'Show Your Worth' Says Benitez

After quashing the link between himself and Real Madrid, Rafa Benitez laid down a challenge to the Liverpool players that is to play for their future.

"If you want to win the league, you need players who are going to perform for nine months and not just one or two months or three games," says Benitez. "You need to see the consistency of the players. They need to be competitive in every game.

And what other games to prove yourself other than this week, when Liverpool will play Middlesbrough tonight before facing Wigan again, both at Anfield. Two wins could prove to be very important as it'll most probably secure Liverpool's third placing finish and Champions League football next season.

After Arsenal's win last night, Liverpool have been dethroned and will have to win tonight to regain third place and they'll have to do it without Craig Bellamy, who has been ruled out of the tie with a knee injury that he suffered last week.

After the insipid 0-0 draw with Man City, Liverpool will have to sharpen up their knives for the push and get a result tonight. Peter Crouch and Dirk Kuyt will be most certainly start tonight up front with Gerrard, perhaps, shifted to the right again.

Drogballs' Prediction: Liverpool 2-0 Middlesbrough