Liverpool - Birmingham preview

Rafael Benitez is a man under pressure - and this weekend's clash with Birmingham could be his last shot at redemption. Recent criticism has focused on his team selection, formation and a seeming inability to motivate his players, and he will be keen to put an end to the sniping with a victory over Birmingham. With Gerrard unlikely to feature and Torres not 100% fit it will be more important than ever that Rafa gets his system right - and for this match that means being positive and going for the jugular. If he can rid himself of his safety first mentality and instill confidence in his players then Liverpool should have enough quality to run out comfortable winners. Look for Rafa flooding the midfield by getting his fullbacks to push on - and as a result freeing up the likes of Benayoun and Babel to run at the Birmingham defence with pace. Maybe taking a gamble on the inclusion of Aquilani could be the master-stroke he is looking for. Alex McLeish cemented his reputation as a top manager when in charge of Glasgow Rangers, and since joining Birmingham City has presided over both a relegation and promotion. A typical wily Scot he will have done his homework on Liverpool and in particular their tendency to concede sloppy goals. He will set his side up to defend first-and-foremost - playing a bank of five in midfield ahead of a conventional back four. He will then look to hit Liverpool on the counter-attack and to cause problems at set-pieces. McLeish knows that if he can keep the Reds at bay for the first half hour then the crowd could turn on the home team and that could give his players the confidence the spoil the Anfield party.