For 11 minutes all the conditions that traditionally constitute a surprise were in place as Newcastle's own fight for survival threatened to stir the mix at the top end of the table.

The unwelcoming Tyneside night. The surface made treacherous by a hailstorm. The desperate opposition clinging to the gift of an early Peter Lovenkrands goal courtesy of an awful error by Manchester United's record-breaking goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.

It was not just Newcastle United who could sense the shock - the anticipation would have been just as keenly felt by Chelsea coach Guus Hiddink and Liverpool counterpart Rafael Benitez as they wait desperately for a crack to appear in Manchester United's armour.

But as Manchester United pulled away from St James' Park and out of a freezing Newcastle, they left broken dreams behind them.

And Hiddink and Benitez, who may have detected the smallest shaft of light after wins on Tuesday, saw it swiftly snuffed out by another Manchester United victory.

The talk in the corridors of St James' Park afterwards was of "focus", courtesy of Rooney, plus a fine effort in diplomacy from Newcastle coach Chris Hughton, deputising for manager Joe Kinnear as he recovers from heart surgery.

Hughton claimed Manchester United would be "pushed all the way", although he did eventually admit it would be tough for anyone to catch the leaders.

But the reality was that this was another crucial step forward by Manchester United - another three points collected, another psychological blow to the chasing pack. All achieved without even having their best night at the office.

Indeed, for 30 minutes Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins ran Manchester United's defence ragged. And if he had just managed to convert a near post finish with Newcastle leading 1-0, Hiddink and Benitez would have had real cause for hope and the Toon Army would not be looking over their shoulders quite so anxiously.

Normal service was shortly resumed, however, as Manchester United survived injury-hit Newcastle's best shots and returned their own to run out winners.

The soundbites may continue, but it would take a collapse of increasingly unthinkable proportions to stop the crown heading to Old Trafford once more. Manchester United could conceivably lose three more league games this season and still win the title.

Can you seriously see that happening? No - neither can I.

And there was a cameo after Berbatov scored Manchester United's winner that revealed much about why they are heading - barring an unlikely sequence of defeats - for another Premier League title.

Van der Sar, hardly shame-faced but certainly embarrassed by his error, raced to the halfway line to congratulate Rooney for his part in the build-up to the goal - a long pass played from an unlikely position of auxiliary central defender.

The goalkeeper's grateful thanks to the team-mate who had bailed him out was obvious for all to see.

It summed up the Manchester United psyche. It says there is usually someone around to produce the goods. If Van der Sar errs, then Rooney will deliver at the other end, or Berbatov, or Cristiano Ronaldo.

Old Trafford may have its own version of the Galacticos, but it is under-pinned by a serious sense of team fostered by Ferguson.

Manchester United's last two league wins, against Blackburn and here against Newcastle, have been scratchy affairs - the key fact is that they both ended up with job done.

It has been a crucial difference between Manchester United and their rivals. They have been undone by too many draws.

And it was achieved in the face of a serious challenge from Newcastle, who must take heart from so many aspects of this display as they face a hazardous stretch of fixtures, starting with Hull away on 14 March before home games with Arsenal and Chelsea and a trip to Stoke City.

Early optimism punctured, further wind was taken out of their sails as news of Hull's last-minute winner at Fulham filtered through to St James' Park - throw in wins for Spurs and Stoke, plus a point for Blackburn and it was hardly a great night on the Toon.

Newcastle will need fighting spirit, but preferably not the sort offered by Steven Taylor in his unseemly spat with Ronaldo on the stroke of half-time.

Taylor swung his arm at Ronaldo, flattening the Manchester United winger, and he still had enough energy left over to clatter into Michael Carrick.

Everyone has raised an eyebrow, occasionally even two, at Ronaldo's threatrics, but this does not give defenders carte blanche to launch themselves in his general direction and expect to escape punishment.

It is almost seen as good sport in some quarters, but Taylor was lucky not to have been sent off, although Rio Ferdinand's lengthy intervention was just as needless and word was the spat continued down the tunnel at half-time.

Newcastle's cause would be helped more by the swift return of Michael Owen, who revealed in his programme notes he expects to be fit to face Hull. He is the sort of predator who might have just pinched that crucial second goal Newcastle's brief supremacy demanded.

And, when fit, he will be playing alongside a genuine threat in Martins. The Nigerian may be wayward on occasions, but no-one can question his effort and his pace gave Newcastle a potent point of attack.

Newcastle are in trouble - it cannot be dressed up any other way - but if they have Owen for the remaining weeks of a troubled campaign and play with the same spirit and endeavour as they did here, then I would back them to survive.

Manchester United's next league assignment is the meeting with Liverpool at Old Trafford on 14 March, when they know a win will kill any remaining hopes of the title heading to Anfield stone dead.

They will need to perform better than they did at Newcastle, but Manchester United's ability to grind out this type of result from a below-par performance is always the hallmark of champions.

And after having spirits lifted briefly, it may just have been even more of a blow to Chelsea and Liverpool to see Manchester United come from behind and survive to claim another three points.

Little wonder Manchester United's players and staff cut a group of contented figures as they boarded the coach at the end of an uncomfortable, but ultimately satisfying, night.

Ferguson rightly stated the quintuple - a new word even in United's lexicon of success - could come tumbling down in one moment of ill-fortune, but this victory once again demonstrated that, as with all great sides, they find ways to win even when their best deserts them.

And when the Scot studies his ledger after the Wembley celebrations have subsided, he will be in credit nearly all the way.

United have more silverware, have watched Liverpool's loss at Middlesbrough leave the Merseysiders running third in what even Ferguson thought was a two-horse race - and have uncovered compelling evidence that in Ben Foster their goalkeeping future is literally in safe hands.

Foster's career has stuttered through no fault of his own, but under the gaze of England coach Fabio Capello he looked like the goalkeeper so many have heard so much about for so long.

If the Italian is caused any sleepless night by his job, one of the contributing factors might be that he does not have, as yet, a keeper he can count on. If Foster stays fit and gets enough games he could be Capello's man in South Africa next year.

One ill-judged early piece of poor positioning apart, Foster was commanding, handled well and produced a magnificent save from Aaron Lennon with 20 minutes left to keep United level.

He made a crucial block with his legs to save from Darren Bent as Spurs pushed for a winner, and showed a natural presence and authority that fully justified Ferguson's faith in selecting him.

Foster then saved Jamie O'Hara's opening penalty to put the skids under Spurs' hopes of repeating last year's win in this competition.

Ferguson was in no doubt: "The future's his - the present belongs to Edwin van der Sar. I think Ben Foster will be England's goalkeeper for the next number of years."

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp was understandably satisfied with his side's efforts, matching United - and more besides in spells - and they at least deserved to take the game to penalties.

Ledley King and Michael Dawson were outstanding in defence, Luka Modric is a creator in the best Spurs tradition and if Redknapp can somehow get Lennon to combine his electrifying approach play with end product then he will be doing himself and England a favour.

But Spurs lacked class and clout up front, with Roman Pavlyuchenko producing a performance designed to push him to the front of the summer clear-out queue and Bent just not having enough in his armoury to trouble United.

There was enough from Spurs, however, to suggest that when Robbie Keane, Jermain Defoe and Wilson Palacios play regularly and Redknapp does business in the summer, there will be solid foundations in place to make serious progress.

There was an inevitability about United's victory once the shoot-out got under way - keeping Ferguson and his team on course to make this the most decorated season of all.

And, despite the defensive straight bat brandished by Ferguson in the bowels of Wembley after adding another trophy to his honours list, there is that genuine possibility that United can be successful to the power of five this season.

It would take a rare act of generosity on United's part to relinquish their Premier League crown now and stop them making it three trophies this season. It seems an age away (10 January to be precise) when Rafael Benitez reacted to a goalless draw at Stoke City by suggesting United might be "a little bit scared" to see Liverpool top of the table.

United's quest for more cup glory could provide their most difficult assignments, with the shadow of Jose Mourinho looming over the second leg of their last 16 clash in the Champions League with Inter Milan.

A goalless draw in Milan still leaves the tie in the balance, while an FA Cup trip to Roy Hodgson's Fulham in the FA Cup is a serious test.

But the strength of United's squad was underscored by the fact that this latest success was achieved with keeper Van der Sar rested, Dimitar Berbatov nowhere to be seen against his former club, Wayne Rooney sidelined by a virus and Michael Carrick also taken out of the firing line.

Nemanja Vidic and Ryan Giggs started on the bench as a further illustration that United have the quality and depth to take this tilt at history between now and May.

It is a mighty task and Ferguson is using wisdom gained through many successes to dampen down anticipation of a season that could eclipse even the perfect treble triumph of 1999.

But when it comes to silverware, Ferguson is always in it to win it - and while he may not trumpet United's hopes of claiming the big five, he will surely accept in his private moments that there is no reason why they cannot make this their greatest campaign.

Rafael Benitez was the name in the frame in the hours before Liverpool's Champions League victory against Real Madrid on Wednesday, a suggestion met with wide-eyed incredulity from the manager.

Now we know it will be chief executive Rick Parry going through the exit door at the end of the season after the latest twist in the public power battle being waged inside Anfield.

My understanding is that talks over the past fortnight have led to a "mature" acceptance that Parry and combative American co-owner Hicks' philosophies are so apart that they will never be reconciled.

One of the pair had to go - and in the current climate it was never going to be Hicks.

But ultimately, in words Hicks himself might use, the town was not big enough for both of them. Talks, which were described to me as "measured and calm" have brought another episode of the Anfield soap opera to a close.

The move is as close to the famed "mutual consent" as it gets. Hicks and Parry mutually agree they cannot work together and that one of them should go, in this case Parry.

It will be portrayed as Benitez finally getting his way and seeing off Parry in his own pursuit of power, but is my belief that the decision is based on the chief executive's relationship with Hicks rather than his manager.

And while Benitez will stop short of claiming Parry's departure as a victory, there is little doubt it removes one more obstacle in his plans to secure his long-term Anfield future and cement his personal power-base.

A key sticking point in Benitez's negotiations over a new contract has been his desire not to have to answer to Parry over football matters, a wound that was open long before this summer's ill-fated and acrimonious pursuit of Aston Villa captain Gareth Barry.

My information is that both Hicks and fellow owner George Gillett felt strongly that the Barry deal was too pricey for Liverpool's liking and that Parry was furious that he seemed to be shouldering the largest share of blame for the failure of the deal.

I also believe Barry's arrival was also strongly dependent on the sale of Xabi Alonso to Juventus and subsequent off-loading of Jermaine Pennant and Yossi Benayoun - none of which happened.

Benitez has been openly frustrated for four years rather than six months by what he regards as Parry's failure to move swiftly enough when targets have been identified by his scouting team.

Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic, Arsenal's Abou Diaby and Chelsea winger Florent Malouda are Benitez's private examples of those who got away after he had lined up deals - although in the case of the latter Parry should surely be thanked rather than scolded by his manager.

My belief is that Liverpool had a strong interest in signing Vidic when he left Spartak Moscow in January 2006, but were left unconvinced by the player's real desire to move to Anfield and subsequently signed Daniel Agger instead.

Kakha Kaladze was another defender Benitez wanted from AC Milan, but again he was regarded as too expensive at £6m - with the more preferable and younger option of Martin Skrtel eventually arriving at Anfield.

I understand George Gillett, a strong supporter of Parry in the face of criticism from Hicks, is saddened by his exit - although some Anfield insiders believe it may lead to a reconciliation of sorts between the pair as no potential purchasers are on the horizon to mount an Anfield takeover.

It is felt a more "neutral" chief executive might help them work more fruitfully together during their remaining time in charge because Parry was viewed as very much Gillett's man among the Anfield power-brokers.

There may also be a section of Liverpool's support who will see the development as a sign that Hicks may be strengthening his own position inside Anfield's corridors of power, hardly something they will welcome unanimously.

Parry has also taken public criticism for the decision to bring Hicks and Gillett into Anfield and back away from the proposed deal with Dubai International Capital.

This, of course, has proved to be a mistake on current evidence, although it was actually a decision made by shareholders as opposed to Parry.

I have dealt with Parry over the course of his time at Liverpool and found him to be an honest, hard-working, low-key operator who prefers to go about his business away from the spotlight. I am certain Parry would have loved to stay at Liverpool - but not neccessarily Liverpool in its current form.

Parry is an advocate of what used to be known as "the Liverpool Way" of doing business without fuss and behind closed doors - not the public airing of dirty linen that has driven a coach and horses through that philosophy in recent years.

He is a lifelong Liverpool fan and the image portrayed by some as a man who will procrastinate, almost to the deliberate detriment of Liverpool, is false. Parry is well-respected within football, and will have no shortage of suitors once he leaves Anfield.

As Parry prepares to go, focus will now switch back on to Benitez's protracted contract talks and the growing belief that he will now finally sign the extension on offer, although his departure alone will not seal any deal.

It certainly gives Benitez one less reason not to sign the deal, although whether Hicks and Gillett finally grant him almost unprecedented power over the use of a Liverpool transfer budget is yet to be revealed.

Benitez's hand has been strengthened considerably by the outstanding win in The Bernabeu in midweek and, even though he will not say it, by Parry's decision to end his reign at Anfield.

For all the talk of the Premier League title being Liverpool's priority this season, you would not back against him winning the Champions League to offer up as a more than acceptable consolation prize, such is his tactical expertise in Europe.

And Parry would also regard it as the perfect ending to a turbulent 12 years at Anfield.

Qualification is still a work in progress for all four, but there is now a clear opportunity for the Premier League to take up half the allocation of places in the last eight of Europe's elite competition.

Liverpool take top honours for an outstanding 1-0 win against Real Madrid in The Bernabeu, but there was real merit in the work of the rest of the so-called "Big Four" as they once again attempt to place their imprint on the latter stages of the tournament.

Not a goal conceded at home or away and a lead in three out of four ties tells the story of a job well done after the first round of games.

And after more, in this instance groundless, speculation about his future as Liverpool manager in the hours leading up to the game, he delivered another example that he serves his case best when he sticks to football as opposed to the game's boardroom politics.

Liverpool's win was richly-deserved, based on the trademark Benitez template of solid defence setting the foundations for growing supremacy as the game progressed.

It was a match that exposed the supposedly resurgent Real under Juande Ramos as one-paced and carrying all the appearances of a spent force and Yossi Benayoun's late header was no more than Liverpool merited.

And victory was achieved, at least until the closing minutes, without the injured Steven Gerrard and despite the loss of an limping Fernando Torres on the hour.

There was little evidence that Real will enter the Anfield fortress and spring a surprise in a fortnight. Liverpool can plan for the quarter-finals and we are reaching the stage of the competition when their confidence grows and the other teams in the tournament have no particular wish to be drawn against them.

It is unwise to write off any side containing the talents on offer to Real, but Liverpool's fans will not have travelled home from Spain with any sense of trepidation after what they witnessed in The Bernabeu. I back them to qualify with comfort.

Chelsea were less convincing in their 1-0 win against Juventus, but make no mistake new coach Guus Hiddink would have taken that result before the start. The importance of not conceding a goal at home is self-evident and that priority was taken care of, albeit with the odd anxious moment.

It was a performance that mirrored Hiddink's opening win at Aston Villa, with early domination giving way to nervy times as the game went on, but two wins out of two is the start he and Roman Abramovich will have craved.

Claudio Ranieri's side may be ageing in parts, but veterans Pavel Nedved and Alessandro del Piero showed there is still life in mind and body yet and Juve will approach the second leg with genuine hope.

But Hiddink now has more time to work his methods into Chelsea's system and they will feel they can transform a slender advantage into a place in the last eight.

Arsenal and Manchester United will also be happy with their respective positions, but may just harbour a sense of opportunities missed after their encounters with Roma and Inter Milan respectively.

A 1-0 lead was a poor return in exchange for Arsenal's domination against Roma. The Italians are formidable on home territory, as Chelsea will testify, and boss Arsene Wenger must hope over-generosity in front of goal does not cost them in the second leg.

Arsenal's recent difficulties in breaking down defences has over-shadowed their outstanding defensive record in the same period, and it is a quality they will be called upon to demonstrate in Rome.

Most intriguing and finely-balanced of all is the latest round in the ongoing battle of the master managers Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho after the goalless draw between Manchester United and Inter Milan on Tuesday.

Manchester United looked vastly superior for long periods in the San Siro, but the presence of Mourinho in the equation will make Old Trafford a nervous place to be when they meet again.

Is there more to come from Inter? Will United, like Arsenal, be forced to sweat because of a failure to turn dominance into goals?

And will the enigmatic Zlatan Ibrahimovic actually prove that he can terrorise top English defences - something he has spectacularly failed to do so far in his career?

Taken at face value, Tuesday's game demonstrated that United - even without Wayne Rooney in the starting line-up - are much the more accomplished side and should see off their great old adversary's Inter side in front of their own fans.

"The Special One" will no doubt inject his own unique brand of mischief into preparations for the second leg, but realism suggests United will have too much firepower for the Italians.

Four games, no defeats, no goals conceded although no ties settled yet - but the smart money must be on the usual quartet of Premier League suspects being present in the next stage of the Champions League.

It is fanciful to claim Hiddink's new charges produced compelling evidence to suggest Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United face a renewed threat to their supremacy, or that his brief reign will bring a guarantee of silverware.

The air of invincibilty Chelsea carried for so long has been stripped away and they are still clearly a team in need of renovation.

But a victory at Villa Park is an outstanding start and there was enough on offer, particularly during a flowing first half, to give Hiddink genuine optimism for his temporary tenure.

Martin O'Neill's side, normally so powerful and pacy, looked heavy-legged and allowed Hiddink's revamped Chelsea side to establish the supremacy that provided the platform for a win that keeps them on the margins of the title race.

The credits in Hiddink's ledger will come mainly from that first 45 minutes, when Chelsea played with a fluidity and freedom that was missing in the dying days of Luiz Felipe Scolari's regime.

Frank Lampard again showed what store Hiddink must place in him, creating Anelka's goal with a moment of individual brilliance that some of his more misplaced critics claim is beyond him.

Michael Ballack looked enlivened in central midfield, a contrast to the peripheral figure of recent times, while Hiddink will have been encouraged by his decision to pair Anelka and Didier Drogba in attack.

Anelka and Drogba do not look a natural fit as a partnership, but there is no shortage of ability - if Hiddink can be the alchemist that makes the formula work he will have a formidable force to call on.

Drogba at least put himself about and muscled his way around Villa's defence in a manner he appeared to have forgotten. This was hardly classic Drogba, but at least he showed the interest that was markedly absent at Liverpool and that is a base for Hiddink to work from.

Hiddink was pleased with the pair afterwards, although his comments about their need to work as a defensive force as well as an attacking threat suggested the link is a work in progress.

But there were flashes of the dominant Chelsea of old in the opening period, when they passed with authority and barely allowed a lacklustre Villa any sort of foothold in the game.

Hiddink will also have been pleased with the defensive resilience Chelsea showed in the second half, when they came under a siege of sorts from Villa and goalkeeper Petr Cech was able to make some confidence-building saves.

The concern remains that this Chelsea side is easier to lay a glove on than teams of previous vintage.

This was a result achieved in the manner of a Mourinho side, early goal followed by victory, but there was a still an element of discomfort in the closing stages that hinted at the problems they have suffered recently.

Villa took territorial advantage for long periods after the break as Chelsea themselves appeared to tire, something Hiddink has already started to address with a more vigorous training regime.

Hiddink will soon be able to call on Ricardo Carvalho and Ashley Cole once more, while the return of Michael Essien to midfield in March will give Chelsea an extra dimension in various parts of the pitch.

Villa, for their part, can draw consolation from the fact that they were bitterly disappointed at not getting at least a point from Chelsea. As O'Neill said, this in itself is a sign of their progress this season.

Hiddink will now turn his attention to making progress in the Champions League against Juventus and building on this fine victory.

It was not a performance that erases Chelsea's troubles or elevates them back to being Manchester United's main title threat, but there can be genuine cause for pleasure in the opening game of the Hiddink era.

Two names that never appeared near the top of any odds were Everton manager David Moyes and his Aston Villa counterpart Martin O'Neill - a tribute to the stability of their positions but also inexplicable given their proven abilities.

O'Neill crept into some quarters at 33/1 and Moyes at 40/1, but might they not have actually been just as suited to doing the job at Stamford Bridge as Hiddink?

Former Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini, Bayern Munich's Jurgen Klinsmann, Croatia coach Slaven Bilic and Spartak Moscow's Michael Laudrup were placed ahead of both in the betting.

Is it because they are not fashionable or showbiz enough for the top four? Is it that the default position for many clubs is to simply reach for the familiar list of foreign names when two prime candidates are actually on the doorstep?

Mysterious, but just perfect for two great institutions of English football who meet in the FA Cup fifth round at Goodison Park on Sunday.

It is, however, a recognition of the work they have done at Everton and Aston Villa. The teams they have produced are a credit to them.

Big vacancies come and go at places like Newcastle, Manchester City and Spurs - and yet Moyes is never seriously linked with any of them.

Everton fans will state, with great justification, that Moyes is already at a club that is at least as big, if not bigger, than that trio other than in financial terms.

But it seems strange that a manager who has made Everton regulars in the top six, and even broke into the top four to reach the Champions League in 2005 on a shoestring is never mentioned when the major vacancies occur.

Moyes is under-stated, dour at times admittedly, but he has produced an Everton team full of passion, character and team spirit. The days of Goodison Park's flirtation with relegation have gone.

The Scot rules pretty much all he surveys at Everton. He is not to be trifled with, just ask Victor Anichebe when you next see him, and his players are seen rather than heard.

He has manouevred his budget skilfully, using particular guile when dipping into the Championship to pay £4m for Phil Jagielka from Sheffield United, £5m to buy Joleon Lescott from Wolves and - in one of the game's great bargains of recent times - £2m to take Tim Cahill from Millwall.

All three have been huge figures for Everton, with Jagielka arguably the pick of the crop this season.

He has been outrageously written off as an international player by some on the basis of a misplaced pass for England against Spain, arguably the world's best international team on Wednesday, but ask Moyes for his rating of Jagielka and he will put it at pretty much priceless.

Indeed, it is interesting that much of Everton's recent resurgence has been based on an all-English back four of Lescott, Jagielka, Tony Hibbert and Leighton Baines.

Moyes has proved himself an able builder of teams, willing to give young English talent a chance and dip into the lower divisions to find talent. He is also happy (well relatively happy) to work within a restricted budget and yet still comes up with results.

If there is a gap in his track record, it is his failure to mount any sort of cup run apart from reaching the semi-final of the Carling Cup last season. This would be the best opportunity to provide silverware to go alongside his outstanding work in giving Everton stability via their Premier League placings.

Moyes will see a home tie in the fifth round of the FA Cup as an opportunity to put that straight.

One columnist wrote last week that it would be - and I quote - "a disgrace" if Moyes was not favourite to fill one of the top four jobs when they next become available.

It is hard to argue with him - but a delight for Everton fans that this theory has escaped the notice of boardrooms up and down the country.

O'Neill deserves praise in equal measure for his transformation of Aston Villa, in partnership with the mature and low-profile leadership of Randy Lerner.

The nervous tics and touchline mannerisms of O'Neill are an acquired taste for some, but he has built on a reputation shaped at Wycombe Wanderers, Leicester City and Celtic after arriving at Villa in August 2006.

Lerner's money has been used carefully, with O'Neill seemingly keen to sign and nurture young English talent in the shape of Ashley Young, Nigel Reo-Coker, Curtis Davies, Steve Sidwell and James Milner.

He has welded these signings on to experienced campaigners like Brad Friedel, John Carew and Gareth Barry to establish a formidable side using the familiar O'Neill template of pace and power.

Gabriel Agbonlahor's development through the ranks has added to his weaponry, while he returned for one of his former players, Emile Heskey, to add squad strength in January.

O'Neill has proved a shrewd motivator and never gives the impression that football is anything other than a simple game, a mantra of his legendary former Nottingham Forest manager Brian Clough.

Good players want to play for him. Ally this to a common sense approach to tactics and you have O'Neill's Aston Villa.

He is just as formidable a personality as Moyes, as proved when he stood firm against Rafael Benitez and point-blank refused to see Barry to Liverpool in the summer.

Villa won a dramatic game at Everton 3-2 earlier this season, but both sides have improved since then.

Moyes and O'Neill will see victory on Sunday as opening up a potential route to Wembley - and adding further gloss to their glowing reputations.

So when he matched Bobby Moore's tally of 108 England caps - the record for an outfield player - by coming on against Spain in Seville, it was the signal for another debate centred around one the country's great sporting polemics.

Is Beckham worthy of matching Moore, still the only England captain to lift the World Cup?

It is a debate that must be set in its proper context. In the modern days of more regular internationals, 108 is only a number and we are comparing two players who operated in vastly different eras in different positions.

And unless and until Beckham wins the World Cup with England, Moore's iconic status and reputation will always be preserved in the more precious metal of the Jules Rimet Trophy.

The received wisdom appears to be that Beckham comes in very much a poor second to Moore, that his latter collection of cameo caps renders any argument that he can match the man who won the World Cup irrelevant.

My own view is that direct comparisons, as someone once said in a debate between a horse, goose, and sheep, are odious - but we can state some facts that will help to shape any argument.

Moore played in three World Cups, excelling as a youngster when England reached the quarter-final in 1962 and winning it on home soil four years later.

He demonstrated his strength of character and coolness under pressure to perhaps an even greater degree in Mexico in 1970, where he was outstanding again.

Moore had been wrongly implicated in the theft of a bracelet in Bogota before the tournament - but emerged to deliver what many observers still regard as the finest performance of his career when England lost a group game to eventual winners Brazil in Guadalajara.

He delivered a performance of such poise and precision that the great Pele, arguably at the peak of his powers in that tournament, sought him out at the final whistle to set up a famous photograph of the pair swapping shirts.

Moore, who died of cancer aged just 51 in 1993, will always have a unique - and as yet unmatchable - place in England's football pantheon because he has done what no-one else has yet done and led his country to World Cup glory.

When England's football history is written, Bobby Moore will be remembered as the player who captained them to the World Cup - his tally of 108 caps will be rightly moved to the margins.

Beckham has never truly delivered at a major tournament, either because of a red card, injury and loss of form - and his critics will point to the cult of celebrity that has sometimes threatened to undermine his excellence as a footballer.

I have been critical of Beckham's form for England in the past, and irritated by how coaches, especially Sven-Goran Eriksson, have been in thrall to him without justification.

It blinded Eriksson's judgement in Japan in 2002, when he picked a clearly unfit Beckham and the price was paid in the losing quarter-final against Brazil in the searing heat and humidity of Shizuoka. Beckham jumped out of a tackle just before the interval, a moment that led to Rivaldo's crucial equaliser.

Beckham was off the pace at Euro 2004 in Portugal, when even his trademark dead-ball skills let him down when he missed a penalty in a group game against France and in a shoot-out against the hosts in the last eight.

He was mediocre in Germany two years later, but was still one of England's better performers. Beckham ended that World Cup in tears injured on the touchline - and with his international career seemingly over.

I was convinced he would never be seen playing for England again as I watched him resign the captaincy in tears at a press conference in Baden-Baden 24 hours later - but it is this iron will and refusal to accept what we believed was the inevitable that deserves complete respect.

He was dignified when dropped as a grand gesture by Steve McClaren, and set about regaining his place in the squad.

It was a mission he accomplished, confounding many of us with the way he was happy to return to the ranks without any rancour after losing his precious captain's armband.

He remains in the squad, moving to AC Milan to ensure he did so, and having observed how Fabio Capello operates, his presence is not down to the Italian acting out of sentiment - this is an alien concept to him.

Capello must feel he can make a contribution, although this is as much down to his potential successors failing to make their case as Beckham's own performances.

I only met Bobby Moore once, at Highbury shortly before his death. He was a modest, unfailingly polite individual prepared to talk football with anyone. It was scandal of sorts how he was not allowed to make a greater contribution to our game after he finished playing.

I would never pretend to know Beckham as a person, but I have watched him in action at close quarters around the world and any criticism made of him as a player must be set alongside his exemplary behaviour for England off the field.

In Japan he received pop star adulation and was blinded by flashlights everywhere he went. He was the perfect ambassador as captain, as he was in Portugal and Germany, never refusing any reasonable request from fascinated fans who followed his every move.

We may have questioned some of his moves on the field, but Beckham was a force for good for England's reputation off the pitch.

Indeed, when he won his 100th cap in England's friendly defeat in France in March, a hostile Stade de France rose as one to applaud him when he was substituted after 63 minutes.

Does this make him the equal of Bobby Moore? Let the debate rage.

If a similar bold profession had been made 12 months ago, it would have treated with scepticism or as a bid by Capello to talk up England's squad.

Now, faith in the Italian's iron discipline and tactical adaptability is so strong that it is unlikely many will take issue with Capello's belief that England can flourish against the team ranked number one in the world by Fifa.

History is also on Capello's side, with the Football Association historian David Barber revealing that his record in 2008 - eight wins, one draw and a a defeat to France - is the best in a calendar year since Sir Alf Ramsey in 1971.

The build-up to England's visit to Seville has been played out against the backdrop of racist abuse aimed at their players during the 1-0 defeat at the Bernabeu in Madrid in November 2004.

Spain's fans will want to show a more acceptable face off the pitch - while England will want to be far more presentable on it.

It is a chance for England to demonstrate how far they have travelled since that night when they were embarrassed by the technical ability of their opponents, despite the narrow victory margin.

Spain will have most of the outstanding squad that deservedly claimed the Euro 2008 crown against Germany in Vienna on show.

This makes the friendly - another word Capello struggles to find in his footballing glossary - a perfect opportunity for England to measure their progress against the standard of opposition they will need to conquer to claim the game's biggest prize in South Africa next year.

England's win in Germany was built on the basic principles of a coach picking a well-balanced team containing players with total confidence in his methods. The secret lay in Capello's simplicity.

Germany also fielded a weakened team, but the performances of Gareth Barry and Michael Carrick in midfield, plus Stewart Downing's finest England display demonstrated Capello's motivational and organisational powers.

It may have been, to some extent, England's under-card, but Capello could still mould them into a unit capable of getting results.

Capello himself wants England to be tested by the best around before they travel to South Africa. He will use Wednesday as a yardstick for the development of his England squad.

Rio Ferdinand subscribes to this theory and insists England "can beat anyone on the planet".

These were words we heard often under Sven-Goran Eriksson and Steve McClaren, but there is a different dynamic in this England squad. The notion that players are simply paying lip service to the idea of world domination is fading - under Capello they actually believe it.

Capello will surely start with his strongest available side, and England will be tested all over the pitch by a gifted Spanish side who will regard a victory as another feather in their cap.

England will be placed under pressure in defence, where they will be confronted by the world-class strike duo of Liverpool's Fernando Torres and Valencia's David Villa, but Spain's midfield is also liberally sprinkled with players of the highest calibre.

It is a huge examination of Capello's England - but one the coach believes they are capable of passing.

The sudden dismissal of Scolari just seven months after he was paraded in a barrage of flashbulbs and a blizzard of optimism in a plush Cobham hotel in Surrey has all the hallmarks of Abramovich's refusal to settle for second best.

Chelsea's hierarchy smiled in satisfaction back on that sunny July day when "Big Phil" charmed allcomers with his sense of humour and clever command of the English language.

Abramovich was absent - but his fingerprints were all over the appointment of the man he wanted to bring the Samba touch to sterile Stamford Bridge.

It all seems an age away now as the coach who won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002, and looked like he would win everything in sight in the opening weeks of the season, is sacked with a ruthlessness that might shock even seasoned Chelsea observers.

"Are you a Special One?"

In other words, are you big enough and good enough to banish the ghost of Jose Mourinho haunting Stamford Bridge?

"So so" came the answer from The Modest One - and ultimately his failure to make Chelsea's fans and players forget the hugely successful Mourinho reign may have played a part in his eventual downfall.

The glorious opening to the season was punctured spectacularly when Liverpool ended an unbeaten home league run stretching back 86 games in October. It was as if a magic spell had disappeared with something as simple as Xabi Alonso's deflected shot.

Chelsea's iron-clad self-belief was gone. The aura of invincibility that gave Chelsea a huge psychological hold on opponents disappeared with it - Scolari needed to fashion a new start and failed.

But the decision to end Scolari's reign effectively in its infancy still comes as a surprise, even to those of us who have observed a succession of lifeless Chelsea displays in recent weeks.

It is also an ominous signal that the clock ticks for coaches at the game's sharp end at an almost preposterous rate once results start to slide.

I watched Chelsea's home defeat to Arsenal and defeats at Manchester United and Liverpool. No shame there - but it was the manner that came as a shock to the system.

Chelsea were lifeless and had a chronic lack of ideas and invention. Manchester United outclassed them, and while Frank Lampard's unjust dismissal gave Scolari a straw to clutch at in the defeat at Anfield, Liverpool were still too superior for comfort.

It may have been a single banner and a few jeers in the goalless home draw against Hull City on Saturday, but once the tide of fans' opinion turns it is almost impossible to reverse.

I found Scolari charming, gracious in defeat and disarmingly honest, a breath of fresh air. But there were whispers backstage at Anfield that all was not well.

A former Chelsea player told me that some senior players were not convinced by Scolari's methods and it was showing on the field. There were suggestions he was finding the transition from the hit-and-run style of international management to day-to-day affairs in a new country a difficult one to make.

I also have sympathy for Scolari in that success in football management, as in good comedy, can often rely on your timing.

Mourinho came to Stamford Bridge when Abramovich was prepared to lavish any sum imaginable on the team to attain success. He did a magnificent job, but make no mistake the cash helped him.

Scolari arrived when the purse strings were drawn tight - a situation exacerbated by a Chelsea team that was in serious need of a transfusion of new blood. He also had little to work with from Chelsea's youth system, overseen by Frank Arnesen.

Chelsea looked like a team coming to the end of a great era and in need of freshening up to conquer new horizons. Scolari's tools were never going to be as powerful as those at Mourinho's disposal.

Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba looked more like expensive, ageing luxuries with every passing week, while the young and hungry Michael Essien could only watch injured from the sidelines.

And then there was the Mourinho factor.

Do some of the players who hung on his every word still pine for the great man's return? It is a theory I think has merit.

He raised the bar - and Chelsea's expectations - to unimaginable, and now perhaps unattainable, heights and his succesors are suffering.

Will every successor be compared to Mourinho? It has been the case so far with both Avram Grant and Scolari.

Indeed Chelsea may continue to struggle until those emotional ties are cut, or new players untouched by the magic hand of Jose arrive at Stamford Bridge.

I actually believe Scolari is desperately unlucky to lose his job so swiftly, but the signs have not been good in recent months.

Chelsea are seven points off the Premier League summit, still in the FA Cup and in the last 16 of the Champions League. Scolari's successor will hardly inherit a scene of football wreckage.

The Stamford Bridge hierarchy are convinced they can still claim those trophies - but not with Scolari at the helm.

Scolari, a dignified and personable man, will be a loss to the Premier League, but Chelsea obviously believe he will not be a loss to them.

But Redknapp was a figure of relative calm during the game and was able to talk positively in his post-match inquest about the promising signs shown by his expensively re-shaped side.

Redknapp's only serious show of frustration came when Aaron Lennon wasted a perfect crossing opportunity late on - it will not be the last time he unleashes a high-pitched squeal in those circumstances - and when Luka Modric missed Spurs' best chance in injury time.

Wenger issued similarly optimistic bulletins about Arsenal, but his agitated display in the technical area hinted at what he must accept in his darker moments - that they are in serious danger of missing out on the money, prestige and attraction of next season's Champions League.

He stalked the touchline, going through the full range of emotions - arms outstretched, imploring his players, turning to remonstrate with his backroom staff and indulging in several discussions with the fourth official.

The frustration continued afterwards when he complained bitterly about referee Mike Dean's decision to rule out Eboue's early goal.

He insisted he did not want "to develop a paranoia" about referees - at which point you could have gambled your mortgage and life savings on this particular sentence being followed by the word "but".

Wenger said a foul on Jonathan Woodgate was "illusionary" - a term that can also be applied to any suggestions Arsenal remain as serious title contenders.

He is a man and a coach who deserves the greatest admiration for the football principles he simply refuses to desert, but it did not appear that watching this match contained any moments of pleasure or satisfaction for him.

Arsenal, of course, were resilient and may well have been satisfied to escape from White Hart Lane with a point. The bigger picture, however, is not a promising one.

The creative spark has temporarily left this Arsenal team. Wenger must hope the return of injured Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott, plus the introduction of Andrey Arshavin will re-ignite it.

But the longer the flame is extinguished, the greater the danger will become of Arsenal falling away in fifth, or possibly even sixth, position in the Premier League.

Of course, Wenger can point to a run of 11 games unbeaten - but seven of those have been draws so that particular statistics tells a white lie. If you cannot turn some of those draws into wins you will not win titles.

The purists will hope they recover the poise and style that delights us all. The realists will tell you the purists may not get their wish this season.

And there is also a question of balance that may not neccessarily be addressed by the acquisition of Arshavin.

Arshavin is lavishly-gifted, but it is hard not to believe a more pressing requirement is a central midfield player of power and presence to complement Fabregas. Alex Song is an able stand-in rather than an automatic choice.

Wenger can have no complaints about Eboue's red card - or at least he should not have. He droned on and on before referee Dean rightly lost patience and brandished the yellow that effectively set him up for his sending off in the wake of a needless flick at Modric.

Spurs failed to take advantage of that numerical supremacy, and there will be lingering annoyance that they wasted a perfect opportunity to record their first league win against Arsenal in 10 years.

But if Redknapp's more modest target is to avoid relegation while building for next season, then he had reason to be well satisfied. Spurs will not be in the relegation zone at season's end.

Redknapp has performed a vital task by restoring confidence to Luka Modric. The Croatian was outstanding, although his position on the left flank narrowed Spurs' style and was hopefully a temporary tactical measure.

Wilson Palacios also hinted at great promise, although that £14m transfer fee from Wigan remains eye-wateringly high. He is a muscular figure who enjoyed the physical aspects of the north London derby and will provide a perfect counterpoint to the delicate Modric in future.

In fact, Palacios looked like the sort of powerful workhorse that would not go amiss in the current Arsenal team.

Robbie Keane's return to White Hart Lane - hugely welcomed despite his summer desertion to Liverpool - came and went. He was busy and had a couple of opportunities, but still looked like the next case for Redknapp's well-practised art of rebuilding confidence and self-belief.

Redknapp will move forward with increased confidence about Spurs' ability to move away from the wrong end of the table - for Wenger, the agonies on show on the White Hart Lane touchline may worsen unless Arsenal rediscover the creation that has become their hallmark.

Indeed, Benitez was so pleased with Liverpool's victory against Chelsea - a win that re-ignited hopes of a first title since 1990 - that he even happily refused to discuss his new contract.

Liverpool co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett were at Anfield, although pointedly sitting well apart, to broker a deal on the proposed four-and-a-half year extension to Benitez's Anfield tenure.

Benitez brushed off talk of Robbie Keane's continued exclusion and questions about that contentious contract with small but effective repetitions: "I am enjoying today."

And enjoying it he was - which was in sharp contrast to the sad and somewhat resigned demeanour of Chelsea counterpart Luiz Felipe Scolari as he picked over a display that suggested he may just have arrived at Stamford Bridge at precisely the wrong time.

Benitez needed this win, with growing fan unrest (hardly open rebellion but certainly more open questioning) about his approach fuelled by Liverpool's lull in form following his attack on Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

He displayed iron-clad confidence about Liverpool's title chances in his post-match analysis and did not look like the agitated figure of recent times. Benitez was not, as United, Everton and Chelsea fans have suggested at various intervals this weekend, cracking up.

Fernando Torres' two late goals gave Liverpool a victory they deserved for being the one team who took seriously the task of winning a game where victory was the only result in town. A crucial fact that appeared to escape Chelsea.

Liverpool did not deliver compelling evidence that they will push United to the wire, but they were positive, persistent and went forward until the end - leaving Anfield harbouring a distinct "and then there were two" feeling about the title race at the final whistle.

If Chelsea could plead any mitigating circumstances, it would be Frank Lampard's horribly unjust red card on the hour - an incident that is only likely to continue his feud with Xabi Alonso that dates back to an incident when Liverpool's midfield man suffered a broken ankle in 2005.

Referee Mike Riley, who had a poor game, failed to detect Lampard getting a touch on the ball before Alonso made contact with his shin. And Chelsea's sense of injustice was increased by Riley's failure to punish Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard for a more reckless challenge minutes earlier.

Liverpool had already gained the upper hand, and Lampard's departure merely confirmed their supremacy. It was only the efforts of defensive heroes such as Alex that kept them in the hunt until Torres struck with a minute to go and again in injury time.

I have been critical of Liverpool in recent weeks, with full justification after watching many of their recent stalemates, but they were good value for the win and their approach warranted three points.

Liverpool did not sparkle, but they were prepared to sweat and grasped the concept of victory, something which was lost on Chelsea. This provided a solid launchpad for their world-class talent such as Torres and Gerrard.

Chelsea, to put it charitably, were wretched. Lampard's dismissal actually only cost them a point because they never looked like getting three at any point.

And of course, Chelsea will surely now lose Jose Bosingwa to suspension after his ludicrous kung fu attack on Yossi Benayoun - an act of hot-headed madness that was amazingly missed by the officials, especially the referee's assistant, who was almost bundled over himself in the melee.

Scolari was his usual generous self as he sat disconsolately at Anfield pondering such a damaging setback. He could not say it but the careworn look said it for him. The game is up for Chelsea in a Premier League context.

And, more worryingly, Chelsea's whole performance gave off a horribly stale stench of a team in need of a major overhaul.

Petr Cech, that great untouchable of goalkeepers, looked vulnerable throughout and took up an almost disorientated position for Torres' first goal.

Chelsea's midfield looked pedestrian, lacking in ideas. Michael Ballack glided effortlessly around to no effect at all and looked an expensive passenger in comparison to the hungry Gerrard.

And then we had Didier Drogba - or at least I think we had him. He gave a cameo of sorts as substitute, a cameo which suggested he has already got his coat when it comes to his long-term future at Stamford Bridge.

Scolari was brutally realistic. He knows he will face questions, but there is more to Chelsea's decline than the arrival of a World Cup-winning coach into alien Premier League territory.

He has arrived at a time when Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has put the block on his lavish spending. He has inherited players who are handsomely paid but past their best - and he does not have any younger players of serious quality to call on from Chelsea's reserves.

Scolari must hope Abramovich revisits his new policy on spending, or that Chelsea's youth programme can throw him new gems, because he looks to be in charge of a team that is heading over the hill.

He is a dignified, likeable man and it is not a pleasurable experience to witness his discomfort in defeat, but Scolari needs to find fresh ideas, or teach some old dogs new tricks, if he is to make Chelsea serious contenders again.

Of course this may strike an alarmist note with some Chelsea fans, but one point from five meetings with their so-called closest rivals this season tells the tale.

Liverpool can now move forward with renewed optimism after a performance that at least hinted at the predictions made earlier this season that they could actually threaten to reach that Premier League pinnacle.

If Benitez can settle his differences with Liverpool's hierarchy to bring the stability off the pitch that will foster progress on it, then the great brinksman and part-time politician may yet have the last laugh on us all.

The sceptics - and yes, I was one of them - questioned such lavish expenditure on a player who, although gifted, was not even close to establishing himself with England when he arrived at Old Trafford.

It is the clearest indication of Carrick's development into the complete modern midfield player that he now looks something of a bargain when set against some of the fees being demanded - and in certain cases actually paid - in the current climate.

Mention the £18.6m now and the silence is deafening, because to watch him at close quarters in United's narrow, but vital, victory over Everton at Old Trafford was to witness a player coming to full maturity.

But the real star of the show, unfussy but inspirational, was Carrick.

And, with Fabio Capello seemingly plotting an untroubled course to the 2010 World Cupwith England, Carrick now looks ready to muscle in alongside Gareth Barry, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard in the scrap for central midfield places.

Carrick was United's orchestrator against an Everton side described by Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson in his programme notes as "the Premier League's big success story of the last five years."

He won one penalty, should have had another, started attacks with glorious raking passes, broke up rare Everton forays into United territory and threatened goals. Watch as closely as you liked for flaws - there were none to be seen.

It is little wonder Ferguson appears to be living in a state of footballing nirvana as United start to have that ominous look of champions again, coming to a peak while those around falter.

United have a defence that does not concede, a midfield of variety and strength and an attack that will - more often than not - score. It is a potent cocktail and the title is now Manchester United's to lose.

Everton, resilient as ever, were dogged opponents but never seriously threatened to produce the result that would bring satisfaction to Liverpool and Chelsea as well as themselves.

It took Cristiano Ronaldo's goal to settle affairs, but the gulf between the sides was huge.

Tevez was United's other bright spark - and there is an interesting little sub-plot developing at Old Trafford over his future.

Manchester United fans pose questions to Ferguson in the form of polite requests as opposed to ultimatums, but there is little doubt they are making their feelings plain about what they would like their manager to do when it comes to the Argentine,

I was at the recent win against Chelsea when a gentle jog down the touchline from Tevez was greeted by a standing ovation from large parts of Old Trafford. And again here there were enough chants of "sign him on" to give Sir Alex a shove.

Ferguson is wise to take his time over a Tevez deal. He has plenty of other attacking weaponry - and Tevez would do well to find anywhere better than Old Trafford to ply his trade.

It is a debate that is not affecting Tevez's performance or United's march to the top, so Ferguson will rightly proceed with caution until the right deal can be struck.

As for Everton, it is huge credit to Moyes that he has marshalled such wafer-thin resources into a formidable unit, but there has to be a danger that subjecting such a small squad of players to tests week after week will eventually take its toll.

Everton are built around a superb defensive unit, but Moyes's "needs must" system with Tim Cahill as an auxiliary striker surely needs topping up with re-inforcements.

I asked Moyes whether he feared energy levels may suffer when he sends this gallant band to the well once more against Liverpool in the FA Cup fourth round replay on Wednesday.

He told me: "I was more concerned about today because we played on Wednesday and United played on Tuesday. I'm sure we will be fine against Liverpool when it comes to our energy, it's a reverse now because we have played on Saturday and Liverpool play Sunday."

It was an optimistic message - and one Moyes is correct to deliver because Everton's players have earned the right not to be under-estimated. Ferguson certainly gave them full respect in his pre-match and post-match analysis.

Ferguson also happily admitted he hoped his relaxing Sunday would be brightened by a draw at Anfield - but his main concern is always his own team and they are currently taking care of business for him.

United look to be peaking at just the right time - a view that can be applied with equal confidence to Carrick.

And if they glance behind them in the directors' box they will see, if he is in attendance, another Premier League power broker who has enjoyed happier times, namely Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.

Meanwhile, just along the M62 on Saturday evening, Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United have it within their power to ensure the trio shift even more uncomfortably in their seats on what could be a pivotal Premier League weekend.

If Ferguson's team beat Everton, it will put them five points clear at the top and conceivably make the encounter at Anfield a must-win for Benitez and his Chelsea counterpart Luiz Felipe Scolari.

They want to sort out Benitez's contract impasse, his future relationship with chief executive Rick Parry, perhaps inquire (as hard-headed businessman) why an asset they paid £20m for in the shape of Robbie Keane lies so idle for so long, and maybe even find some common ground on the future ownership and direction of the club.

After that little lot, taking in a spot of football against Chelsea may come as a blessed relief - but there is no doubt the stakes are getting higher for both clubs.

Benitez was not being complimentary when he bracketed Everton with Extramadura, the
lowly Spanish minnows he once coached, after they produced a superb defensive display to frustrate Liverpool in the FA Cup fourth round at Anfield last Sunday.

So there is no little irony in the fact that Benitez might almost be in the mood to shower bouquets upon Everton manager David Moyes if his team can perform a similar trick at Old Trafford.

The odds are against it. United are not gripped by Liverpool's caution and the smart money will be on Benitez and Scolari being five points off the pace by kick-off time on Sunday.

In those circumstances, would a draw at Anfield even suit Chelsea, let alone Liverpool?

Four points behind United having played a game more would leave the Premier League title race starting to have a faint whiff of inevitability about it.

Victory is essential for both sides. A share of the spoils and Sir Alex will enjoy his traditional glass of red even more on Sunday night.

Benitez and Scolari have been contrasting figures during Manchester United's revival that has taken them back to the Premier League summit.

Liverpool's manager has declared war on all fronts. He has attacked Ferguson, Premier League officials, the fixture list, Everton's tactics and seemingly unknown "crazy" forces in the damaging draw at Wigan.

Scolari, in contrast, has retreated somewhat from the public gaze, pushing forward Ray Wilkins to do his talking with greater regularity as Chelsea regroup following their harrowing defeat at Manchester United.

Both managers have faced searching questions from their own fans, even Benitez, for whom many Liverpool fans have unswerving loyalty.

Benitez, even before his cryptic post-match efforts at the JJB Stadium, did not help his cause during a 90 minutes that underscored many of the doubts harboured about Liverpool and their manager.

The persistence with the limited Lucas in central midfield ahead of Xabi Alonso appears to owe almost as much to stubborness as sound logic. The accident waiting to happen finally came to pass when he needlessly fouled Jason Koumas to give away a late penalty that cost Liverpool victory.

And, to the rare sound of jeers from his own supporters, Benitez then removed captain Steven Gerrard after Mido scored from the spot.

With all due respect to Benitez's undoubtedly superior grasp of football's finer points, I will not live long enough to work out why he thought that a wise decision.

I have watched Liverpool on several occasions recently, and to remove Gerrard would have been to cut out the heart of the team.

The suggestion that Gerrard was tired - too tired to last another potentially vital six minutes? - was, to put it kindly, strange. Gerrard, one suspects, would have found the energy to disagree.

It may also be, however, time to put Liverpool's recent political and footballing troubles in a more generous context.

Benitez has a habit of coming out of such difficulties by engineering a crucial win, such as against Inter Milan in the Champions League last season. He was also being questioned with vigour during his first season at Liverpool, a campaign that ended with a Champions League triumph.

Liverpool, just to add a little weight to Benitez's side of the argument, have lost only once in the league this season, in almost laughable circumstances at Spurs, and are eight points up on their tally this time last term.

Too many draws have been their undoing. Liverpool remain devilishly hard to beat, which is why they have every chance of making their usual progress in Europe.

So all is not lost providing Benitez can go against his most cautious instincts and release some of the shackles on an undoubtedly talented group of individuals.

He will need to do so if Manchester United prove more adept at piercing Everton's iron defence than Liverpool did last Sunday.

If he is too cautious against Chelsea, it could be the catalyst for a fatal blow to Liverpool's hopes of winning the title.

Chelsea's own aspirations were put into sharp focus by an uncharacteristic mauling at Old Trafford. It was a grim sight to witness in the flesh a Chelsea side without the mettle that has carried them so far so successfully in recent seasons.

They could not even count on the most consistent of their forces that day. The defence that has fashioned so many famous victories looked vulnerable, especially down the centre at set-pieces.

Chelsea looked like a team that had grown too old together. They had the appearance of players at the end of great successes rather than at the start of conquering new horizons. Was Scolari himself ill-suited for the unique demands the Premier League places on coaches?

Scolari, however, will be heartened by Chelsea's response and perhaps inspired after being comprehensively outwitted by Benitez when Liverpool finally ended their long unbeaten home record in the league earlie this season.

It has not been spectacular, but they have had four straight victories in the Premier League and the FA Cup.

And doubts about spirit and divisions in the camp may have been swept away by the manner in which they rallied in the closing seconds to beat Stoke City, and the style in which Frank Lampard pointedly celebrated his late winner with Scolari.

It has been solid rather than stylish, but the ship is steady once more and talk of Abramovich losing interest in one of his pet projects has also been swiftly kicked into touch.

A visit to Anfield, however, especially an Anfield harbouring a sense of "them against us", is always a tough assignment and Chelsea's record against teams seen as their closest rivals is unimpressive this season.

Scolari and Benitez will watch events at Old Trafford with keen interest on Saturday night. Everton have remained undefeated in games against United, Chelsea, Liverpool twice and Arsenal as their improvement has continued.

They will hope, with equal fervour, that United's recent golden run will be halted.

If it is not, it may well be a case of fortune favouring the bravest manager at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.

Moyes took Everton to Anfield for a Premier League game on Monday stripped of virtually all of his attacking resources and without suspended £15m midfield man Marouane Fellaini.

Everton earned a draw at Anfield courtesy of Tim Cahill's late header, and returned for Sunday's FA Cup fourth round tie still without Fellaini but further depleted by the loss of influential midfield orchestrator Mikel Arteta.

No-one would suggest Everton did anything other than mount a rearguard action to earn a replay at Goodison Park, but equally no-one should diminish the standard of their defensive excellence.

For a team with no strikers, Everton have found a way of - for now at least - avoiding defeat.

And it was only an uncharacteristic error from Tim Howard that gave Steven Gerrard - again Liverpool's brilliant inspiration - the chance to remove the blue shield of defensive resistance from in front of Everton's keeper.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez clearly regarded Everton's tactics as a huge irritant, but he actually should have recognised facets of some of his own team's most successful European missions in how Moyes set up his team and carried out their gameplan.

And to criticise Everton's tactics while ignoring his own team's obvious defensive flaw suggests he is taking aim at the wrong target.

Benitez may in fact be better employed asking his own defenders how Cahill, not exactly Everton's secret weapon, once again arrived unmarked in the penalty area to set up Lescott's goal.

Liverpool deserved a draw at the very least, but it would have been harsh on heroes such as Lescott and his defensive sidekick Phil Jagielka had Everton lost.

It was ironic that Everton were caught on the break and almost conceded a late goal to Dirk Kuyt, only for the striker to shoot tamely at Howard. This would have been the most galling manner of defeat for Moyes, given his attention to defensive detail and his team's determination not to be caught off guard.

Lescott has had a mysteriously uncertain England career, never looking the player he does for Everton at international level. Here, however, he was magnificent in front of watching England coach Fabio Capello.

And Jagielka did his chances of adding to a single England cap not the slightest harm with his second outstanding defensive display against Fernando Torres in a week.

I was rightly taken to task by a journalistic colleague for describing Jagielka as "limited" during the league draw at Anfield. A poor choice of word - he is a player who knows his limitations and performs outstandingly within them.

This is not damning Jagielka with faint praise. It is a simple statement of fact.

Liverpool will hope to tease Everton out of their defensive shell on home territory in the replay, but it has taken the driving force of Gerrard to unlock them twice inside a week and it is hard to see Moyes throwing caution out of the window in the replay.

Moyes has played the role of pragmatist after losing Yakubu for the season, James Vaughan until at least the closing stages of the campaign and Louis Saha to sadly predictable injury problems.

He has restored the reliable, unfussy Tony Hibbert at right-back, pushed Phil Neville into a midfield anchor role and released Cahill into a more advanced attacking position, playing the dual part of striker and auxiliary midfield man.

It is a role for which the Australian is perfectly cast, as an ever-willing runner, a non-stop nuisance (defenders may use other less kindly descriptions) and an uncanny poacher of penalty area trifles.

And all this is deployed within a no-frills framework of strict discipline and tireless endeavour.

Everton were robbed of much artistry and creation with Arteta's withdrawal, but the twin defensive towers of Lescott and Jagielka meant they were still tough to breach at the back.

Liverpool will fancy their chances of progressing, and they may indeed be better suited to taking Everton on at Goodison Park, but it also time for Moyes to receive credit for his work with a paper-thin squad that he has guided into sixth place in the Premier League and kept in the FA Cup.

If chairman Bill Kenwright can actually come up with some resources for Moyes to make an impact in the closing days before the transfer window shuts, it would give a squad built to a large degree on team spirit an extra, crucial, dimension.

The other main talking point to emerge from the Cup tie was the exclusion, from a list of 18 players, of Liverpool's £20m summer signing Robbie Keane.

Keane had a miserable night against Everton on Monday, but it is a grim sign for his long-term Anfield future that David Ngog was regarded as a better bet on the bench than Keane.

Everton's defence will take the plaudits for earning a replay - Keane must now wait to see if he even gets the chance to influence it.

Liverpool, are not, he insisted, in the process of proving Sir Alex Ferguson's point that nerves would be their downfall as they chase the title that has escaped them for 19 years.

And the merest suggestion that Benitez himself had cranked up the pressure with his own behaviour, first via a public attack on Ferguson then by revealing his rejection of a new contract, was swatted away emphatically.

Benitez's bold blast at Ferguson was the catalyst for a stumbling Liverpool performance at Stoke followed by Manchester United's dismissal of Chelsea.

The airing of his contract grievances came just before United hit the top at Bolton and Liverpool failed to take their own chance to move back to the top of the Premier League by beating Everton.

And it seems the nerves are gripping everyone at Anfield.

Marvellous song though it is, "Panic" by The Smiths may not have been the most appropriate choice of pre-match music by Anfield's resident DJ just as Everton fans were giving voice to their belief Benitez was "cracking up".

Of course Liverpool's defenders hardly had Rafa's contract on their mind as Tim Cahill glanced in the 87th-minute header that equalised Steven Gerrard's thunderous strike.

But there is no escaping the simple truth that Benitez has caused needless waves within and without Liverpool at a time when all was going smoothly. Why not just lurk nicely under the radar?

In Benitez's defence, he had a valid argument that Liverpool were only three minutes away from a vital victory and if you had offered them their current position in August it would have been welcomed with open arms.

But, rather significantly, they did not survive those last three minutes and showed too many signs of a team that are not yet convinced they can be champions this season.

And for all his positive words, there was a slump of the shoulders and a resigned body language from Benitez in his post-match inquest that suggests he knows there has been a shift in momentum in the title race, even though it is not by any means a decisive one.

Everton, it must be stressed, are formidable opponents under manager David Moyes and it was not a huge shock when Cahill glanced in Mikel Arteta's vicious late free-kick. More of them later.

But Liverpool, and Benitez's, reaction to taking the lead after 68 minutes was conservatism personified. What they had they intended to hold - a risky strategy at any time, but especially against a team as battle-hardened and resilient as Everton.

It was a toss-up between whether Liverpool felt Gerrard's goal meant it was "job done" or they simply did not have the courage of their convictions to try and finish Everton off.

Either way, caution can no longer be the basis for their title campaign. It has already cost them too much.

Benitez was the subject of some questioning in the aftermath for his decision to remove Fernando Torres shortly before Cahill's goal, sending on the trusted Lucas to see out the final few minutes.

Torres looked exhausted, but if he was to be removed was Javier Mascherano not the better option?

And once again Robbie Keane endured a nightmare evening before the traditional round of sympathetic Anfield applause accompanied his early departure.

It may be an optical illusion, but on occasions it almost looks like his Liverpool colleagues are unaware of Keane's actual presence on the pitch. The game goes on around him. He waits in vain for passes that never come. He makes runs that are rarely spotted.

He has no natural link with Torres and it is not a pretty sight to see a player who is normally the epitome of exuberance and confidence running on empty when it comes to both of those crucial commodities.

Liverpool's fans certainly did their bit with ear-splitting backing for their team, but they were ominously silent at the final whistle as Everton's supporters celebrated.

And they deserved to celebrate after watching their side make light of paper-thin resources once more.

Moyes is fashioning another excellent season from a group of players who he says would be top of the league if points were awarded for spirit.

In previous Anfield visits, they looked as if it would not actually cross their minds that they could win - a lack of belief reflected in wretched results,

But this was a performance of confidence as well as resolve, with Steven Pienaar leading the way in following Moyes' mantra of bravery in possession.

The heroes, however, were at the back, with Phil Jagielka once again suggesting he cannot be far from an England recall and Leighton Baines playing arguably his finest game for the club.

And, for the team with no strikers, how valuable is the contribution of goalscorer Cahill?

A nuisance for 90 minutes, occasionally driving Martin Skrtel to distraction, he has the priceless knack of arriving unmarked in the penalty area.

Everton have now drawn against Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool this season - the next step they take may be the most crucial.

Self-belief and positive thinking is the key, as it is for Liverpool and Benitez.

Liverpool's title bandwagon has hardly come flying off the rails, but there is little doubt unsteadiness and uncertainty has crept in at a most inopportune time.

Time to put away the politics and focus on the football.