It's time for someone else to step-up at Liverpool FC, but who is it going to be?

As Liverpool transformed itself into an unstoppable juggernaut at the end of last season, one of the primary factors was the dazzling form of Yossi Benayoun. This season, it is crucial that someone else emerges from the pool of inconsistent and underachieving talent currently in the squad and follows in the little midfielder’s footsteps. The question is who will it be?

Realistically, attention focuses on three players: Ryan Babel, Albert Riera and Andrei Voronin. All are internationals and talented footballers, but not one of them is producing the level of performance required to give Rafa Benitez a much-needed selection headache. Goals and assists are the currency of any forward-thinking player and the area where an improvement is urgently required from this trio.

Whether they can do so is another matter.

Babel is the most infuriating. With pace to burn and the proven capacity to strike in big game situations, the Dutchman’s inconsistency drives fans to distraction. Presumably he has the same effect on his teammates, too, as they don’t have the slightest inkling of what to expect from him. With his ill-advised comments to the media rankling further, many would be prepared to cash in, even at the inevitable loss this would entail.

Perhaps a run on the right side is needed in an effort to encourage more crosses like the match winner against West Ham. On the left, Babel’s too predictable – opponents can easily neuter his strength and force him to use his considerably weaker left foot. Given the extravagant outlay he authorised on the winger, Benitez must be tempted to give him one last opportunity - to endorse his eye for a player, if nothing else.

Riera and Voronin are different. It seems less is expected of them. Riera pitches in with consistently middling displays, while the annual touting of Voronin to other clubs demonstrates Rafa’s true valuation of the striker. But if either could raise their game in a manner similar to Benayoun’s improvement it would go some distance in patching up the threadbare nature of the squad.

Of the two, Riera offers more hope. Other than a decent pre-season on arrival, Voronin has done little to make himself a genuine first team option. Riera, however, has tidy, quick feet, an explosive shot and gives the team balance. Despite these assets, the Spaniard rarely imposes himself on a fixture, instead frustratingly drifting in and out of games. It may be that a goal or strong performance is all that is required to coax a run of more incisive form out of him.

Fans will hope someone on the fringes of the first team accepts the challenge of becoming indispensable, as the stakes couldn’t be higher. Without improvement from within, Liverpool’s fate is too dependent on luck with injury. The groundswell of back-slapping which accompanied news of the recent record-breaking shirt sponsorship deal shouldn’t mask the relative lack of investment where it counts – on the pitch.

Online Surveys & Market Research