Arch rotation villain Rafa Benitez has offered a kindly warning to us fantasy managers by informing us that Gerrard is on the verge of being rested. He also gives us an insight into his current thinking regarding his team lineup, as Torres becomes a lovely new option for the Liverpool boss. How kind…
Rafa must be rubbing his hands at the prospect of throwing Torres into his side alongside Keane off the back of his two goals at the weekend. While Rafa was tipping Keane for more goals on a regular basis, he’s also made it clear that he will rotate his approach up front…
“Sometimes we’ll play with two strikers and other times we’ll just go with one….Going with two strikers helped Robbie in this game but it will be a good problem for me to have Torres fit again, Gerrard and everyone else fit.”
That will be food for thought for any fantasy manager eyeing up a short-term punt on Keane. While Rafa will likely hand Keane a sustained run in the side, it should be noted that the striker has been subbed 13 times in 15 games since he joined the club. He’s likely to command a starting role in the coming weeks, but equally, you can expect him to be hauled off with 15-20 minutes remaining as he was on Saturday, even with a hat-trick in his sights.
As for Gerrard, he’s been employed further forward in the absence of Torres but will now adopt a deeper midfield role. However, Rafa has warned us that a rest for the Liverpool skipper is imminent.
“Stevie needs a bit of rest. He was injured during the international break and it is important to try and keep players fit all the time,” remarked Benitez.
Now that could be just Rafa’s way of justifying omitting Gerrard in a weakened Liverpool lineup at Spurs tomorrow night. Then again, that wouldn’t surprise anyone and with Arsenal putting out the kids, Rafa’s hardly got to save face when it comes to the Carling Cup.
Rafa does have Alonso in reserve of course, and benching the Spanish playmaker is always going to nag at Rafa. Alonso will get games over the next 4-5 weeks – it’s just a question of where, when and whether Gerrard will be the player sacrificed.
Liverpool have a Champions League tie on November 26 with a home game with Fulham prior to that on the Saturday. That fixture in gameweek 14 leaps out as an immediate opportunity for Rafa to hand Alonso a start, either for Mascherano or even Gerrard.
Gerrard owners need to be on alert then. Those taking a look at Keane need to consider the damage that frequent substitutions will cause and those hanging on to Alonso can perhaps take comfort in the fact that Rafa hasn’t changed his old ways.