Benitez’s tactical blunders are hurting Liverpool. It's time for 'aces in their places'

So much for Fortress Anfield! Even at this early stage, Liverpool’s crushing home defeat to Aston Villa is a devastating blow to the club’s title ambitions. The problem? Rafa Benitez's one-dimensional tactics and lack of an effective plan B. It's clear that if Liverpool are to recover and mount a serious title, important changes need to be made NOW.

The poor start to the season has nothing to do with fan-favourite excuses like lack of money; the influence of Hicks and Gillett or injuries - Benitez has simply failed to utilise the players he has in the most effective way possible.

This needs to change, and the first thing that needs to go is the 4231 formation.

I’m not suggesting that it doesn’t work; it does, but only when you have the right players. The plain fact is that without Xabi Alonso - or someone of comparable talent – 4231 is just not effective, especially with the sub-standard players with which Benitez has padded the team.

When a team loses one of its most important players and fails to replace him, regrouping and solidifying to cover the absence has to be a priority. This means aces in their places; familiarity over disparity and tried and trusted methods.

But this is obvious, isn't it?

The hole left by Alonso needed to be filled effectively from DAY ONE of the season but Benitez singularly failed to do that. He instead choose to spend 20m on an injured player who will not even be able to kick a ball until October.

I argued at the time that signing Alberto Aquilani was a mistake for this very reason, and that the league challenge could be over by the time he makes his debut. Well, it looks increasingly like this nightmare scenario could become reality.

Alonso's makeshift replacement, Lucas Leiva will (predictably) come under fire for his role in the defeat, but he is not to blame. The Brazilian tries his best but he cannot be expected to immediately excel in a role he has rarely played since arriving at the club. It takes time to build a successful midfield partnership and you can count the number of times Lucas has played with Mascherano on one hand.

This uncertainty, inexperience and unfamiliarity at the heart of the team is causing a real problem for Liverpool, and it’s clear that without a strong midfield behind them, the Gerrard-Torres partnership is pretty ineffective.

Liverpool and Benitez have simply not adapted. What makes this worse is the solution was/is glaringly obvious:

Move Steven Gerrard back into midfield.

This should have happened right from the start. Indeed, in two of the three games so far this season, Benitez has been forced to move Gerrard back into midfield at some point anyway, so he’s obviously aware of the problem.

Starting the season with an untried, untested midfield partnership of Mascherano and Lucas was, quite frankly, bordering on negligence, especially when Mascherano and Gerrard have played together *effectively* many times in the past.

Opposing teams fear a midfield that contains Steven Gerrard; does Lucas instill the same sort of anxiety? No. As such, the psychological battle is lost before the game even begins.

With Gerrard playing deeper, Alonso's loss would be mitigated by the Liverpool captain's playmaking abilities, i.e:

1. Expansive passing range
2. Linking midfield with attack
3. Ability to retain possession
4. Ability to bring others into the game

All were/are staples of Alonso's game, now conspicuously absent from the heart of the team.

The Gerrard-Torres partnership is undoubtedly important to Liverpool BUT it is not the be all and end all. There was actually life before their partnership, and - in my view – if Liverpool is to recover from this damaging start to the season, the following changes need to be made:

1. Switch from 4231 to 4411
2. Move Gerrard to central midfield
3. Move Yossi Benayoun to Gerrard’s role, just behind Torres
4. Play Albert Riera on the left whenever possible.

----------------------- Reina

Johnson ------ Carra --- Skrtel --------- Insua/Aurelio

Kuyt ------- Gerrard ----- Masch -------- Riera

-------------------- Benayoun

------------------------ Torres

Benefits:

1. Moving Gerrard to midfield solidifies the heart of the team and reintroduces some of Alonso’s qualities into the fold.

2. Benyoun’s natural position is just behind the striker; he has proved this season and last that he is more than capable of playing there. It is a natural solution – playing him on the left imbalances the team and wastes much of his talent.

3. It’s obvious, but Albert Riera brings balance to the team. What is the point of having him if he doesn’t play? It’s possible that Benitez is planning to sell Riera, which would explain why he’s not playing. I don’t think that’s a possibility, which makes his absence even more mystifying.

4. This team can still switch to 4231 when necessary, i.e. when other teams try and overrun us by flooding midfield.

----------------------- Reina

Johnson ------ Carra --- Skrtel --------- Insua/Aurelio

------------- Gerrard ----- Masch

Kuyt --------------- Benayoun ------------ Riera

------------------------ Torres

In the formations I’ve outlined above, every player is arguably in their natural and strongest position - aces in their places; bags of experience and no square pegs in round holes.

At present, Liverpool has no plan B. It’s 4231 with Gerrard behind Torres or bust. Well, the team above IS plan B, and it needs to be implemented as soon as possible.

Gerrard may not want to move back into midfield, but what’s best for the team has to come before what’s best for the individual.

There's no time for stubbornness or inflexibility - If Benitez persists with 4231 in its current form then I have no doubt that Liverpool’s title challenge will be over before Aquilani has even kicked a ball.

Conversely, if the change is made now, there could still be a chance to salvage some kind of title challenge.

After two defeats in three games, there's no more room for error.