Aware of a Greek bearing gifts

With such a meagre pot at his disposal Rafael Benitez had to turn his attentions away from the capture of Michael Turner or Sylvain Distin. Not to mention Ryan Shawcross, Matthew Upson and others Sotirios Kyrgiakos was plucked from AEK Athens.

The £2 million price almost reflecting perfectly the rumoured sum at his disposal.

Though other areas of the team could have done with fortification or something approaching a world class addition short term a centre back was a priority.

Martin Skrtel may play on Monday against Aston Villa but his participation - extremely tentative as it is in the first place - may only be possible in a ’Phantom of the Opera’ style mask. Jamie Carragher will be patched up and sent out while Daniel Agger requires back surgery before he will play again.

Danny Ayala put in a competent enough display against Stoke in midweek. He didn’t do too badly at White Hart Lane either when Skrtel decided not even he could see out the final quarter but is too raw to expect to become the fourth first team option and at this point his development is best served by reserve team football.

Skrtel is a man who could give Nosferatu nightmares let alone Premiership forwards and it’s clear Kyrgiakos will provide some additional muscle in that position. The 30 year old stands 6’4” so is naturally commanding in the air and has mauled strikers plus countless midfielders in his homeland, Germany and Scotland. Not to mention those from a host of national sides.

Clearly an ability to dish it out was amongst the qualities the manager was looking at when selecting a new player.

Speaking at the press conference to announce the capture Benitez said: "He is a tough defender who is strong and good in the air. He has a strong character and we were looking for these things. He can score goals and will be a threat from corners and free-kicks. He's very strong in defence but he will need time as always to settle into the Premier League.

"We knew the player when he was with Rangers and we've been watching videos of him at Frankfurt and the national team. Our scout department had a lot of information.

He added: "We've talked about the things he's done before and the things he'll have to do for us. He knows what we want and he's ready to work."

Unlike those considered before him Kyrgiakos may have been a picking from the bargain bin which makes his signing low risk but with respect to all his previous employers this is the biggest move of his career albeit at a late stage which means he has every incentive to do well.

The best laid schemes o' mice an' men

Rafael Benitez may have meticulous plans for the development of his young players now he has fuller authority over the junior ranks but even at ten past three his curriculum would not have involved Danny Ayala or Mikel san Jose facing Diego Forlan and Sergio Agüero.

The South American duo are two of the hottest strikers in European football and have formed a partnership teams from La Liga and further afield envy.

Many observers believe the teenage Ayala has potential to become a top class international. San Jose is a little older but has also done well in the junior levels earning caps at a host of levels including under-21 but to place such expectation on the pair would have been harsh.

However, noting that Athletico’s opener came when the Reds were down to ten men and the backline was being hastily rearranged there was some mitigation.

That said the finish was of the highest quality as was the second Madrid goal even if it, like the opener, the visitors were assisted by a touch of naivety for both strikes.

Lucas Leiva who has worked hard to improve his fitness and stamina over the summer is reaping rewards with some fine performances in midfield plus a late goal after linking with Steven Gerrard.

The skipper’s understanding with Fernando Torres looks likely to remain as productive as it was last season. fitness allowing. Gerrard's promptings created more than half a dozen chances for the forward who should have bagged at least one but will trust his ability to fire on all cylinders with a little more fine tuning.

Glen Johnson gave an impressive home bow - popping across the field when it was an option - and was another who linked well with Gerrard.

His instructions to raid measured alongside similar instincts of Emiliano Insua and Fabio Aurelio when he returns suggest the frailties which led home draws with the likes of Stoke, West Ham and Fulham amongst others - the results which effectively denied Liverpool the title - will be addressed.

Worries about scorelines should be out into perspective by news emerging from Spain on Saturday evening. Daniel Jarque who skippered Espanyol against Liverpool in last weekend’s friendly died following a training session in Coverciano, Italy.

The 26 year old is believed to have suffered a heart attack and could not be revived.