Benitez must find cure to Liverpool's ills

GIVEN the grief the Champions League has inflicted on his team during the last few months, Rafael Benitez would be forgiven for wondering if it was worth the hassle of attempting to qualify for next season's competition.

From a plethora of last-minute goals, an inability to hold onto leads, a lengthy injury list, a shot-shy attack and players losing form, Liverpool's mental and physical shortcomings have been laid bare for the whole of the Continent to analyse.

But while their European rivals will have been lapping up the malaise at Anfield, Benitez is still struggling to find a cure for his team's ills.

Wednesday's 2-1 defeat to Fiorentina with an experimental line-up mattered little in terms of points and prizes, but it was a significant dent to Liverpool's fragile morale that they had slowly started to rebuild with a six-match unbeaten run.

Liverpool have set a number of landmarks during Benitez's tenure, both good and bad, and this was another negative, the first time they had lost successive European home games after the almost identikit loss to Lyon in October.

Let's be honest. Neither Fiorentina nor Lyon, effective but uninspiring teams, will be anywhere near Madrid when the European Cup is lifted in May.

But that both ousted Liverpool from the competition with a game to spare says everything about how underwhelming their Champions League campaign truly was.

Not that the overall campaign has been any better, with Benitez's side out of the Carling Cup and having won only three of their last 14 games to slump to seventh in the Premier League table, four points off the top four.

Of course, qualification for next season's Champions League is the very least Liverpool would have expected back in August, and that has now assumed priority for the remainder of the campaign.

Now, the good news. Alberto Aquilani's long-awaited full debut on Wednesday has allayed any fears over his long-term fitness, although it will clearly take time for the Italian to get up to speed with the English game.

Steven Gerrard continues to regain his form and match sharpness, while the sight of Fernando Torres back on the pitch for the first time in more than a month - and withstanding a buffeting from the Italian defence - will have offered similar encouragement.

The injury problems of Gerrard and Torres have undoubtedly hampered Liverpool's efforts this season, and it's notable none of the miserly five goals they netted in Group E were scored by either player.

And Gerrard admits: "Torres' return is massive for me, massive for everyone. He's the main man, he's our top scorer and we need him back firing.

"If that happens I'm sure we'll move back up the league and get in them top four places.

"Without a doubt that has to be the main aim this season. It's obviously important for the club, and having played in the Champions League for such a long time, it's very important.

"We'll be right up for the Arsenal game on Sunday. If we can get three points there and then take that into the Wigan game, we can turn a corner.

"If we get back to our full-strength team, and we get people fit, we're confident we are good enough to finish in the top four."

Liverpool, of course, already knew before Wednesday's defeat that they would be plying their trade in the Europa League in the New Year.

The likes of Juventus and Benfica could lie in wait, while the Anfield outfit could also meet neighbours Everton later in the competition - a prospect Gerrard would relish.

We'll take it very seriously," he says. "We've got to try to win a trophy this year. The FA Cup and the Europa League are our two best chances of that.

"There are some good teams in there. It would be very nice if we were to come up against Everton! We'll have to see what the draw gives us."

Despite the tubthumping from the likes of Gerrard and his team-mates, Benitez will put all thoughts of the Europa League on hold in a bid to reignite Liverpool's stuttering Premier League form, starting at home to Arsenal on Sunday.

"We will take it (the Europa League) seriously, but for us the main thing is to progress in the Premier League," says the Anfield manager. "To be in the top four.

"We do not play in the Europa League until February, so we will have plenty of time to concentrate on the Premier League. Another European competition is later.

"What has happened to us in the Champions League, the misfortunes, will be an experience the players will remember and it will give them strength and more determination to improve over the rest of the season.

"I would expect a different approach on Sunday against Arsenal."

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the views or position of Liverpool Football Club.