Time for Rafa to put his faith in the fringe players at the expense of superstars

What Liverpool need more than anything right now leading up to the final eight games of the season is motivation, character, commitment and endeavour.  A list of things that a lot of players who are playing on a regular basis for the reds simply do not have right now.

For the quality players that they are, the likes of Javier Mascherano, Dirk Kuyt, Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres have looked totally disinterested in recent weeks, a sure sign that the season’s failures have had a catastrophic effect on their commitment to the Liverpool cause.

In Liverpool’s 29^th league match last campaign the very same players were guiding Liverpool to a memorable 4-1 victory at Old Trafford whilst this season the very same game in the reds calendar saw them whimper all to easily to a Wigan side that quite frankly should count themselves lucky they are not yet in this season’s bottom three.

What the 1-0 defeat at the DW stadium proved is that some Liverpool players no longer have the fight in them to guide Liverpool to 4^th place ahead of Spurs and Manchester City. Some of them look barely interested at the thought of 4^th place and look as though the prospect of heading to South-Africa is already on their mind.  So what can Rafa do to solve this problem?

The answer’s come in the form of Martin Kelly, Stephen Darby, Alberto Aquilani and Daniel Pacheco. All young and relatively unknown players – with the exception of Aquilani, who all have the need to prove they deserve a long-term stay at the club. And whilst no guarantee can be made that the likes of Javier Mascherano or Fernando Torres will still be at the club on the opening day of the next campaign, the fore-named players could shape Liverpool’s future.

There’s no doubt that these players will show the desire, commitment and motivation that Rafa needs to win him fourth place. Unlike Mascherano, Gerrard and Torres these young players cannot rely on big reputations to secure a successful future, they must first go out and build that reputation and what better way than to help guide Liverpool to champions league qualification.

I’ve always been very sceptical of Rafa’s handling of the younger players at the club. After all what’s the point in purchasing young and unneutered talent in the form of the brilliant Krisztian Nemeth –who I can guarantee is better than David Ngog, if he is to get shipped out on loan to a faraway country only to return to the club and be immediately sold without any explanation.

The next two league matches will play a detrimental part in whether Liverpool are to get champions league football next season. The games against Portsmouth and Manchester United are both must-win games, and the way Rafa’s men are performing right now you would have to be a brave man to put any of your hard earned cash down on that happening.

I’m going to make a bold statement right now but one I believe is true. Liverpool are ten times as likely to finish fourth with the likes of Kelly and Pacheco than they are with the likes of Mascherano and Gerrard.