Consistency holds the key for Reds success

It is impossible to call him anything other than a legend.

To this day Phil Neal remains the only Englishman to have won four European Cups and did so at a time when the competition's name was truly honoured as only a country's champion team could compete.

Indeed, Neal won the English title eight times which, along with four League Cup wins and a UEFA Cup triumph, make him one of the most successful players of any era.

He was also one of the most consistent, playing 365 consecutive games or rather eight seasons without missing a match, something that seems inconceivable nowadays in an era where rotation has found a place in the football vocabulary and barely three weeks pass without players being rested.

None more so than at Neal's old club Liverpool where Rafael Benitez has often had to fend off criticism that he changes his team too often.

Benitez's argument always hinges on the need to do so in order to keep players fresh, something that doesn't really sit comfortably with Neal.

"I don't think football has changed that much. I think the reason that players are rested is because they have a big squad. We didn't have the luxury of a big squad or rather we didn't want a big squad.

"Bob Paisley took over from Bill Shankly and if they had from 16 to 18 players it was enough for their season," Neal said.

"You don't need 40 players because you get muddled as to who is good and who is bad. If you've got too big a squad I don't think that helps the manager."

It seems to be the antithesis of the modern mentality where the big means good as far as squads are concerned. Yet, Neal's views on the importance of a settled team were played out in the manner in which Liverpool ended their season.

"I think that Rafa in the last six weeks of the season really changed his opinion. I went on record prior to the Sunderland game and appealed to him to play the best team for the rest of the season in the games that we had left. He has amended his five to six changes here and there every other game, he's found a system that fits his players. It shows how far he can go next year and we wish him well."

That final comment is extremely telling. Although he's not shy from expressing his opinions and disagreements, unlike certain other former Liverpool players, Neal is of the opinion that Benitez is the man to manage Liverpool, especially as he now seems to have found the formation that works with his players.

"The system should suit most players and I think that Rafa has discovered that. Whether he continues with it will be interesting to see but I'm sure he will. He has options, however, to change players.

"We just need to beat the Premiership leaders. We haven't done that regularly in the league. There will always be times when we drop points but we did that in our days too. It is really being in the race with ten games to go. We've always been adrift of that slot. Our players don't know how to win the Premiership but they've got to be in the race.

"They need a level of consistency that they're striving for and that is not far away. And I think that Rafa is the man for it."

Like any other fan, Neal has his views on which players Liverpool need in order to continue their progression - "we just need two impact players out wide" - but, whoever comes in, it is unlikely to see a repeat of Neal's transfer to Liverpool from Northampton who were then in the Third Division and when he, at 23, was already feeling that "my chance had gone".

Indeed top flight clubs no longer seem interested in taking players from the lower leagues, something that saddens Neal.

"I still think that there is talent out there and it is sad to see it being put aside. Myself, Keegan, Clemence and Rush, we all came from the lower leagues but that doesn't seem to happen anymore."

Phil Neal was in Malta courtesy of the Gozo branch of the Liverpool Supporters Club (Malta).