A couple of weeks ago, I had an email from an Australian reader, Michael Pisano, who sent me a link to a Sydney Morning Herald article about Sports Science and fitness. This, he said, was where Liverpool should be looking.

I was slightly suspicious; after all, surely Australian Rules Football, which he was referring to, can’t be more professionally run than its megabucks, global-brand Football Association counterpart?

After all, these were men with mullets and beer bellies strolling around in cut-off t-shirts and looking for fights before necking a Fosters and putting another shrimp on the barbie (or rather, they were the last time I looked, which was about 20 years ago, admittedly).

The appointment of Peter Brukner could yet prove to be as important as the signing of any individual player. After all, if someone can help keep men like Torres, Gerrard, Agger and Aquilani fit (and, if it’s not pushing things beyond the realm of realism, Fabio Aurelio), then how many more points a season will that be worth?

As it is, Liverpool win an average of around 10% more points when Torres is in the side compared with when he’s not (based on the last two seasons).

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