Liverpool's Five Keys for Success

Stay Healthy

The effect injuries have on clubs all comes down to how deep their squad is; especially for Liverpool. With little movement in the summer transfer window, Rafael Benitez's men look to bunker down early on.

Injuries have severely depleted an already thin defense, making supporters question the decision to let Sami Hyypia move to Bayern Leverkusen. But the recent acquisition of Glen Johnson has seemed to be just what the doctor ordered.

The news surfacing that Liverpool has signed Greek central defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos should also add some depth that is greatly needed.

But a player to watch is the young Spaniard, Daniel Ayala, who made his first team debut against Tottenham this weekend subbing in for Martin Skrtel, who collided with Jamie Carragher and suffered a jaw injury.

The youngster looked very poised and mature to be playing such an important position on the field like central defender.

Injuries to Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres can be alleviated with a strong and healthy back line and once Daniel Agger, Skrtel, Carragher, and Glen Johnson begin playing with each other, Liverpool will have a formidable defense.

Draw Less at Home

Last year, Liverpool drew more at home than they did away and when you are in a tight league race, winning at home becomes paramount.

Last December and January were not kind to the Reds. They drew six times during this nine-game period, which began their descent in the league standings, leading them to a second-place finish.

Sometimes getting a draw is a good thing, as it secures a point in the standings, and a loss is definitely worse as there are no points awarded at all. However, for a club like Liverpool, losing is not an option and when you consider the value of three points.

Managing games to win is a far greater endeavor than simply being satisfied with a draw.

If Liverpool is to stay competitive, it will need to secure maximum points from every game at home, like it's expected to.

Aquilani and Leiva

Alberto Aquilani and Lucas Leiva are two young stars under two different microscopes, as Benitez looks to fill the void left by Xabi Alonso's departure to Real Madrid.

If you listen to what the skipper says about Aquilani, the young Italian is a more exciting option than Alonso was. But the player is quick to point out that he is not a replacement for the Spaniard.

Whatever the case may be, Aquilani will need to perform from the beginning as hesitation from reporters has crept in regarding his injury.

Unfortunately for Aquilani, he will always be compared to Alonso—not for his style of play, but for what he can add to one of the best midfields in Europe.

Perhaps the pressure of playing alongside a legend such as Francesco Totti at Roma has molded the young man into a proven commodity, even at 25.

But of these two young players, Leiva bears the weight of proving he belongs on Merseyside more than any player on the roster.

The highly-touted Brazilian has looked mature and willing to tackle more in the center of the park in preseason than he has in his previous two years with the club.

Benitez seems to be pleased with the young Brazilian, saying, "He was our best player in preseason," a move by the manager to keep the confidence of a young player high and also to placate the critics.

We must remind ourselves that Leiva is still only 22 and if he can begin distributing the ball more regularly and with purpose, I feel that his emergence this season could be crucial to Liverpool's success.

No Money, No Worries

A Liverpool supporters group reportedly organized a mass distribution of red cards ahead of the game against Stoke City. The cards were to be waved by supporters protesting the American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillette.

This action was most likely in response to the recent and very public financial problems in acquiring players in the summer transfer window.

One of the world's biggest clubs is still not able to sign the best talent available to them. It would be hard to compete against Real Madrid or Manchester City, but I'm sure the supporters' frustrations are not because Liverpool can't buy every player available.

The supporters are frustrated because Liverpool cannot buy the players they need when they need to, like another striker or a center back of top quality.

They've already seen one of their most important players leave for a "bigger" club. If the Reds aren't able to bring in quality talent, it makes it more difficult to keep the talent they already have.

Role Players Need to Step up

Ryan Babel and Andriy Voronin both need to prove that they are necessary components to success and not just fillers for roster spots.

Their play has been less than inspiring and often suspect when you look at their decision-making on the field.

Albert Riera needs to take players on and create chances off the dribble in his customary wide position more often. Last season, it seemed that it was enough for him to just provide service into the box, but he was at his most dangerous when he received the ball in an advanced position and was able to attack from the flank.

Yossi Benayoun looked impressive when he came on for Babel during their game against Tottenham. Benayoun is most dangerous when attacking centrally, but not from a central midfield role.

His position is on the outside half, but the player does what you would think Riera would do more often—attack through the center of the field from a wide position. His ball-handling skills need to improve if he wants to make it as first choice for Benitez more regularly.