The Return of the Able Deputy

His was a low-profile entrance. Indeed, if any emotion was expressed when Mauricio Pellegrino joined Liverpool's coaching staff last July, it was skepticism: how could the player who had done so badly during his brief stay in 2005 add anything in a coaching role?

Four months later and there still isn't a suitable answer to that query. Nor is there likely to be. Coaches are only appreciated when they leave, as proven by the negative impact of Patrice Bergues' departure in Gerard Houllier's time or, more recently, that of Paco Ayesteran.

Yet the new coaching team must be doing something right. Defensively, where you would imagine someone like Pellegrino would be more prominent, Liverpool have only conceeded twice from set-pieces all season a significant improvement in an area where they struggled in the recent past.

While it was unheralded, in hindsight the arrival of Pellegrino wasn't that surprising. Highly rated as a player by Benitez - he famously chose him as Valencia's best defender defender rather than the more widely acclaimed Fabio Ayala - he was also one of those players who, to trouble an old cliche', act as coaches on the pitch.

The departure of Alex Miller at the end of last season coupled by Ayesteran's earlier dismissal gave Benitez the opportunity to re-shape his staff and bring in new ideas. For him, Pellegrino must have been the perfect choice: a man who knows his playing ideology inside out yet with a degree of experience of the English game.

Few can appreciate the importance of that better than Benitez who has hinted that his impact with the Premiership wasn't as comfortable as he had expected. Some players identified early on weren't suited to English football and his tactics occasionally failed to take into consideration the physical aspect. Compare the way Liverpool approached games like the derby or trips to Bolton to the same teams and you will see how that aspect of Benitez's approach has matured.

Pellegrino's beliefs will have suffered the same shock during that brief stint as player, better equiping him to understand and pass on Benitez's ideas.

There was, however, more to take out of that brief stay. Because, if ultimately playing wise it was a bad move, it did show that Pellegrino was someone eager to pass on his knowledge - he often stayed behind to help reserve team players - and, more importantly, someone with integrity.

Indeed, whilst his initial six month contract had an automatic renewal for a further year, Pellegrino himself opted not to exercise that option because he realised that at that stage of his career he wasn't good enough for Liverpool.

None of this was widely publicised at the time meanting that for most the overriding impression of Pellegrino was that of a slow defender who should never have joined Liverpool. But that move paid dividends then - it allowed Benitez to rest Hyppia in the lead up for the Champions LEague - and is bearing results now.