Source: Daily_Mail
Liverpool missing the X-Factor: Xabi Alonso's absence is reason they don't get my vote for title
Liverpool will be relieved if Javier Mascherano is fit to face Chelsea today. The dismal defeat against Fiorentina showed how much they miss him against top opposition. They simply haven't got the cover to cope. [LNB]It is what separates Rafa Benitez from Sir Alex Ferguson or Carlo Ancelotti. Manchester United and Chelsea have great strength in depth, while Liverpool are in trouble if they put out anything short of a full strength XI. [LNB]I'd fear Liverpool getting a good hiding if they went into today's game without Mascherano. But even with the dynamic Argentine in their side, they have their work cut out without last season's hero Xabi Alonso. [LNB] [LNB]Missing you: Xabi Alonso's exit means Liverpool don't have the depth of squad that they need[LNB]Alonso scored the winning goal at the Bridge a year ago whenLiverpool became the first team to win a League game there for fouryears. He had a hell of a partnership in midfield with Mascherano, amillion miles away from Tuesday night's hapless duo of Lucas and FabioAurelio, if we're honest. [LNB]Chelsea have their own questions to answer after losing 3-1 againstWigan last weekend but it is a more worrying game for Liverpool. [LNB]Chelsea can put the Wigan game down as a blip because it was theirfirst defeat of the season but Benitez's side have faced decentopposition three times - Tottenham, Aston Villa and Fiorentina - andwere beaten by all of them. [LNB]Alonso has been a massive loss because Benitez hasn't been able tofind anyone to replace him. Steven Gerrard is a fantastic player andthere will be calls for him to be used in a deeper role against Chelseabut the truth is he is not a particularly strong defensive midfielder. [LNB]Benitez doesn't really trust him in that role; he is soattack-minded, you can't rely on him having the discipline to backtrackand hold his position in front of the defence.[LNB] More from Gary Lineker... GARY LINEKER: I never thought Mark Hughes, my timid Welsh team-mate at Barcelona, could be a big-time boss but Sparky's proved he can take on anyone26/09/09 GARY LINEKER: Football owes so much to our friend Sir Bobby Robson19/09/09 VIEW FULL ARCHIVE Interestingly, Fabio Capello sees it the same way, which is why hehas shifted Gerrard to the left where he is free to use his strengthswithout as much defensive responsibility. [LNB]Alberto Aquilani has been signed for a hefty price tag but we can'tsay he is the answer because we don't even know when he will be fit. Atbest, it will take him time to settle. As for Lucas, let's politely saywe are still waiting to see what he has to offer. [LNB]One day, Benitez might even be forced to use Jamie Carragher as aholding midfield player; it is an option he will probably take beforetrying Aurelio there again. [LNB]All that puts a huge pressure on Mascherano. If he's not fit or outof form, Liverpool haven't got the strength in depth to cover for him -Fiorentina showed that.[LNB] [LNB]Not to be risked: Mascherano[LNB]Over 38 games, that thinness of squad will count against Benitez.It's why Liverpool have suffered more by losing Alonso than United haveby losing Cristiano Ronaldo or Arsenal with Emmanuel Adebayor. [LNB]The real shame for Liverpool is that if Alonso had stayed, you couldhave made a proper case for them becoming champions. Without him, itseverely reduces their chances. [LNB]To be fair to Benitez, his teams have been more open and aggressivethis season and they have overpowered teams. Stoke and Hull drew atAnfield last season, this season Liverpool have beaten them 4-0 and6-1. [LNB]But he was undone by trying to play an attacking line-up againstFiorentina. I am sure he didn't think for one minute the Italians wouldcause them as many problems as they did but Liverpool ended up lookinglightweight. [LNB]You sense now he will revert to his more traditional approachagainst Chelsea, being cagey and trying to catch them on thecounter-attack. I would be shocked if he does it any other way. [LNB]Liverpool have been good on the eye this season, with FernandoTorres and Gerrard being given a licence to thrill. But they can't playthat way at Chelsea without the risk of being overrun in midfield,where Ancelotti's men are so strong. [LNB]At least Benitez understands now the importance of winning thePremier League. I am sure for the first few years in England, heregarded the Champions League as his priority. Now he is preparingplayers so they peak in big Premier League games. [LNB]There was no question of Mascherano being risked in midweek withChelsea coming up but a few years ago, he might have played in Europeand not this weekend. [LNB]While Chelsea came a cropper themselves at Wigan, they will be gladto have bounced back with a win in midweek, albeit an unconvincing onein Cyprus. But Ancelotti has so much experience, he will not be worriedat the moment because it is the way to respond to setbacks that isimportant. [LNB]Liverpool's best chance today is to return to the days when theywere so hard to play against, defensively solid with Mascherano nippingat everyone's heels. [LNB]The alternative, the lightweight line-up we saw in Florence, isn't one Liverpool fans would like to contemplate.[LNB] Army boys put football into contextI've just spent three days in Afghanistan - and what an eye-opening experience it was. [LNB]I was there to present a well-deserved Pride of Britain award to medics and I won't forget in a hurry the sweltering heat, tough conditions and bravery of people. [LNB]I didn't realise the army boys and girls could watch Match of the Day out there, although they had to stay up until the early hours of Sunday morning as Afghanistan is a few time zones ahead. A few of them asked me if I could put in a word to get it shown earlier! [LNB]In all seriousness, the sacrifices people are making out there put football into context. You can catch the awards on television this Wednesday.[LNB] Ronaldo and Messi need shoot-out for World Cup legendry [LNB]Insult: Ronaldo's in dangerof missing the World Cup[LNB] Hard-core England supporters might struggle with this one, but fans of the beautiful game should support two of our biggest footballing enemies, Portugal and Argentina, next weekend. [LNB]Both countries are struggling to qualify for the World Cup and can't afford to lose either of their last two group games. The temptation is to say: 'Good, it gives England a better chance of lifting the trophy'. [LNB]But the reality is the tournament will be a loser without either of the world's greatest players, your wallchart out, looking at the games and thinking about the great players you're going to see. [LNB]To have Ronaldo and Messi missing would be a big loss for the World Cup, the millions of fans who idolise them and for the players themselves. They have the ability to go down as all-time greats but they have to perform their magic at a World Cup first. [LNB]With legends like Pele, Maradona, Cruyff, Beckenbauer, Zidane and Ronaldinho, the common denominator is that they have all done it at the World Cup. [LNB]I hope Argentina reach the World Cup, despite what Maradona did to us in 1986, and I wish Ronaldo well for Portugal's final qualifiers, too. [LNB]For me, the perfect scenario would be for Ronaldo and Messi to have a shoot-out to find which one is the best in the world - then for England to win the final.[LNB]
