1) Buy another striker in January

Top of Rafa’s wish list to turn the Reds’ season around will be buying another striker in the January transfer window. David Ngog is not a bad player but he is still young and inexperienced and is not the ideal back-up for Fernando Torres when he is injured. Torres has suffered with persistent injuries this season and when he is out of the side Liverpool lack any real threat in the attacking third. Rumours this morning of Roman Pavlyuchenko coming to Anfield are welcome, as he has proved for Russia that he can play both as a lone striker and off a partner which will be essential at Liverpool, but I would like Rafa to go for a more proven scorer in the Premier League. I am big admirer of Ruud van Nistelrooy, and although he did play for Manchester United, he is a goalscorer and will always be in the right place at the right time. He is cheap as well and would certainly fill the striking birth in the short term.

2) Inject some pace into the team

What has become plainly apparent in recent weeks is the lack of real pace in Liverpool’s play. Passing has been slow and the lack of runners has made Liverpool easy to defend against. It was clear once more last night against a mainly reserve Fiorentina side, they played with two banks of four and were rarely troubled in behind when Dirk Kuyt was playing up front. The senior debut of Dani Pacheco was a welcome decision by Rafa Benitez and with the likes of David Amoo, Nathan Eccleston and Pacheco coming through the ranks, I believe that these players should be given the opportunity to inject some much needed pace and passion into a team which has been under-performing. The only way we will know if these kids are ready is if we play them.

3) Shore up the Defence

Liverpool’s defence has not been up to scratch this season. Benitez prides himself on a solid foundation at the back but this season it has flattered to deceive. A lack of stability can be blamed on the constant changes in centre-back pairings due to injuries, but there have been too many times this season, especially in the Champions League, where goal leads have been squandered or when we have conceded goals in the last minute of matches. Liverpool are not defending as a Benitez team, whether this has been a conscience effort to be more offensive and avoid drawing so many matches like last season is open to debate but they certainly have been losing more. The main issue is the form and quality of the backline, Martin Skrtel has not been the same player as last term due to whatever reason and Emiliano Insua is still young and learning his trade at left back, and he makes some naïve errors at times. Rafa’s Benitez priority is to build a foundation from the back in the coming weeks and months.

4) Play either Mascherano or Lucas, not both

Like all teams who have had a massive loss of form, there are a combination of factors that have led to their decline. As well as defensive issues, Liverpool have struggled on occasion to break down teams. The Reds always seem to have good possession but the lack of creativity in the Liverpool side is all too clear at times. Playing two defensive midfielders in Javier Mascherano and Lucas certainly does not help Liverpool going forward, and it shows an over cautious attitude by Benitez, especially against the smaller teams in the Premier League. Although I have highlighted Liverpool’s defensive issues above, any good team should be able to have only one defensive midfielder in a 5 man midfield. The other 4 players in the midfield must be the creative players as otherwise you rely too much on a striker to make something from nothing, a quality that Torres has, but it should not be relied upon to score goals. Players like Kuyt, Lucas and Mascherano are all solid, hard-working players but only one of them should start against sides lower in the table. Acquiring players such as Rafa van der Vaart to play on the left side, having Yossi Benayoun on the right and Aquilani & Gerrard through the middle is my ideal line-up for the midfield area, but I know it is something that Rafa would not be all too keen on.

5) Aquilani must start games from now on

Now Alberto Aquilani has started a match against Fiorentina, it is definitely time to keep on playing him so he can get fully fit. After coming back from such a long term injury, he needs games to get back to the level he was playing at Roma. He had a few neat touches against Fiorentina but he is not near his best yet. When he is firing on all cylinders he will play much further forward than Lucas or even Xabi Alonso, and will look to be a late runner into the penalty box. He should be the much needed attacking threat Liverpool have been looking for, as well as being an exceptional creative force alongside Gerrard in central midfield. It will be hard for him to get over his injury and play to his best, as well as getting used to the style of the Premier League; there will need to be some patience with this player. I am sure it will be rewarded in the not too distant future.