. One possible option is for Gerrard to play in a deeper position (Alonso's former position, now Aquilani's) while Aquilani recovers, while Benayoun plays in Gerrard's position just behind the striker. This is not Gerrard's ideal position, and his performances may be slighly below what he is capable of. However, Liverpool's performace as a whole could improve. This is something worth considering.

Losing as many games as they lost the whole of last season in the opening four games sure is disappointing. However, drawing too many games was Liverpool's problem last season. Losing one game and winning one game is better than drawing two games. This thought is comforting. As long as Liverpool are able to turn those draws into wins, losing a couple more games this year is unlikely to have too detrimental an effect. If Aquilani proves to be an inspired acquisition, if Gerrard and Torres remain fit this time around, and if Johnson continues to provide as big a threat down the right, Liverpool should be challenging for the title in May.