The Alberto Aquilani Testimonial

Well it is clear that Rafael Benitez has favored a 4-2-3-1 formation for a sizable part of this season. The back four with Lucas and Mascherano holding, with three very different guys in the attack each time, and Torres up front. If Torres was injured, N'Gog.

But clearly this system, while exceedingly cautious and terribly stifling, hasn't really brought in the goals by the bucketfuls has it?

Let's face it, Liverpool don't really need both Mascherano and Lucas. Now I'm not one of those ignorant Lucas bashers, who see the young Brazilian as the absolute butt of all our flaws. He does bring his own thing to the game. Lucas is a fairly good and clean tackler and while his positioning maybe slightly suspect at times and his passing range nothing spectacular, he does a good job tackling.

But what to be brutally honest here-the game becomes boring. Suddenly happens when Lucas and Mascherano play together is that irrespective of the fairly good chemistry that they have forged between themselves—and Liverpool are only concentrating on taking back the possession and chucking some long ball somewhere vaguely and then loosing possession again.

And then it us up to Gerrard and Torres to somehow fetch the loose balls from the hinterlands of the pitch and somehow dunk them at the back of the net.

All of which makes scoring goals a laborious affair for the players as Liverpool continue to go further and further inwards, softly killing their chances of scoring.

Enter Alberto Aquilani.

The Italian hasn't exactly made a splash yet-and Benitez by his own confession is reluctant to blood Aquilani is a horror show of a season such as this where everything has gone terribly wrong and Liverpool aren't even managing a top four spot just yet.

But last night, Benitez was uncharacteristically shrewd. He ditched a formula that has become quite the norm with the season. He left BOTH Kuyt and Lucas on the bench-something unheard of really-and did something even less likely by Benitez's generally cautious stance-played Babel and Aquilani.

His message to Pompey was clear. We don't really think you have the power to mount a challenge worth taking seriously. It was not unlike a Carling Cup game.

So while the formation was the standard 4-2-3-1, Aquilani started the game at the heart of Anfield alongside Mascherano. Babel on the left of the forward three. Which meant that should the need arise, Babel could also partner Torres in a 4-4-2 with Gerrard drifting out to the left in his Fabio Capello inspired role, and Maxi on the right.

And what a bloody refreshing change that was! While Liverpool did start cautiously enough, there was more bite, more adventurousness and basically a desire to score goals, rather than waiting till the last moment for something spectacular from Torres.

Aquilani singlehandedly brought a new dimension to our game. Suddenly there were deft touches, blase trickery and otherwise some atrocious passing. Aquilani is skilled and he made his point on the day. He bring something to Liverpool Lucas doesn't—beauty.

Other than that, he has a better passing range and is better at positioning himself for passes from other players. He has a smoothly flowing game. He knows how to take control of the midfield. If only he could dribble better and maybe even tackle harder, he would be the perfect midfielder.

And there's more. There was something about Aquilani's lovely game that fired something up in Torres. He's been at best sulky over the last couple of games, but in this one he suddenly came to life and scored two goals. I'm telling you, it's the Italian that is firing the team on.

Liverpool will be playing Manchester United in the league next. And I'm sure despite Aquilani's powerful, commanding performance, Lucas will be back.

Which I feel is a step backwards. Liverpool can no longer simply expect to sit on the back foot and still come fourth in the league. We need to get in their faces and score goals. Even if "they" are Manchester United. And if we want to score goals we need Aquilani. Simple.

We need someone who won't get closed down and stifled by that thug Fletcher and can work his way around him. Lucas will win the balls for sure, but he isn't going to put them anywhere useful.