Rafael Benitez gets Liverpool's tactics spot on

Last Updated: 7:05pm BST 31/03/2008

For a team that boasts a more than decent defensive record this season, only Manchester United and Chelsea have conceded fewer League goals, Liverpool have endured their fair share of dramas and hiccups at the back.
The mind races back to their FA Cup travails when, first, non-league Havant & Waterlooville managed to score twice at Anfield before Barnsley's shock brace in the next round dumped their Premier League hosts out of the competition.
If that wasn't embarrassing enough, Manchester United exposed several frailties last week in thrashing their old rivals 3-0 at Old Trafford. Javier Mascherano's dismissal contributed significantly but long before the Argentine's red card the central defensive axis of Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel looked totally out of sorts.
It looked exactly what it was - a brand-new partnership in need of time, not quite ready to contain, among other things, the clever runs of Wayne Rooney.
Interesting, then, that for yesterday's Merseyside derby, Rafa Benitez disbanded that partnership, moving Carragher across to right-back so that he could play Sami Hyypia in the middle alongside Skrtel. For this perennially tough-tackling encounter, the Spaniard wanted all his strongest defenders on the pitch at once.
The switch worked an absolute treat, forming the basis of one of those maddeningly efficient Liverpool displays when, no matter what you try as an opponent, there will always be a red shirt in the way.
That is the great thing about being a defender at Liverpool. Under Benitez, the team, first and foremost, will always be built around protecting your back. Before turning his attention to matters further forward, the cautious coach has traditionally deployed two holding midfielders.
The presence of Xabi Alonso and Lucas, therefore, was always going to help. As it turned out, so did Everton's lack of punch, particularly in the first half when Yakubu was largely left on his own to carry the fight.
Nevertheless, there was plenty to admire on the other side, in the way the old and the new came together at Anfield, covering for each other right till the end.
In his first derby, Skrtel enjoyed a fantastic day, by far his best since arriving in January from Zenit St Petersburg. Having prospered in the Russian league to earn his £6.5 million move -the most Liverpool have paid for a defender - I suppose you would expect a fairly tough customer and that's exactly what he looked during this absorbing match.
The 23-year-old Slovakian never shirked a challenge. More than that, he seemed to be enjoying the scrap, always up for a tackle if it looked on. The one occasion Yakubu did turn Skrtel, Hyypia raced across to help, sliding in sharply with an inch-perfect interception.
Hyypia was rolling back the years in the way he sunk his teeth into this task. Taking to the field for his 15th derby, the 34-year-old Finn looked hellbent on persuading his manager that he fully deserves the new contract now reportedly on the table.
Still a great favourite, still serenaded by the kop, Hyypia, on this form, still has a part to play. As for whether he plays on Wednesday is another matter entirely - we must wait and see what Benitez does at the Emirates in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final with Arsenal.
Arsene Wenger's side will pose a much different threat. For a start, in Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin van Persie, there should be two strikers to tame, spearheading a fluid unit that, on a good day, comes at you from all sorts of angles. Quite a challenge for any defence, but on this sort of form Liverpool's brand stands a better chance than most.
www.telegraph.co.uk/smith