Commiserations to Scotland, they really did deserve better - or at least the luck that affords England to use one more of their nine lives against Croatia in a bid to reach Euro 2008.

The real travesty could be that Steve McClaren may just keep his job on good fortune rather than good management. Ireland, on the other hand, are the bridesmaids yet again, but this time they can maybe catch the bouquet for a decent manager - perhaps Gerard Houllier or Paul Jewell?

And so with the passing international games comes the next enthralling episode of Liverpool and the Premier League title hunt. The coming weekend trip to Newcastle will be a nail-biter, not so much based on the quality of opposition - although Newcastle is a tough place to go and get a result  - but more to do with which Liverpool team will turn up for various reasons.

'Torres' adaptation to the English game, and the absence of Agger and Alonso, have robbed the side of composure and creativity'


In some respects the game could well be summed up in the strikers' department. On one side, ex-Liverpool hero Michael Owen looks likely to miss facing his old mates due to injury on a meaningless international jaunt. How big Sam Allardyce  must be writing McClaren’s Christmas card with gritted teeth.

For Liverpool, the return to action by Fernando Torres against Fulham must surely cement his place in Rafa Benitez's starting  line-up (or maybe not). One would expect to continue our unbeaten run and with the right level of ruthlessness in front of goal we really should be able to bring three points home.

The fractured spine of the team, so easily ignored by much of the press, looks to be in rehabilitation and thank God for that (not a reference to Robbie Fowler). Liverpool’s central core of players, Pepe Reina excluded, have spent enough time on the sidelines as a result of injury rather than rotation. Daniel Agger, Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso and Torres have all been bit-part players and the manager will be hoping to have his central stars for the busy fixture period ahead.

Many of the critics have brushed this aside as a reason why we have not fired on all cylinders, but consistency is hard to find with the spine of the team weakened so regularly. Torres' adaptation to the English game, and the absence of Agger and Alonso, have robbed the side of composure and creativity.

Once the spine is fit again I feel Rafa’s rotation will not come into play too much for these core players. He will continue to rotate the wide players and strikers to keep them fresh while maintaining a solid core. Injury allied to rotation has been our downfall so far, not rotation alone.

All teams rotate; if you get the lucky breaks and win, the rotation debate is not raised. Benitez has been one of the best managers Liverpool have had with a win ratio to back this up, and all with rotation as the main cog in the wheel.

The changes do give the new faces a chance to bed in rather than play in the reserves. The hope is that for the closing months of the season Liverpool should have a balanced and fresh group who have had ample time to play along side various partners and not be reliant on one blueprint.

Ryan Babel, Lucas Leiva and Yossi Benayoun play their part and add a dimension to our play. Their integration, along with our defence's consistency, combine to make a Premier League challenge a distinct possibility.

If this current Manchester United squad is Sir Alex Ferguson's best and the current Arsenal crop are total football masters, then being a half dozen points behind them is no bad place when you consider which of the three teams has most scope for improvement. The answer is Liverpool, and to a tune far greater than six points.

So on to Newcastle with real hunger and purpose. Let’s eat into the points gap over the coming games and welcome Manchester United to Anfield in a few weeks with a real sense of authority and focus.