After our (rather unsuccessful) attempts to convince you of Raymond Domenech’s appealing qualities, our thoughts turn to that much-maligned manager from Madrid, Rafa Benitez.

Liverpool went out of the Champions League on Tuesday night despite a 1-0 win over Debrecen, as Lyon failed to bite in Fiorentina.  

Benitez is taking a lot of stick from fans and non-fans alike but here are 10 (OK, nine) good reasons to love the man:

1. His detractors still put it down to as much to luck as judgment, but the achievement in taking that ragtag bunch of players to Champions League glory in 2005 just can’t be underestimated. The shake-up at half-time, bringing on Dietmar Hamann and switching to a three-man defence, changed a game that no one in the world believed could be salvaged and gave Benitez the defining moment of his coaching career.

2. David Ngog. You can pore over the transfer record all you like, and many, many fans, bloggers and journalists have, but the signing of French striker Ngog for just 1.5 million pounds from PSG will surely go down as a terrific piece of business. Ngog has a great career ahead of him, if used wisely. If…

3. Montse. Kenny Dalglish once claimed that he couldn’t give a TV reporter any clues about who would be playing the Cup final as it was his wife, Marina who always picked the team. Rafa doesn’t go that far but his wife Montse did have a role in keeping him at the club in 2007. “Benitez is not going anywhere. He’s under contract and he told me that his wife has said that if he ever did go, he’d have to go without her because she’s staying in Liverpool!” co-owner Tom Hicks was quoted as saying.

4. Doctor Who? Rafa was made a Doctor ‘Honoris Causa’ of the University Miguel Hernandez of Elche in 2008. So if love is out of the question you should at least look up to him unless you have a higher degree, too.

5. Attacking style. Valencia fans have mixed feelings about Benitez but most recognise that he at least tried to play a more attacking style – as opposed to the counter-attacking strategy under Hector Cuper — and it was rewarded with those two league titles. When he joined Liverpool, it was a similar story, at least early on, as the team played the ball around much more than they had done towards the end of the Gerard Houllier era. So at least he tried.

6. Speaking of attack, how about that one on Alex Ferguson. Great entertainment. Fact. 

7. Zonal marking. This has been a source of great joy for opposition teams in the Premier League this season, so if you are a fan of another club you should be praising Benitez to the skies.

8. That trip to the pub. It is by no means unusual for Liverpool fans to go to the boozer on a European trip but no one expected the team manager to turn up at an Irish bar in Cologne.

9. Fernando Torres. If David Ngog shows Benitez has an eye for a bargain, the signing of Torres shows it’s sometimes worth shopping at the nose-bleed end of the market… as long as you get the right player. Torres cost 20 million pounds or so and would be worth at least twice that now and quite possibly a lot more, which if nothing else should make up for purchases such as Dossena, Riera, Babel, etc, etc…

10. Ok, that’s only nine. Anyone care to nominate a 10th?

PHOTO: Liverpool’s coach Rafa Benitez gives instructions to his players during their Champions League match against Atletico Madrid in Madrid October 22, 2008. REUTERS/Felix Ordonez

Liverpool hopes of one more great Champions League escape were dashed on Tuesday night, as Fiorentina sealed their place alongside Olympique Lyon with a 1-0 win over the French side, leaving the English team’s 1-0 success against Debrecen irrelevant.

Liverpool, of course, only have themselves to blame for leaving their fate in the hands of a team that had already secured their own qualification.

There will doubtless be a lot more criticism of Rafa Benitez, his transfer dealings and the perceived failures of man management, but the analysis of exactly why Liverpool failed to progress can wait for another post.

For now, consider one question: Might this result actually work in Liverpool’s long-term favour?

The club could certainly have done with the revenue from a run to the semi-finals or beyond but, with the best will in the world, did this season’s team ever really look capable of making it as far as Madrid?

With a squad that (everyone has said) is inferior to last year’s, maybe it will prove in their interests that they no longer have to juggle Champions League and Premier League campaigns. They can now have a leisurely tilt at the Europa League — if they make it to the final it will be an enjoyable run, if they don’t … well, who really cares? — and concentrate on doing something about that dreadful domestic form.

The priority, as always, must be to secure qualification for the group stage of next year’s Champions League. That 19th league title looks as elusive as ever but a top-four finish may have just become a more realistic possibility.

PHOTO: Liverpool’s coach Rafael Benitez looks on as Steven Gerrard walks off during the Champions League soccer match against Debrecen at the Puskas stadium in Budapest November 24, 2009. REUTERS/Laszlo Balogh

Monday morning update 2: Mike Collett claims, with some justification it must be said, to have altered his predictions on Friday afternoon. I do indeed have an email from Mike asking me to change them, so I guess we’ll have to give him credit for getting Liverpool v Man City, the double pointer, bang on at 2-2. OK, Mike … but next time, one shot please.

I also decided to give Mitch a one-point bonus for his 5-0 prediction in the Spurs game (closer than anyone else), making him one of the week’s big winners with 18 points. Martyn Herman would have got 20, including a two-point bonus for being the only person to predict an Arsenal defeat, but I docked him two for trying to sneak in a 2-2 prediction on the Anfield game … after the final whistle.

So here’s the latest table here at Reuters Soccer Blog Towers. Let us know how you are doing. Just to recap, it’s a point for the right result, or five points for the correct score. Double points on Liverpool. A two-point bonus if you got Arsenal losing. More bonus points for style if you make a convincing argument in the comments.   

Reuters Soccer Blog panel: Patrick Johnston 129, Mitch Phillips 111, Paul Radford 106,  Mike Collett 101, Simon Evans 89, Kevin Fylan 88, Mark Meadows 87, Miles Evans 86, Neil Maidment 81, Julien Pretot 74, Asia Sports Desk 68, Martyn Herman 46, Justin Palmer 38, Sonia Oxley 29

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Original post: Tired of Thierry? Had enough of Henry? Exhausted at the attempts of headline writers around the world to come up with a catchy way of describing Ireland’s unfortunate World Cup exit? (The Hand of God II, Le Hand of God, La Main de Dieu, Thierrygate … and that’s just us on Reuters Soccer Blog).

If so, we have just the thing for you, as our predictions game is back with a bang following that pesky World Cup break.

Remember the name Rafa? The big big man is back, quite possibly with Sir Steven Gerrard, as the Premier League returns with a belter: Liverpool v Man City at Anfield, 1245 Saturday.

Elsewhere, Man Utd need to put the Chelsea defeat behind them at home to Everton, while Wigan Athletic will have to watch out for the angriest striker in the Premier League, Ireland frontman Robbie Keane, when they face Spurs.

For those new to our score predictions game, you get one point for getting the right result, but make that five points if you get the score exactly right. Pit your wits against us here at the Reuters Soccer Blog panel and just see how quickly you overtake us. Here’s the state of play at the moment.

Reuters Soccer Blog panel: Patrick Johnston 117, Paul Radford 102, Mitch Phillips 93, Mike Collett 88, Miles Evans 86, Simon Evans 85, Kevin Fylan 78, Mark Meadows 77, Julien Pretot 74, Neil Maidment 67, Asia Sports Desk 55, Justin Palmer 38, Martyn Herman 28, Sonia Oxley 26

Rest of the world: Keep your score and let us know in the comments. From next week I’ll try to keep tabs on how you’re doing and add you to the table.

Without further ado, here are this weekend’s matches … and your double pointer is Liverpool v Man City. They couldn’t lose again, could they?

Liverpool v Manchester City: Patrick Johnston 1-1, Paul Radford 2-1 (Gerrard winner), Mitch Phillips 3-0, Mike Collett 1-1, Miles Evans , Simon Evans 2-1, Kevin Fylan 1-2, Mark Meadows 1-0, Julien Pretot , Neil Maidment 2-1, Asia Sports Desk 2-1, Justin Palmer , Martyn Herman 2-2 (came in after match had finished, so points surely to be deducted), Sonia Oxley 1-2

Birmingham City v Fulham: Patrick Johnston 2-1, Paul Radford 0-0, Mitch Phillips 1-0, Mike Collett 1-1, Miles Evans , Simon Evans 1-1, Kevin Fylan 1-0, Mark Meadows 1-1, Julien Pretot , Neil Maidment 1-2, Asia Sports Desk 1-1, Justin Palmer , Martyn Herman 2-1, Sonia Oxley 1-1

Burnley v Aston Villa: Patrick Johnston 2-1, Paul Radford 1-2, Mitch Phillips 1-1, Mike Collett 1-2, Miles Evans , Simon Evans 2-1, Kevin Fylan 1-2, Mark Meadows 1-1, Julien Pretot , Neil Maidment 1-1, Asia Sports Desk 1-2, Justin Palmer , Martyn Herman 2-0, Sonia Oxley 1-2

Chelsea v Wolverhampton Wanderers: Patrick Johnston 4-0, Paul Radford 3-0, Mitch Phillips 4-1, Mike Collett 3-1, Miles Evans , Simon Evans 3-0, Kevin Fylan 4-1, Mark Meadows 3-0, Julien Pretot , Neil Maidment 4-0, Asia Sports Desk 4-0, Justin Palmer , Martyn Herman 5-0, Sonia Oxley 3-1

Hull City v West Ham United: Patrick Johnston 0-2, Paul Radford 0-1, Mitch Phillips 1-0, Mike Collett 2-2, Miles Evans , Simon Evans 1-2, Kevin Fylan 0-0, Mark Meadows 1-2, Julien Pretot , Neil Maidment 1-1, Asia Sports Desk 0-0, Justin Palmer , Martyn Herman 1-1, Sonia Oxley 2-3

Sunderland v Arsenal: Patrick Johnston 1-3, Paul Radford 0-2, Mitch Phillips 1-1, Mike Collett 1-2, Miles Evans , Simon Evans 1-1, Kevin Fylan 1-3, Mark Meadows 0-3, Julien Pretot , Neil Maidment 1-3, Asia Sports Desk 1-2, Justin Palmer , Martyn Herman 1-0, Sonia Oxley 0-2

Manchester United v Everton: Patrick Johnston 2-0, Paul Radford 2-1, Mitch Phillips 2-0, Mike Collett 2-0, Miles Evans , Simon Evans 2-0, Kevin Fylan 2-0, Mark Meadows 1-0, Julien Pretot , Neil Maidment 2-0, Asia Sports Desk 2-0, Justin Palmer , Martyn Herman 2-0, Sonia Oxley 2-0

Bolton Wanderers v Blackburn Rovers: Patrick Johnston 2-3, Paul Radford 1-1, Mitch Phillips 2-1, Mike Collett 2-1, Miles Evans , Simon Evans 1-1, Kevin Fylan 1-1, Mark Meadows 1-2, Julien Pretot , Neil Maidment 2-1, Asia Sports Desk 2-2, Justin Palmer , Martyn Herman 0-1, Sonia Oxley 2-1

Tottenham Hotspur v Wigan Athletic: Patrick Johnston 4-1, Paul Radford 3-1, Mitch Phillips 5-0, Mike Collett 1-1, Miles Evans , Simon Evans 2-0, Kevin Fylan 2-0, Mark Meadows 3-0, Julien Pretot , Neil Maidment 2-1, Asia Sports Desk 2-1, Justin Palmer , Martyn Herman 2-1, Sonia Oxley 3-2

Stoke City v Portsmouth: Patrick Johnston 2-1, Paul Radford 2-0, Mitch Phillips 1-0, Mike Collett 1-1, Miles Evans , Simon Evans 2-1, Kevin Fylan 2-0, Mark Meadows 2-1, Julien Pretot , Neil Maidment 2-0, Asia Sports Desk 1-1, Justin Palmer , Martyn Herman 1-0, Sonia Oxley 2-1

Manchester United fans will doubtless be pleased by Wayne Rooney’s latest comments pouring cold, or at least lukewarm water on the idea that he might move to Barcelona, or anywhere else for that matter.

Good news for United it may be, but I’m not so sure it’s in England’s interests for so few of the country’s leading players to try their luck abroad.

Whenever this subject comes up, I can’t help but look to the great strides made by Spain at international level, progress that must have been aided by the far more adventurous attitude taken by some of their players in recent times.

Spain used to have a similar reputation to England in this regard, with virtually everyone happy to stay at home and enjoy the riches available from clubs swimming in cash from huge TV rights deals. Heading into the 1998 World Cup, every member of the Spain squad played for a Spanish club, while four years later Gaizka Mendieta was the only export (and he was about to come home, after confirming a lot of prejudices in a nightmare season with Lazio).

Fast forward to Euro 2008, where a Spanish squad featuring Pepe Reina, Alvaro Arbeloa, Xabi Alonso, Fernando Torres (all Liverpool) and Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal) swept all before them.

Perhaps it’s a coincidence, but I suspect not. In the past, tensions always seemed to rise in the Spanish camp as long tournaments wore on (I covered them at Euro 2000, the 2002 World Cup and at Euro 2004) but last year there was a new confidence about them.

Wouldn’t it be beneficial for England if their better players spent some time abroad, learning new languages, experiencing different cultures and absorbing new ideas?

I’m not specifically talking about Rooney, who I’m sure will go on and achieve even more at United. But would it really be so bad if players like him followed the example of Steve McManaman and David Beckham and tried something different.

PHOTO: Steve McManaman lifts up the European Cup at Madrid’s landmark Cibeles fountain May 25. Real Madrid beat Valencia 3-0 in the Champions League final at the Stade de France in Paris May 24 to secure their eighth European title.

Referee Peter Walton could face a suspension from the Premier League list if it is decided he made a mistake in Monday’s 2-2 draw between Liverpool and Birmingham.

Walton reckoned Liverpool striker David Ngog had been fouled by Lee Carsley and ignored the protests of his Birmingham team mates before Steven Gerrard converted the spotkick. Even Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez said afterwards he did not think it was a penalty.

Former Premier League and FIFA referee Graham Poll is among those saying the FA must change the rules, arguing that if the referee can be banned for a mistake, players should be punished too. Under current FA rules, players who dive cannot face retrospective action if they were not booked for “simulation” during the game.

Maybe the FA could follow a recent German experiment. If a player was thought to have dived, the referee was instructed to ask him: “Did you dive?”

If he said he did, he was not punished, but neither did he gain any advantage and the match went on.

If he said he didn’t dive and DVD evidence later proved he did, he was handed a severe ban.

Not a foolproof system by any means, but something needs to be done as diving players are damaging the credibility of the game.

PHOTO: REUTERS/Sergio Moraes

TUESDAY UPDATE: Whatever you think about the penalty which gave Liverpool a 2-2 draw with Birmingham, it certainly made a difference to our prediction league.

Miles Evans got a full five points for correctly predicting that score while he was even more pleased that John Terry ignored some newspaper headlines and secured a 1-0 win for Chelsea over Manchester United.

That game was our double pointer for the weekend so Miles received 10 points and finished as our top scorer for the weekend with 16 overall to jump into fifth place.

One of our contributors, Sean, did even better because he even specified that Terry would grab the only goal with a header. Where’s your crystal ball, Sean? I desperately need it! Have an extra five points.

Here are the updated scores for the Reuters Soccer Blog panel. Please let us know how you did in the comments.

Reuters Soccer Blog panel: Patrick Johnston 117, Paul Radford 102, Mitch Phillips 93, Mike Collett 88, Miles Evans 86, Simon Evans 85, Kevin Fylan 78, Mark Meadows 77, Julien Pretot 74, Neil Maidment 67, Asia Sports Desk 55, Justin Palmer 38, Martyn Herman 28, Sonia Oxley 26    

Mark Meadows
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LAST WEEK’S POST: Where would we be without Fridays and the chance to show the world just how much you know about football? Well, you’ll find out next weekend because it’s the international break, so please, make the most of it today.

Reuters Soccer Blog had a pretty good week last week, as we ran riot with a series of excellent scores. Not me, though. I think I managed five, and I’m falling back into mid-table mediocrity faster than you can say Rafa Benitez and Andriy Voronin.

To briefly recap: have a go at picking the score for this weekend’s matches in England’s Premier League. You get a point for every correct result, but make that five points if you get the score spot on. We’re doing so badly as a panel that you can join in any time and be sure of catching us up within a few weeks. Don’t be shy!

Here’s the way we stand at the moment:

Reuters Soccer Blog panel: Patrick Johnston 105, Mitch Phillips 89, Paul Radford 87, Mike Collett 76, Simon Evans 74, Mark Meadows 72, Kevin Fylan 71, Miles Evans 70, Julien Pretot 69, Neil Maidment 62, Asia Sports Desk 53, Justin Palmer 38, Martyn Herman 20, Sonia Oxley 10 (plus belated bonus from last week, =15)

Fraid I’ve lost count of the Rest of the World scores but please let me know where you stand. And don’t forget to add in your score from Wednesday…

One final thing: Double points this week on Chelsea v Man Utd, and bonus points available for predicting goals from the Drogmeister or Berbatov. You can lose points as well, though… so think carefully!

SATURDAY:

Aston Villa v Bolton: Patrick Johnston 3-1, Mitch Phillips 3-1, Paul Radford 3-1, Mike Collett 2-0, Simon Evans 2-0, Mark Meadows 2-1, Kevin Fylan 1-1, Miles Evans 2-2, Julien Pretot 2-1, Neil Maidment 2-1, Asia Sports Desk 2-0, Justin Palmer , Martyn Herman 2-0, Sonia Oxley 1-0

Blackburn v Portsmouth: Patrick Johnston 2-1, Mitch Phillips 2-0, Paul Radford 2-0, Mike Collett 1-2, Simon Evans 0-0, Mark Meadows 1-1, Kevin Fylan 1-2, Miles Evans 1-3, Julien Pretot 2-2, Neil Maidment 1-3, Asia Sports Desk 1-1, Justin Palmer , Martyn Herman 1-2, Sonia Oxley 1-2

Man City v Burnley: Patrick Johnston 3-0, Mitch Phillips 2-0, Paul Radford 4-0, Mike Collett 2-1, Simon Evans 2-2, Mark Meadows 2-0, Kevin Fylan 4-1, Miles Evans 3-1, Julien Pretot 2-0, Neil Maidment 3-1, Asia Sports Desk 3-1, Justin Palmer , Martyn Herman 4-1, Sonia Oxley 3-1

Spurs v Sunderland: Patrick Johnston 1-2, Mitch Phillips 1-1, Paul Radford 1-1, Mike Collett 1-1, Simon Evans 3-1, Mark Meadows 3-2, Kevin Fylan 3-0, Miles Evans 1-1, Julien Pretot 2-1, Neil Maidment 2-1, Asia Sports Desk 1-1, Justin Palmer , Martyn Herman 2-1, Sonia Oxley 2-1

Wolves v Arsenal: Patrick Johnston 1-4, Mitch Phillips 1-1, Paul Radford 1-3, Mike Collett 1-3, Simon Evans 1-2, Mark Meadows 0-3, Kevin Fylan 0-3, Miles Evans 1-2, Julien Pretot 0-2, Neil Maidment 0-4, Asia Sports Desk 0-2, Justin Palmer , Martyn Herman 1-4, Sonia Oxley 1-3

SUNDAY:

Chelsea v Man Utd: Patrick Johnston 1-1, Mitch Phillips 1-1, Paul Radford 2-0, Mike Collett 1-0, Simon Evans 3-2, Mark Meadows 2-0, Kevin Fylan 2-2 (one for Drog, one for Berba), Miles Evans 1-0, Julien Pretot 2-1, Neil Maidment 2-0, Asia Sports Desk 2-2, Justin Palmer , Martyn Herman 1-1, Sonia Oxley 2-1 (two goals for Drogba)

Hull v Stoke: Patrick Johnston 1-2, Mitch Phillips 1-0, Paul Radford 1-1, Mike Collett 0-2, Simon Evans 2-2, Mark Meadows 0-0, Kevin Fylan 1-2, Miles Evans 1-2, Julien Pretot 1-1, Neil Maidment 0-1, Asia Sports Desk 0-1, Justin Palmer , Martyn Herman 0-2, Sonia Oxley 2-0

West Ham v Everton: Patrick Johnston 1-2, Mitch Phillips 2-1, Paul Radford 1-2, Mike Collett 1-1, Simon Evans 3-1, Mark Meadows 2-1, Kevin Fylan 1-2, Miles Evans 2-0, Julien Pretot 1-1, Neil Maidment 2-1, Asia Sports Desk 1-1, Justin Palmer , Martyn Herman 2-3, Sonia Oxley 2-2

Wigan v Fulham: Patrick Johnston 2-1, Mitch Phillips 0-1, Paul Radford 1-1, Mike Collett 0-1, Simon Evans 1-1, Mark Meadows 0-1, Kevin Fylan 1-0, Miles Evans 2-0, Julien Pretot 0-1, Neil Maidment 1-2, Asia Sports Desk 2-0, Justin Palmer , Martyn Herman 2-0, Sonia Oxley 1-1

MONDAY:

Liverpool v Birmingham: Patrick Johnston 2-0, Mitch Phillips 1-1, Paul Radford 3-0, Mike Collett 3-0, Simon Evans 4-1, Mark Meadows 1-0, Kevin Fylan 4-0, Miles Evans 2-2, Julien Pretot 3-1, Neil Maidment 2-0, Asia Sports Desk 2-0, Justin Palmer , Martyn Herman 2-1, Sonia Oxley 4-0

PHOTO: Dirk Kuyt tots up his points during the Champions League draw with Olympique Lyon at the Gerland stadium in Lyon, November 4, 2009. REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier

It is a little glib to suggest that Liverpool have a one-man strike force in Fernando Torres.

It seems almost beyond dispute, though, that whenever the Spaniard is unavailable Liverpool look ill equipped to challenge for the title, a situation hardly helped by the sales of Xabi Alonso, Robbie Keane and Alvaro Arbeloa in the past year.

I realise this could come across as heresy to Liverpool fans, but might the answer be to sell Torres too?

Torres is, without question, an exceptional player but he is not irreplaceable. Liverpool have won nothing with the Spaniard in attack because they simply do not have the same in-depth quality that Chelsea and Manchester United can boast.

If Cristiano Ronaldo was worth 80 million when he moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid, Torres should command a similar figure.

With that money Liverpool could buy three, maybe four, top drawer players who would give their squad more balance. Valencia striker David Villa would cost around 30 million and would be a handy replacement for Torres, as would Atletico Madrid’s Argentine frontman Sergio Aguero. Either, or both of them, would leave manager Rafael Benitez enough left over to strengthen in other areas.

Villa’s team mate David Silva would add some creativity in Liverpool’s midfield as would Tottenham Hotspur’s midfield spark Luca Modric or his team mate Aaron Lennon, if they could be prised away.

With Liverpool’s debts unlikely to ease any time soon, Benitez will probably need to sell before bringing in new blood but few of their current squad, apart from Torres, Gerrard and midfield anchor Javier Mascherano, would raise the kind of money that they would require for a major squad overhaul.

Selling Torres might be the one step back Liverpool need to take in order to take two forward because at present they appear to be getting left behind.

PHOTO: Fernando Torres looks on during their Champions League soccer match against Fiorentina at the Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence September 29, 2009. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi

So it was an even worse week than usual. Ok, there were some surprise results but generally it was pitiful, some panelists only picked up one point and even most of our outside contributors struggled despite showing us up in recent weeks.

On behalf of all of us, I’d like to point out that the Premier League is more evenly balanced than it has been for a while (see Kevin’s blog) so we have a slight excuse….

Mitch Phillips was the only one to come out of the weekend with any credit, leaping into second spot after getting two scores bang on including West Ham 2-2 Arsenal, which sadly for the rest of us was a double-pointer.

To avoid a plethora of emails from Mitch and to keep it tight at the top, we will let his prediction of a draw in Wolves v Villa stand despite him sending in his entry after the match had started!

Here are the updated scores:

Reuters Soccer Blog panel: Patrick Johnston 92, Mitch Phillips 81, Paul Radford 79, Simon Evans 71, Mike Collett 70, Kevin Fylan 66, Miles Evans 63, Julien Pretot 59, Mark Meadows 50, Asia Sports Desk 48, Neil Maidment 44, Justin Palmer 36, Martyn Herman 10, Soxley (newbie) 2

Mark Meadows

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A game between Liverpool and Manchester United is one of football’s great fixtures and it has recently been given additional spice by a number of clashes between the managers.

Much has been said and written about the verbal jousting between Rafael Benitez and Alex Ferguson and at the moment the Scot is losing both on and off the field.

Ferguson is by far the most successful manager in the Premier League but Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Liverpool suggests he is now helpless and out of ideas when he crosses swords with his Spanish opponent, who was calm and collected before the game.

Ferguson said after the match there was a “wounded animal aspect to the game” given Liverpool’s recent poor run but their victory may also have been the result of a growing confidence among Benitez’s side when it comes to meeting United. 

After losing 4-1 at home to Liverpool last season, United needed a different approach when visiting Anfield on Sunday but their display was a case of déjà vu.

The game was won by Liverpool’s team effort, by the passionate Anfield crowd but also by Benitez’s ability to rediscover United’s weaknesses (Rio Ferdinand?).

PHOTO: Liverpool’s manager Rafa Benitez (L) and his Manchester United counterpart Alex Ferguson gesture during their English Premier League soccer match at Anfield in Liverpool, northern England, October 25, 2009. REUTERS/Phil Noble

Manchester United’s 2-0 defeat at Liverpool has again exposed the chinks in the Premier League champions’ armour, notably their defensive frailties against top level opposition.

While United overcame Rio Ferdinand’s howler in a 4-3 win over City in the Manchester derby, the England centre back’s lack of pace and cutting edge cost Alex Ferguson’s side dearly against Liverpool.

The ease with which a half-fit Fernando Torres got away from Ferdinand to score Liverpool’s opening goal will have raised not only Ferguson’s eyebrows, but also given Fabio Capello a headache.

Is Ferdinand, who has looked completely at sea in the heart of United’s defence this season and had a nightmare of a game in England’s 1-0 defeat by Ukraine, going through just a temporary loss of form or are his best days behind him?

Ferguson has no world class cover for Ferdinand in his squad and his decision to let Gerard Pique return to Barcelona after United’s 2008 Champions League triumph might come back to haunt him. That is if it hasn’t already…Pique stopped United from taking the lead in the 2009 final while Ferdinand was at fault for Barcelona’s second goal in the 2-0 defeat by the Spanish champions.

England’s potential rivals in the 2010 World Cup will also be rubbing their hands over Ferdinand becoming a liability and while Capello must hope he rediscovers his form, the Italian might also want to consider an alternative partner to John Terry in the centre of England’s defence.

PHOTO: Liverpool’s Fernando Torres (front) outmuscles Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand to score during their English Premier League match at Anfield, Oct 25, 2009. REUTERS/Phil Noble