Benitez’s Surprise Choice

Aside from the Barry saga, this was the summer in which the core of Liverpool's successful reserve side got an opportunity to prove their worth at a higher level. Daniel Pacheco, Damien Plessis, Jay Spearing, Kristian Nemeth, Stephen Darby and Emiliano Insua all got to play in the club's pre-season friendlies with each one hinting that, should the need arise, they were more than capable of doing a job.