On the eve of Liverpool obviously progressing to another European Cup semi-final via either an outrageous deflection or Arsenal being denied a blatant penalty for the third time in week, it's worth talking about just how boring and negative their play is under Rafa Benitez.

The Football being played at Anfield since the gaffer's arrival can be described in many ways - and not many of them good. They have become a long-ball outfit reminiscent of the Wimbledon team of the late 80s and early 90s.

The die was cast when they bought Peter Crouch and installed two defensive midfielders to help patrol the front of what looks on paper a very weak and over-rated defence. But with two players guarding them they have managed to foul and block-tackle their way to a half-decent defensive record.

'The attitude of Benitez is a very negative one, sending his teams out with the mindset of trying to steal a goal then spending the rest of the game hanging on to what they've got'


The attitude of Benitez is a very negative one, sending his teams out with the mindset of trying to steal a goal and then spending the rest of the game hanging on to what they've got.

He has re-introduced the zonal marking system to the English game. This has turned average defenders into great Basketball players, using a block-all-runs-into-the-six-yard-box mentality. It has led to a lot criticism from opposing managers - and Referees seem oblivious to the actions of the Liverpool defence.

It has got to the point now where they feel confident enough to grapple the attackers to the ground and Handball in the box without fear of giving away many penalties.

The arrival of Fernando Torres and his clinical eye for goal has allowed Benitez to be more defensive than ever. He has replaced all of the flair in the centre of the midfield with Javier Mascherano and Lucas Leiva, two out-and-out tacklers who will win the ball back, but no longer look to play it out of defence. They simple hoof it 50 yards into the channels for lone-striker Torres to chase down.

Benitez is not the first manager to stick one player up front but, until recently, he tried to use the width (or lack of it) offered by Jermaine Pennant and John Arne Riise - who is actually a full-back - as his other attacking outlet.

Not surprisingly it didn't work, so Benitez has since doffed his cap to a certain David Moyes and copied the Everton blueprint of using a midfielder with an eye for goal - in this case Steven Gerrard - to enhance his attack.

This has finally given Rafa the goals and the results he has craved to help him cover up the major mis-management of his team earlier in the season which cost his club massively in their attempts to claw their way back into the top three. But it has also had a detrimental effect on the style of play.

The negativity shown by the majority of Liverpool players has now reached new levels. No longer do they use their home ground as an opportunity to show the foreign legion what they are capable of, they simply block-tackle anything that moves - with or without the ball - then hoof it forward as quickly as they can in the hope that Gerrard or Torres can win a penalty or try yet another 30-yard shot.

I watched Derby play Everton last weekend and, even though the Rams are doomed to relegation with the lowest points total ever and, in all honesty, look pretty awful football-wise, they still didn’t play as boringly and negatively as Rafa Benitez’s new Liverpool team.